It’s January, which means many of us have rededicated ourselves to getting off the couch and hitting the gym. The only problem is that far too many workout clothes seem to be made for professional athletes or fitness models, and don’t quite work properly on those of us with body fat percentages in the double digits. Socks rub blisters, leggings become see-through or roll down with every move, headbands slip off, stay-in-place underwear does NOT stay in place, sports bras flatten without providing support… it’s a disaster.
However, through a ridiculous amount of trial and error, I’ve found a few things that work for me. Today, I’m sharing some of them, in case it can help you enjoy those resolution workouts a tiny bit more.
Sweaty Bands
My hair has a mind of its own. That means I have to use three or more rubber bands to keep it in a pony tail during any workout, and even that won’t keep it all out of my face. Luckily, my mother-in-law told me about Sweaty Bands — super cute headbands that actually stay in place, without giving you an awful headache or breaking your hair. They come in a ton of different colors and patterns (I am partial to the sparkly ones, of course), and in a few different widths. I love them so much I even became a Sweaty Bands ambassador… which means you can get 15% off by clicking this link.
High rise, opaque leggings
You definitely don’t have to spent $100 for a pair of leggings, but if you do, you should make sure they aren’t going to be completely see-through when you bend over. Unfortunately, the only real way I’ve found to do that is to try them on and bend over in front of a mirror or person you trust, because I think every brand makes some pants that aren’t suitable for downward facing dog (or squats). Sweaty Betty specifies when its leggings are totally opaque, but I haven’t seen that elsewhere. I’ve also found that lower-rise leggings are very unflattering on me, and they don’t stay up properly, either. Now, I gravitate toward high-rise or “core compression” leggings, but even those can be tricky, depending on how they fit you. I’ve had the most luck with Nike, Lucy (the perfect core style) and Under Armour, but several low-cost brands (including Old Navy) also make high-rise and/or compression leggings. I also like prints, in part because they usually provide good camouflage, but you can’t go wrong with basic black.
Sports bras
When I was an A and a B cup, my favorite sports bras were the pull-over-your-head racerback kind from Target. I think they cost about $15. But now that there’s more going on up top, I’ve realized that, for medium- and high-impact workouts, I need something with a bra-like closure that comes in actual bra sizes — not in small, medium and large. Title Nine and Road Runner Sports both have a ton of different kinds to choose from, Victoria’s Secret has some that aren’t bad, and Target has recently started carrying bra-sized sports bras in addition to the over-your-head kind. You’ll have to find the best kind for you, but just know that you don’t have to wear two sports bras on top of each other to keep the girls in place. Thank goodness!
Socks and underwear
What you wear (or don’t wear) under your workout pants is up to you, but if you do wear something, you probably would prefer that it stay put. I despise Victoria’s Secret no-show workout underwear with a burning passion, but I would assume they work for someone, somewhere. Under Armour makes several different kinds, and I like the hipster style, despite the dubious fact that it is one size fits all (I recently was talking to someone significantly smaller than me, and she likes them too, so apparently they really do work for a range of sizes). As for running socks, I have probably tried every kind there is, and I still haven’t found a kind that prevents blisters altogether. But I have the most luck with types that are made for running and come in multiple sizes, so they fit my foot well without extra fabric. R-Gear (the Road Runner Sports brand), Feetures and Balega are all pretty awesome, and some of them even come with a little L or R on them, so you know which one is supposed to go on which foot.
I’m not going to talk about shirts/tops, mainly because I still haven’t found the perfect workout shirt (I wear regular T-shirts almost as often as “technical” workout tops). But I hope this helps. Please do let me know if you’ve found any other awesome products, so I can try them, too! And please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I will earn money if you click on them and/or buy things.