Exercise Clothing for the Fifty Something

 

I have touched on the topic of exercise clothing before, but as I enjoyed the recap presented in Fit over 40 (Betsy Nagelsen McCormack) want to share some of her words of wisdom.  Half the fun of exercising is looking cool doing it, so go ahead and indulge your passion with some new fitness fashions.  I still haven’t gotten past the tee shirt and sweatpants routine, but now that new products under the guise of “lifestyle workout wear,” have arrived on the market I just might be tempted.  You can wear the same outfit on the way to the gym, while you work out, and when you stop at the grocery store on the way home.

 

Fitness clothing manufacturers have come up with some new materials that wick away sweat and moisture so that you don’t arrive at the store in a sodden state.  The good news is that just about everyone looks good in these outfits.  So what do you need?  How about bike shorts, tank top and a sports bra?  Simple enough don’t you think, although you might be more comfortable in longer pants if you are headed out into the world.  Buy workout clothes that you feel comfortable in.  To me this is tees and sweats but I might be persuaded to buy something that looks interesting if this idea of ‘lifestyle workout clothing’ is really true, because I do spend a lot of time either coming or going from the gym or the dog park.

 

Betsy recommends having two pair of workout pants, at least two sports bras (and perhaps a tank top to wear over them if you are less than perfect), and she encourages you to indulge in bright colors because you feel better if you look better.  The best piece of advice is to look as your fitness clothing as an investment because it is easier to stay in shape if you look good.

 

The distressing thing to learn is that the muscles in your breasts loose elasticity as you age and your breasts will sag. The fat content of the breast also increases with age and while it was only 20-30% when you are younger it can reach 90% as you get older.  What a bummer!   High impact exercises such as aerobics or running make you bounce something awful and may stretch the ligaments even further.  The idea is to wear a supportive compression-type bra to keep jiggling to a minimum.  You are looking for a bra that will secure each breast and gives added support, no cleavage or overhang allowed.

 

If you workout at home you don’t have to look quite as cool, but if it helps your performance go for it!  Wearing fashionable workout clothes means that you are taking fitness seriously.  If you are jogging or walking out of door pick something with pockets to hold your keys and figure a way to attach your CD player or Walkman to your arm of your waist band.  Dress in layers, as it doesn’t take very long for you to get too warm.  When you get older you are more susceptible to temperature changes.

 

We can thank this very entertaining author for giving us permission to shop for workout clothing that is both attractive and functional.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Puma Shoes]

This really is an great written article, Thanks for yet yet another insightful post, as continually!