Exercise Clothing: The secret to success!

When you first start exercising finding the right clothes to wear is important for both comfort and safety. Should you wear the latest Nike joggers or are sandals ok? Should you wear lycra or track pants?

Fashion may be important to some but the most important thing is to get through each session so that you can follow up with more exercise tomorrow. The key to success in weight loss is consistency. Being able to exercise regularly. Wearing the right clothes will make this possible. Wearing the wrong type of shoes could give you blisters or shin splints, and wearing the wrong type of pants could cause excessive rubbing of the thighs. If you’ve had any of these things happen to you then you know it’s tough to exercise the next day.

Let’s start with the shoes. This is probably the most important piece of clothing and therefore this is where most thought should be given. You need to wear something supportive, with a flexible sole. Cross-trainers or running shoes are best. Make sure that the shoes are not too tight.

Next are the socks. It is important to wear cotton socks. They allow your foot to breathe and they cause less friction on your heal. If you like the low cut socks, make sure they won’t slip down into the shoe or you may get blisters.

The pants you wear must comfortable. Depending on the temperature, you should wear shorts or track pants. Just make sure they are cotton and not nylon. Cotton will allow your pants to breathe, whereas nylon will cause an increase in your body’s temperature. This in turn will make your heart beat faster which means the exercise will be harder. If you have large thighs then you may also want to wear lycra pants as well. This will eliminate rubbing and chaffing.

Your shirt should be cotton too. If you are going to be out in the sun then it’s a good idea to wear something with sleeves as this will reduce the risk of sunburn. Make sure it is light fitting as well as this will help to keep you cooler.

Other accessories you should consider if exercising outside is a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a water bottle. A wide brimmed hat gives the best shade, sunglasses will reduce glare, sunscreen will protect against ultra-violet rays from the sun, and the water will help keep you cool.

Ray Kelly is an Exercise Scientist with 15 years experience in the Health and Fitness industry. To sign up for his free 7 Day Weight Loss Course go to Free Weight Loss Tips

Other Important Tips On Clothing:

Shoes

Make sure they are firm fitting. Not tight, but firm around the heal and the front of the ankle. This will make sure that the shoe won't rub and give blisters. For more information on this, speak with your local Podiatrist.

Hats

Your hat must have some holes in it so that your head can cool down. Most caps are now made with these. If it is a hot day I would also wet your hat.

Shorts

Your shorts must be comfortable. I know that seems pretty obvious but many people focus on fashion rather than comfort. You should have room to move but they should'nt be too baggy otherwise this will distract and annoy you when you run. On the other hand, they should not be too tight or they will restrict movement and may cause chaffing.