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What to wear to the gym

The top workout essentials!

Do you ever rummage through your closet wondering what you should wear to the gym?

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Although the temptation might just be to throw on whatever seems comfortable, ensuring you have the right gym gear is essential for your workout.

So, what should you to wear to the gym?

You should choose workout wear which is dry, comfortable and should allow you to move freely without restricting you in anyway.

Your gym attire should allow for flexibility and moving around and should be made of a lightweight fabric such as acrylic, nylon or polypropylene.

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Although some people often opt for cotton fabrics, these aren’t ideal as they tend to hold moisture and can become really heavy if you sweat a lot.

The best gym clothes are ones that are suitable for your specific workout. So if you are doing yoga, get a yoga brand of leggings, or if you are doing tennis then get yourself a tennis skirt or shorts.

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Gym clothes for women

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Make sure you have a good fitted sports bra and that it’s not old or sagging. “If you’re not wearing a sufficiently supportive bra to work out, bounce isn’t the only thing you have to worry about,” says MD Daria Long Gillespie.

“If you have a moderate to large chest, the movement can lead to upper back and shoulder pain post-workout,” she adds. “it can cause the breast tissue to stretch, damaging it and increasing your chances for sagging in the future.”

Gym clothes for men

Gym clothing should be fitted but not restricted. “Clothing should not be so tight that it restricts movement—like shorts or leggings that make it impossible for you to bend over or descend into a full squat or shirts that keep you from raising the arms overhead,” says Robert Herst, a certified personal trainer. Also, clothing should not be so tight that it restricts circulation.” 

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Footwear
Your training shoe should be well fitted and comfortable. The worst thing during a workout is to have blisters on your feet from badly fitted shoes.

If you are running, make sure you have a varied range of motion and cushioning. These days most stores look at your gait and can find the right shoe to suit your style. If you are cross training you need a varied range of flexibility, cushioning and lateral support. You should also make sure your sneakers aren’t too old. “You know your sneakers are too old when the treads or designs on the bottom start to wear out,” advises Jasmine Marcus, a physical therapist. “If the bottoms are flattening in areas and you can no longer see the design of the tread”—not to mention, if there are holes by the toes, or any other obvious signs of total disrepair—“it’s time to get new sneakers.”

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