If you’re looking to get fit for summer, the key to a good workout may not be what you do, but what you wear.
When it comes to performance, Dr. Christine Alexander says it’s mind over muscle.
“Regardless of what you’re going out there to do, when you feel good about how you look and how you’re presenting yourself, it does build your confidence, and it does help to motivate you,” says Alexander, of MetroHealth family medicine.
When it comes to picking the best workout clothes, health experts say you need to think of two things: fit and fabric.
“The pants, especially you want lycra, that kind of holds you in a little bit and a little bit looser in that aspect,” says Tonya Banzhaf, group exercise coordinator at Fitworks Fitness in Rocky River. “The shirts, I think instead of the cotton T-Shirts, you want a dry fit that resist the moisture, that you don’t look like you’ve just worked out, as opposed to cotton.”
Though many people have their favorite garb, personal training director Floyd Collins says it’s best to go with your instincts.
“Personally, I like something baggy, something I can move in that’s not really constricting,” he says. “Then, some people like it where it’s tighter and you don’t get caught in anything, so it’s a personal preference.”
For Lakewood resident Tiffany Dobrowski, she says she does work harder in the proper attire.
“For me, they do because I’m a distance runner, so I have to get something wicking, you know that absorbs the sweat,” she says. “Because if you’re running for 10 or 12 miles, you don’t want to be drenched in anything.”
If you’re looking to maximize your fitness routine, you may want to factor in your threads as well.
“If you feel good about what you’re wearing, and you feel confident about what you’re wearing, you tend to work out harder,” says Rachel Baron, Fitworks member representative. “You feel like you can get the job done.”