Your workout clothes affect your performance while working out. If you didn’t know that, well, now you do.
Women spend more time finding the right workout tops/sports bra than men do because of the many points to consider. Points like the fit, making sure it’s not too tight or too loose, the breathability, stretchability and lots more. While some of those points are to be considered when finding the right bottoms, women need not worry about the fit being too loose, which in the case of a sports bra, would cause them pain.
There are various activities of exercise and workouts that require different types of bottoms. Finding the right bottom to suit your workout routine for the day to increased performance is where the problem lies. Should you wear something fitted today? Something loose and free? Something in the middle? Shorts, tights, pants, what should you wear for your workout today?
Well, you have come to the right place. You’ll see all the reasons and points that will guide you in not just wearing the right bottoms for your workout today, but these tips and guidelines will also help you figure out how to choose the right, the best workout bottoms when next you’re shopping for your athleisure.
Tips to choose bottom sportswear
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Appropriate for your Activity:
Your workout routine for the day should be a major determinant of what you will wear for that day. Are you going for a run? Are you heading to the gym for an intense workout? Are you going for yoga or pilates? Are you simply going to shoot some hoops or play tennis? Or are you going for a swim? Just like you have to wear a swimsuit to have more control of your body in the water and have no resistance, similarly, other workouts/exercise requires sportswear that will enhance your performance.
You need to wear bottoms and tops that cause no resistance against the wind because that can slow you down. Instead, wear something free, comfortable, and breathable. Avoid sweatpants not just because they’re heavy but because they’re thick. Try out these shorts for men at Hummel. They’re made of polyester, which is one of the best materials to run in.
When going for yoga/pilates, you need something with maximum stretch and fit. Something lightweight that wouldn’t affect your performance, and something stretchy would restrict your movements. Women can wear these tights pants, and for men, these training pants.
For your intense workout or shooting some hoops, tennis or other sports, you can switch between these shorts for women and tights/training pants.
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Comfortable:
Comfort is key. If you aren’t comfortable in your sportswear, you are likely to have a low performance in whatever activity you do. The feel of the fabric against your skin, the exposure, the fit/stretch, or other reasons might cause discomfort. So, figure out why your sportswear is making you uncomfortable. Nexttime, search for another alternative, a different fabric, more covered-up sportswear, better stretch, or something to get you comfortable while exercising/working out. Hummel has the best athleisure made with materials that are recommended for rigorous activities.
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Fitted and Stretchy:
There are some activities where you can wear loosely fitted sportswear, whichwouldn’t hinder your performance. But no matter what activities you engage in, your sportswear should provide maximum stretch and little to no restraint. Running, squats, lunges, yoga, and a lot more activities/exercise require the added stretch in your fabric. A little control is fine, but a lot of restraint might either harm you or make a tear in your sportswear.
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Sweat-wicking fabrics:
When you work out, your body produces heat, and you get sweaty after an extended period of time. The best fabrics for working out are sweat-wicking fabrics. Fabrics move your body’s moisture to the surface and dry it up before it is soaked by the material. These fabrics save you from having to stop and wipe your sweat, leading to high performance. Hummel has the best bottoms and tops collection made of sweat-wicking materials for men and women.
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Antimicrobial fabrics:
Not all antimicrobial fabrics are sweat-wicking and vice versa. Antimicrobial materials protect you and your sportswear against bacteria. When sweat seeps into your fabric or is absorbed by your fabric, antimicrobial fabrics make the environment unfit for bacteria to survive in. So, be sure to check if your sportswear fabrics are antimicrobial and sweat-wicking. With Hummel, you don’t have to worry about your sportswear being one or the other, they can be both, and they are both.
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Layer Up:
Whatever activity you engage in for your workout, be sure to dress light and carry a jacket or some extra layers with you. When you dress up in thick sportswear, there is a high chance that you’ll feel extra hot and uncomfortable halfway through your workout. That is why it is recommended to dress up light and carry extra layers. You can take it off or layer up if you feel hot or cold!
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Location and Weather:
Your location is one of the most important determinants of what sportswear you should wear. While it might have been hot and humid back home, and your new place is freezing, or the temperature in your location has dropped, you need to consider these things. If it’s freezing, layer up by grabbing some wind-breaking jacket, glove, scarf, head warmer and thick socks. If it’s hot, grab some layers just in case you get cold, like these jackets for men & women’s jackets from Hummel.
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Colour:
The colour of your athleisure/sportswear affects your performance, so beware of the colours of sportswear you buy and wear. As you know, or don’t know, black is a colour to avoid when it’s hot outside, and red can speed up your heart rate. This is why you should consider the colour of sportswear you buy, have and wear. (1)
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Style:
While the style might not be a priority over comfort for most, it is still important for people to feel like their sportswear represents who they are. Choosing your sportswear based on your personality is a choice you get to make. Do you want your sportswear to reflect you or the person you want to be? Hummel has a wide range of workout bottoms and tops available in various colours and patterns. Find one that suits you.
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Stock-up!:
When you find sportswear that meets all your needs as well as other important ones like antimicrobial, sweat-wicking and stretch, then stock up on this sportswear, get a few pairs of bottoms and tops, maybe more tops than bottoms, or more bottoms than tops. You can always pair them as well as mix and match them. With Hummel, you can’t go wrong with the sportswear/athleisure you choose.
Conclusion
Although the best way for you to choose and decide on the sportswear, knowing your size and how it changes with different brands is great as well. Figure out the fabrics that work best for you and stick to them. If it’s not the best fit, you can always return it and get a better fit. Hummel has a 7-day return policy which gives you enough time to try out your sportswear and have to read for pick-up in case it’s too big or too small. But Hummel has a size, fit and style for everyone.