Whilst a hot new shade of nude lipstick will always have the ability to get me a little hot under the collar, right now it’s lycra that leaves me needing to fan myself down. I’ve always loved workout gear, but was never too into the whole ‘working out‘ bit, but now I’ve managed to tackle that my feelings for leggings, trainers and just generally anything elasticated has intensified greatly. Having trialled and tested a pretty hefty amount of fitness gear I’ve discovered that there are a few essentials, particular cuts and fabrics that work better than others and the secret to not getting a camel toe in leggings (size down, not up, to reduce any fabric gathering). So today I thought I’d share five essentials that I find make getting sweaty a bit more comfortable…
A TIGHT, BUT COMFORTABLE SPORTS BRA, like Nike’s Pro Classic Sport’s Bra. Not having much to play with in the chest area doesn’t make me the best equipped to dish out advice on sports bras, but I would say that they’re a very important piece of kit. For me I like something that my nipples aren’t going to bust out of and has very few seams or scratchy bits. I love a good racer back too because then you get a full range of motion in your arms without having to hoik up your straps every two minutes.
LEGGINGS THAT FEEL LIKE BUTTER, like Lululemon’s Align Pants. I know I go on and on and on about these leggings and they’re definitely not the cheapest ones out there, but a decent pair that don’t cut in or fall down or give you a builder’s bum when you bend over are really an investment. You just don’t want to even have to think about them and with these you feel like you’re naked because the fabric is that buttery and soft. I’m *this close* from purchasing a second pair.
SEAM-FREE PANTS, like Lululemon’s Namastay Put Hipsters. I used to workout in my knickers that I grab everyday. In jeans you can’t see ’em, in leggings however it was a different story and I felt like every move that I did just screamed ‘POOR FITTING PANTS!‘, so I stepped into the VPL-free world and haven’t looked back since. These pants again feel like you’re not even wearing anything and slide on so discreetly under leggings that no-one will ever spot them. They also dry quickly after washing so you don’t need to invest in a load of pairs. For reference I wear a medium as the small made me look like I had four bum cheeks.
LIGHT AS AIR TRAINERS, like Nike’s Free TR 5 Flyknit Women’s Training Shoe. I have one pair of running trainers leftover from my jogging days that I keep incase I ever get bitten by the bug again, then I have one pair of trainers that I wear for non-gym activities, then I have one pair for the gym – these. I don’t actually ever wear anything else on my feet when I sweat. These are great because they are light, a bit like wearing slippers and are pretty flat too so don’t interfere too much when I’m doing deadlifts or squats. They’re pretty much perfect.
A COSY HOODIE, like New Look’s Cowl Neck Sports Jumper. I get so many comments on this whenever I wear it in a vlog or snapchat, probably because it just looks so darn comfy. But some kind of hoodie that’s easy to wash that you can throw on before and after the gym is essential because it stops you contaminating your everyday clothes with your sweaty pits. It’s got pockets too so you can stuff your car and house keys in there, grab a water bottle and go to the gym bag-free.
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