Why What You Wear Matters To Your Workout

You’re not going to the gym to impress anyone but yourself. You’re there to PR, crush your goals, feel a rush of endorphins and be better than you were yesterday. Why does it matter what you look like while you do it? It matters for a lot of reasons, actually, although they might not be what you think.

We’re not advocating wearing a full-face of makeup or sporting perfectly coiffed hair to the gym. That’s ridiculous. But being aware of what clothes you’re wearing when you work out can help you feel more comfortable, achieve more and keep you safe. Plus, it could help you get into the right mindset and motivate you to work even harder. Here’s why you need to put a little more thought into your gym gear.

What Not To Wear

What you don’t wear to the gym is just as important – maybe even more so – than what you do wear. Not just because you’ll look like a dork in a ratty “cornhole champion” t shirt from college and decades old sneakers, but because what you’re wearing when you work out could be impacting your performance – and your safety.

The first thing to ditch is cotton t shirts. For starters, your tattered old tee isn’t doing you any fashion favors. More importantly, it’s going to trap all of the sweat you’re creating and keep it right there against your skin. “The most important reason to leave this beloved tee at home,” according to CNN, “is that cotton absorbs sweat and doesn’t quickly release it through evaporation.” This is especially dangerous if you’re working out outdoors, where temperature fluctuations plus moisture could equal hypothermia or heat-related conditions like heat stroke. Stick to a moisture-wicking fabric that’s going to keep you cool and dry.

Keep baggy sweatpants (or baggy anything, really) out of the gym, too. They’re going to have a lot of the same issues that your trusty cotton tee is going to have, plus with all that extra fabric floating around, they could trip you up. CNN says that long, baggy pants can get caught in the mechanisms of machines, tangling up in the gears of stationary bikes or jamming up the works in weight machines. This is bad for the machine and bad for you. Plus, you don’t want to have to be hiking up saggy pants after each set so you don’t expose yourself to the gym. Stick with something a little more form-fitting. You don’t need to squeeze into skin-tight leggings if that’s not your thing, but keeping your clothing tailored to your size is going to prevent you from snagging your gym gear or tripping over yourself.

And can we all agree that jeans are not gym attire?

When To Get Technical

Walking into a sports apparel store seems more and more like walking into a tech lab. There’s a fabric specifically designed to perfectly evaporate your sweat, a wristband that can detect your heart rate and calculate your calories burned and a specially designed shoe for seemingly every type of exercise you can think of. Are you a power walker with extra narrow size 11 feet? There’s a shoe for that. Do you need a lime green muscle tank that’s going to feel like you’re wearing nothing at all? Got it. It’s overwhelming and, frankly, a lot of it is gimmick.

But there are times when getting a little technical with your workout gear is going to pay off. That sweat-wicking fabric is the place to start. When you’re looking at technical fabrics for workout clothing, search for something with polypropylene, spandex, polyester blends or even wool, according to LifeHacker. These fabrics or technical blends of them have the ability to wick moisture from your sweaty body and help it evaporate, making them more breathable than other fabrics.

Some of those high-tech shoes might be worth the extra scratch, too. Sneakers have come a long way since the old-school Converse All Star and, although your Chucks look great with jeans and there are those that swear by them for lifting, a more specialized shoe might help keep your joints safe and your stride right in other sports. The NEA says the wrong shoe could derail your workouts. Stick to a specialized shoe when you’re doing anything out of the ordinary and find a store that will help you achieve the right fit.

You can also use advancements in athletic apparel to keep you safe. There’s new, high-tech reflective gear that can help you stand out to drivers during your late night runs. New cycling pants can make sure you don’t get caught up in your gears while you’re going hard, according to Life Hacker.

Look Good, Feel Good

Here’s a new phrase for you: enclothed cognition. According to a 2012 study cited by the Atlantic, enclothed cognition is the phrase used to describe the mental change we can have when we change our clothes. You know that feeling you get when you put on your best outfit for a first date or rock a job interview in the perfect suit? Yeah, that’s the effect of enclothed cognition and it applies just as much to your workout gear as it does any other duds you might don.

You don’t need to spend a fortune to feel like a million bucks when you roll into the gym, though. According to the Atlantic, anything that switches your mindset into workout mode is enough. (That’s another reason to ditch the comfy tees and baggy sweats.) Find something in your price range that means business and use your gym gear to rev up your motivation. “If you’re seeking out activewear’s positive psychological effects,” says the Atlantic, “anything that amps up your confidence will do.”

You don’t need to dress to the nines to go to the gym – in fact, you definitely shouldn’t – but putting a little thought and effort into what you wear when you workout can help you look good, stay safe, stay comfortable and be motivated.

Want more inspiration to get moving and achieve your goals in the gym? Check out Performance Inspired Nutrition’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. It’s the motivation you need to get up and get moving.