Much like training and nutrition, athletic wear should be an essential tool in your fitness arsenal that will help your reach your goals and realize your dreams. No matter if you are pursuing a Greek god physique, simply looking to lose weight, or training for a strength competition, the clothes you wear in training can make all the difference.
Gym wear is crucial in elevating your performance, helping you train harder and longer, but also in aiding post-workout recovery and decreasing your chances of injury. In essence, performance clothes help you become a better athlete altogether. When trying to balance exercise and rest, eat properly, and push your limits in the gym, it can become difficult to avoid getting hurt or a part of your routine slipping through the cracks.
Along with a detailed exercise routine, a sound diet plan, and plenty of rest in between, wearing the proper clothes to withstand any type of exercise in any type of weather conditions will prove to be essential. Here are the top reasons why proper gym wear is important and how it can help you achieve your fitness goals.
Made to withstand various weather conditions
Fitness can be many different things, and the gym alone is not the be-all-end-all of exercise – there are hundreds of ways you can get an amazing workout in without ever setting foot inside a gym. That being said, your quest for an enviable physique or a healthier body can lead you down numerous different paths.
Gym wear is specifically designed to withstand various different weather conditions. From hot and humid, to freezing and dry, performance clothes will help you push through your workout. More often than not, the gym environment is loud, stuffy, and hot. If you are used to wearing regular cotton t-shirts and shorts, you are probably overly familiar with the unpleasant feeling of leaving your clothes soaking wet after your training session.
Likewise, if you head out for a run in the freezing cold, your regular workout clothes might not only weigh you down, but they won’t provide enough protection either. Fortunately, the breathable fabrics is athletic wear are specifically designed to keep you cool and dry in hot environments as well as warm during the winter months.
Top performance
Every sport has its unique challenges, and no matter if you are an avid runner or a strength athlete, you are bound to plateau at some point in your career. This can be for a number of reasons, including inadequate training frequency and intensity, improper sleep, poor diet choices, etc. However, it can also mean that your current gym wear is holding you back.
The problem with traditional clothes is that they don’t allow full range of motion, nor do they provide the compressive features needed to help you push your body to its limits safely. The result is subpar performance, and missed PRs. But all of that can be prevented.
Proper athletic clothes are designed to boost your performance in every way, from allowing your body to breathe during the toughest of sets, to protecting you from injuries. By pushing blood into the key areas, you will not only feel fired up during your workout, but you will also have no problem crushing your goals.
Faster post-workout recovery
Post-workout recovery is equally important as your training session itself in making you grow and become a better athlete. In fact, the effort you put inside the gym towards sculpting an enviable physique will have little to no effect if you don’t have a solid post-workout routine in place.
In order to allow your body to recover and come back to the gym stronger than before, you will need to adhere to several key rules. First, you need to eat healthy, making sure you count your calories and allocate your macronutrients properly. Supplying your body with enough proteins, fats, and carbohydrates will be essential.
Secondly, you need to rest and follow a healthy sleeping routine. This means going to bed at the same time every night and sleeping for at least seven hours. This will ensure your CNS is well-rested before your next training session.
Lastly, you want to wear your compression clothes on your off days as well, as it can significantly speed up your recovery process. Because the compressive fibers are designed to drive blood into the muscles, you will have an easier time eliminating muscle soreness and tightness. This will help you crush your next training session.
Staying injury-free
Injury prevention should be every fitness addict’s number one priority, regardless of the sport or their experience. There is nothing more frustrating than having to take a long and unwelcome break from training due to a shoulder impingement, a busted knee, or a nasty case of shin splints. All of these injuries are quite serious and could put you out of commission if you’re not careful.
In order to avoid injuries all year round, you want to exercise proper form at all times and adhere to proper rest and recovery cycles. However, you also want to wear durable compression clothing during training that will keep your joints, muscles, and bones safe from impacts, pulls, and strains.
Remember, preventing an injury is infinitely easier than treating it. It’s cheaper, it’s effective, and it will allow you to continue your fitness journey without having to take a break or lose any of your hard-earned muscle mass and strength.
Maximum mobility and range of motion
Finally, performance wear allows you to train using full range of motion at all times. Not only is full range of motion important for injury prevention, but it also helps you build strength, explosive power, and endurance faster.
What’s more, proper gym wear will help make your pre and post-workout mobility and flexibility routines easier by allowing you to move freely and safely. By combining maximum flexibility with full range of motion when executing complex movements, you will not only get better results, but you will also stay safe in the process.
The fitness industry is overburdened with hundreds of trends, passing fads, and product campaigns that promise the world and deliver subpar results. However, performance clothing can truly help you achieve new goals and lead a healthy fitness lifestyle.
