The clothes make the worker-outer?

Let’s talk about workout basics, like what the heck we’re supposed to wear.  Short answer:  whatever we want, as long as we’re safe.  Longer answer:  here are some things to consider:

 

1.     Shoes.  We don’t have to wear them if we’re doing yoga or Pilates or various other kinds of exercise, but if we’re playing sports or biking or running or lifting weights, it’s a good idea to wear supportive and comfortable shoes.  It is worth experimenting to find the right shoes because nothing makes a human miserable faster than blisters.

2.     Socks.  They help with that blister thing.  They also add some cushion.  Some people love their cotton socks, but there are some spiffy new athletic fibers that can help with the stinky feet thing and also keep our feet feeling drier.

3.     Pants.  Or shorts.  Old-school Rocky-style gray sweats are certainly an option, but again, cotton tends to get wet, heavy, and smelly as we work harder.  Pants can have wicking fabric, extra support, and even pockets!

4.     Shirts.  Again, that ratty t-shirt that the kids gave us as a joke ten years ago is a perfectly acceptable workout shirt, but we deserve something nicer and less sopping if we want it.  I will give a plug here to bike shirts, which very often have big pockets at the small of the back, which are super handy for workouts that don’t involve bikes, too.

5.     Support garments.  I’ll let the male-identifying people discuss their underwear among themselves, but those of us who identify as female need to make sure that we have bras that both allow us to breathe and to feel secure no matter how hard we work or how high we jump.  Also, synthetic fabric undies are less likely to get truly uncomfortably damp and/or baggy.

6.     Other layers.  Folks who work out early or late may want a warmth layer or a visibility layer.

7.     Cute stuff.  No, our workout clothes don’t have to be cute, but it can provide a needed boost to our confidence to have an outfit that looks as good as it works.

8.     Activity-specific stuff.  If we bike, we need a helmet.  Swimmers might want goggles or caps.  We want to get the stuff we need to make what we do fun as well as useful.

 

Go play.