This is a collaborative post by Ellie Jo.
With Christmas coming, fitness usually goes out the window. Instead, we worry about what gifts to buy our friends and family and copious amounts of food are eaten and gallons of drink drunk. However, there are some of us who persevere and still give their fitness the utmost of attention. Fitness clothing, shoes, t-shirts, shorts etc, can have an effect on your workout. There are some who think workout gear has little effect on overall performance, but it can really make a difference. Here we examine how and why.
Firstly, we’ll look at athletic clothing and the effect of aerodynamics.. Aerodynamics play a huge part in professional athletics, if you notice their clothing is always virtually stuck tight to their bodies. Aerodynamics plays a part in personal workout routine, especially if you’re a runner or cyclist. Make sure you’re wearing a tip that does not catch in the wind. It should be tight to your body otherwise it’s going to make your workout harder. The same applies to your shorts, wearing swimming trunks with flappy pockets or snappy cargo shorts that catch in the wind will stop you training effectively because the drag will slow you down. You need to set yourself up to get the best workout as possible so eliminate all drag. If you’re carrying a water bottle try and find a way of fastening it to your back pocket, this way it’s behind you and not affecting your performance. If you have long hair then tie it up, braids are more effective than other hairstyles. If you’re using a music device fasten it to the inside of your arm instead of the outside, these may seem petty, but when they’re all added together can save you time and make your run more productive.
Athletic clothing plays a huge part in your workout when you consider what material you’re using. For example cotton, a popular choice, absorbs moisture, so if it starts raining you’re going to be saturated. The same applies to if you excessively sweat, it’ll leave you feeling clammy. A material like nylon absorbs sweat, but then evaporates off the material’s surface, this can keep you from getting too clammy and wet and suits running and cycling. You perform better if you’re comfortable, and having the sweat lifted away ensures you are. There are many materials to consider, just choose what’s right for you and the exercise you’re completing.
The right athletic gear can also offer protective qualities. If it’s cold, wear leggings or an over jacket. If it’s hot, use a cap to shield your head from the sun. There are many things to consider, but the right athletic equipment can make a huge difference to your workout and the wearing of it is certainly a confidence booster. For reviews on the best hiking short, head over to Gear Weare.
Getting the right footwear can prove equally important, especially when there’s a lot of pressure going down through your body into your feet. This is nevermore true than in weightlifting.There are many weight lifting shoes for better results. Reviews can help you decide which to purchase, they don’t have to be super expensive ones, just the right kind of footwear can make a huge difference. If you overtrain, or instead don’t use recovery time appropriately you’ll end up giving yourself one of these injuries. Shoes can help support your feet and give it a spongier base from which to push instead of a hard floor.
Footwear is also important whilst running. As your feet constantly pound the floor it send shockwaves up through your feet, this can be quite damaging. Great running shoes, or sports shoes in general, can soften the blow using shock absorbing technology. To help limit injury it’s also good to alternate your running routes and patterns. You need to ensure the running shoe fits snug to your foot, otherwise it will cause blisters and calluses. It can also cause you to slip up or start cramping, so make sure you get the right shoes for you, try them on properly in the store but remember, any kind of running shoe is better than no running shoe at all which offers next to no protection. Remember, there are all sorts of training shoes these days, tennis shoes aren’t running shoes and vice-versa, so remember although they may look the same they may not offer the same protection.
The right clothing can make a huge difference to your workout, studies have shown that fashion can affect fitness, being in good quality clothing will give you that boost, make you look food, stop you getting injured and increase performance. With the advent of fitness technology such as the fitbit you can now measure all areas of your workout, giving you complete knowledge regarding where you need to improve.