If your choice of fitness apparel is making you self-conscious, affecting your mobility or simply making you feel uncomfortable, it’s time you took a closer inspection at what you’re wearing and revamping your wardrobe.
It goes without saying that the more comfortable you feel in your clothes, the more likely you are to start and finish your workout so choosing the right gym apparel is crucial.
Below is a just a quick rundown of 5 things to consider when you’re purchasing new workout clothes.
- Appropriate for your activity
It is important to wear clothes which are suitable for the exercise/activity you’re performing. For example, if you’re performing weight training, wearing a relaxed and comfortable training top and trousers/shorts will put you in good stead to perform several exercises with relative ease without restriction to give you a liberated range of movement.
You may also find it beneficial to wear clothes which are tailored for a tapered fit in order to prevent a back that rides up as you lean forward or restrictive/tight sleeves. In an ideal world, you should forget you’re even wearing it!
- Material
Whilst you exercise, there’s no doubt that you’re going to sweat (unless you’re not working hard enough!). However, being drenched in sweat can cause unnecessary discomfort and irritation which can prevent you from getting the best out of your workout. Thus, look for clothes which have any form of ‘wicking’ ability. Wicking helps to move sweat away from your skin to the surface of the clothes for easy evaporation – keeping you both dry and comfortable.
Clothes which are made from or contain any synthetic-based material are those you should opt for.
- Compression/Support
Clothes which offer some element of ‘compression’ technology have been shown to give additional performance-based benefits and stimulate recovery during strenuous workouts. Lycra is the most common type of material used in compression material which helps to increase blood circulation and protect any niggles or pains you might have.
- Layerable
For the colder months of the year, it can be difficult to know what to wear when working out (especially outside). The key thing you do is to layer with fabrics which keep you both cool and warm simultaneously. For instance, your base layer should allow you to keep cool through wicking technology as you begin to sweat but you should be kept warm with a looser-fitting garment on top which doesn’t restrict your movement. A good brand would’ve invested in both types of clothes for the ultimate performance.
Check out the below infographic put together by CheckMeowt which outlines some of the best performance gear to get you started whilst shopping with Gymshark, the fastest growing online fitness apparel brand in the UK & USA.