How an athlete feels during a workout is very important. Comfort depends, among other things, on clothing and conditions in the gym or room. The workout room should be well ventilated and usually maintain an optimal temperature (16-18°C for gyms; 18-20°C for yoga).
During intensive work you will in any case sweat. If you periodically warm up and cool down between bouts you will get tired faster. Air access and moisture dissipation are extremely important: wearing tight, impermeable gear only speeds up dehydration and puts extra stress on your heart – there’s no question of burning fat more effectively.
To warm up faster during the warm-up, and then in the locker room to not cool down after a workout, you can take a sweatshirt, an Olympic jacket, a warm top to the gym. On weight loss extra layers of clothing during training does not affect, except that in the direction of unnecessary stress to the health
Materials and technologies
To the list of basic requirements for fitness clothing you can also add wearability, hypoallergenic and hygienic. All this is achieved by modern materials and technology.
For sewing sportswear is mainly used synthetic fabrics or synthetics with the addition of natural fibers (such as cotton with polyester).
Clothes made of cotton or linen are not suitable for regular workouts. These materials are great at absorbing sweat but take a long time to dry; they are breathable but do not maintain a comfortable temperature. A light-colored cotton T-shirt becomes transparent after 10 minutes of training.
IMPORTANT: Preference should be given to clothes made of microfiber or polyester. An additional advantage would be the mesh inserts
When choosing clothes made of synthetic fabrics you should pay attention to models made with the following technologies:
Nike Dri-FIT – the fabric has moisture regulation properties (the basic technology for Nike sportswear), as a result, the skin remains dry, providing maximum comfort for the athlete;
adidas Climacool – a special weaving technique of polyester for better sweat absorption and evaporation, while maintaining natural air circulation;
Demix MOVI-force fabric with compression effect provides support to the most important muscle groups during workouts, optimizing blood circulation and reducing muscle fatigue;
Freddy D.I.W.O. – Fabric wicks away excess moisture and maintains optimal thermal balance.
Compression clothing for fitness
Compression materials have long been used in medicine, from where they then transferred to sports. The level of compression of sports outfit ranges from zero to the first on a medical scale (the maximum compression class – the fourth), has almost no contraindications (except diabetes, hypersensitivity of the skin, dermatitis).
Compression garments provide increased muscle support, resulting in:
Muscle tension is reduced and muscle pain is alleviated.
Control over exercise performance is improved, recovery is faster after workouts (but not between sets!).
It increases blood circulation and reduces the risk of sprains and other injuries.
Also, compression garments wick away moisture and maintain a constant temperature. These clothes can be worn as thermal underwear in cooler weather).
The effect of improving performance at sports competitions, increasing speed and endurance from the use of compression clothing is not scientifically proven. Among the disadvantages of such equipment are the need to get used to the constriction and the price.
Compression clothing for fitness
- Shorts; – leggings; – socks and socks with a compression effect stabilize the blood vessels, so it is recommended for use with varicose veins and some other vascular diseases of the legs, as well as a tendency to swelling
You should not use compression underwear permanently as permanent compression can disturb the natural vascular tone.
Choosing the right size of clothing
Your sports uniform should be as comfortable as possible. You should not buy tight shirts, T-shirts, shorts or pants that restrict movement. An exception is a woman’s top or sports jersey with breast support.
The models of too free cutting are also not suitable: they are difficult to control the correct technique of exercises.
In fitness clothing it should be convenient to squat, bend over and do stretching. On sports clothes should not be rough, bulging seams.
Sports bras come in three levels of support: light, medium and high
For Pilates, Callanetics, stretching, fitness yoga it is enough to choose a bra with a light degree of support. For medium- and high-intensity exercises (aerobics, fitness dancing, floor exercise, power training) you should prefer a bra with a medium or high degree of support: necessarily with wide straps, with flat seams or no seams at all.
Recommendations for choosing fitness clothing:
For medium-intensity and high-intensity workouts, it is advisable to choose a tight bottom, as loose models of pants can create discomfort during the execution of the swings and other exercises with the legs, not allowing you to concentrate on the technique. Leggings are optimal: they provide freedom of movement, do not interfere during exercises and are practically not felt on the body.
For low-intensity types of fitness (for example, fitness yoga or pilates) looser (but not wide!) models of clothing are suitable.
It is desirable to choose clothing items with mesh inserts (for extra ventilation).
Pay attention to the quality of sewing: seams must be flat and even (so as not to chafe the skin), necessarily knitted (so that the product was well stretched).
Fitness Accessories
- Headband; – Wristband; – Towel, – Athletic gloves
For active fitness activities women are recommended to get a headband.
During high-intensity workouts it is advisable to wear wrist bands – special knitted bandages that allow you to soak moisture from the forehead and protect your wristwatch and fitness bracelet. It is also worth taking a small microfiber towel to the gym.
During strength training, it is advisable to use athletic gloves when working with free weights.