When you're going to the gym, it's important to feel your best and most confident. Lots of factors can influence how your gym session will go, like what you ate that morning or the amount of sleep you got. One thing that can impact your gym routine more than you might think is your gym attire.
You may not realize it, but the clothes you wear matter. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology demonstrated that clothes can affect our behavior through their symbolic meaning and the actual experience of wearing them.1
Let's see why your gym clothes can influence your workout and what you should be looking out for when it comes to gym attire.
Comfort
It's hard to do anything well if you're not feeling comfortable, and working out is no exception. If you want to feel your best at the gym and get the most out of your workouts, you have to feel comfortable in your workout attire. This means choosing clothing that fits you well and has features that will support you during your workout. Choosing a breathable fabric that feels soft on your skin, like cotton for example, will help your body feel good during exercise and prevent chafing.
Comfort is subjective and different materials and pieces may feel comfortable for one person and not another. When it comes to prioritizing comfort in your activewear, choose what feels best for you and your body.
Confidence & Motivation
Wearing quality activewear can also help boost confidence. The clothes we wear can affect how we feel about our bodies and ourselves. If you're struggling with gym anxiety, a great way to give yourself a boost is to get some gym outfits that make you feel good about yourself and support a positive body image. Try getting some matching sets and quality fabrics that you like. If you're feeling good in your body at the gym, you'll also be more motivated to work harder and stay consistent; it's a win/win.
Additionally, a quality workout fit will get your mind in the right state for pushing yourself physically. Just like how wearing business attire can help enhance productivity in the workplace, the same goes for gym clothes. Wearing the right activewear can help boost your motivation and get your mind in line with your fitness goals.
Performance
Not only does your activewear affect comfort level and confidence, but it can even influence how well you perform your routine. To reach your full potential at the gym, you'll need exercise clothes that are designed to support you.
Quality activewear includes items with stretchy fabrics that will support movement and flexibility. This will allow you to perform movements more easily, and reduce the risk of poor form or injury. Additionally, clothes with sweat-wicking fabric will help you stay cool as you're moving your body and working up a sweat. Other features to look out for are material that is quick-drying and soft and pieces with mesh panels for enhanced ventilation.
And if you really want clothes that are made for exercise, you can find pieces that are treated with an antimicrobial finish to inhibit the growth of odor-causing bacteria. This will keep your item fresher for longer.
Try these Women's Adapt Booty Shorts treated with silver chloride for a fit that will stay super fresh:
Durability
A final aspect to look out for when choosing gym attire is durability. When you exercise, you are constantly moving your body, which means you put your gym clothes through a lot. Thus, having pieces with quality fabrics is essential if you want your gym fits to last. Materials like nylon or elastane are excellent for working out as they are strong and resilient, and can bounce back to their original form after you move and stretch your body in them. Elastane is also highly resistant to fluids like sweat and oils and thus will stay in great shape even after many uses.
Take Home Message
All in all, there are many reasons why the activewear you choose matters. At the end of the day, there are no wrong clothes to wear at the gym; you should wear what you feel best in and what makes you the most confident. So go get some new gym fits you love and show up ready to smash your routine.
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- Hajo Adam, Adam D. Galinsky,
Enclothed cognition,
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,
Volume 48, Issue 4,
2012,
Pages 918-925,
ISSN 0022-1031,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2012.02.008.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103112000200)
Rutgers University Honors graduate, Jamie grew up on the Jersey shore and double majored in Comparative Literature and Anthropology in college. Jamie is an experienced writer in the health and wellness, biotech, and eCommerce fields. She loves writing with a purpose and has even written for the Department of Justice.
Jamie became drawn to exercise during her time in university and began to notice the physical and mental benefits of moving your body daily. Today, Jamie enjoys Pilates, light weight training, and going on long walks in nature daily.
Jamie is also passionate about eating right and prioritizing gut health and immunity. She is always trying the next innovation in health and wellness. When she’s not writing articles, Jamie enjoys reading, playing guitar, and finding dogs to play with.
