Once you start working out you might think that the best choice of clothes are your old tee and sweatpants you haven’t worn for years. Being comfortable while you work out is important, but it is even more important to protect your health, and wearing appropriate workout clothes can help you achieve that.

1. Exercise apparel fabrics

While the most comfortable materials will always be those that come direct from Mother nature – silk, wool, cotton, and linen; when it comes to working out, sweating, and pushing your body to its limits, there is nothing wrong with choosing fabrics that have been improved with technology. Cotton absorbs water (and sweat) but it takes long to dry, and today fabrics can draw away sweat from your skin, keeping your body temperature even and giving you greater comfort. Use sportswear from both natural and engineered fabrics for pieces which do not only look good, but are comfortable too.

2. Compression fabrics

When you are working out, the burning in your muscles is caused by lactic acid; it builds up in your muscles and it cannot be carried away so it causes muscle soreness. When you choose to wear compression fabrics, you are giving a helping hand to your blood vessels by covering your skin with tight-fitting fabric that helps with your blood flow. This does not mean that you should be wearing items which will stop your blood flow and limit your range of movements, but rather choose clothes that will help you achieve the best results.

3. Body-fitting fabrics for sportswear

Let’s get back to your favourite oversized sweatpants for a second, and picture the following: doing yoga headstand or simple kickbacks for your gluteus and trying to focus and breathe deeply while you feel your sweatpants revealing your legs and making you uncomfortable. Body-fitting clothes made of lycra and spandex remain in the same spot, and not only that but they do not change shape even after being washed many times, unlike cotton and linen clothes (and you will be washing those clothes more often than any other).

4. Wearing sports apparel for economy

High-quality sportswear is not at all cheap, but if you make plans and invest smartly, you will not have to buy new sets for every season. Buy clothes for your main sports activity, and work from there. You will need pants and choose the length depending on the activity you will be focused on (shorts, full-length, or mid-calf), tight-fitting top, high-quality sports bra, and the right footwear too. Aim to buy best-quality clothes, since it will not only last longer, but give you the best support as well. When it’s cold, simply add a warm vest or high-visibility jacket to your usual gym wear.

5. Buying sportswear for comfort

If anything, fitness clothes should be comfortable: you will be spending a lot of hours sweating in it, and will be making plenty of repetitive movements, so the last thing you need is an item that is too tight or too loose. You don’t want to feel uncomfortable while running, jumping, doing push ups, zumba, or yoga; and the best thing is to focus on movements rather than wonder whether your can breathe because your sports bra is too tight.

While it may not be important to you to look good in your workout clothes, it is of extreme importance that it supports you and that it can withstand your workouts, be it yoga, pilates, tennis, or MMA. Consider all these things before you choose your sportswear and do not hesitate to change it once it starts tearing and losing its elasticity.

About the author

Amy Mia Goldsmith is an Australian personal trainer and an editor at Ripped.me fitness blog. She has a degree in nutrition and her goal is to teach people to live a healthy, happy life. You can contact Amy on her Facebook page.