A common New Years resolution for men and women alike across the globe, is to commit to getting fit.
We’ve all been there, the clock strikes 12 and bam, New Year – new me, within days of making the resolution you’ve taken out a gym membership and you’re raring to go. Statistics however, show that by the second week of February 80% of people have cancelled their membership.
If you’re keen to stick to it this year, we have a budding gym goers guide to being fashionable at the gym (it might help and motivate you keep the membership for more than 6 weeks).
The first thing to do before even attempting exercise is to get yourself some quality trainers. They need to have bounce to support you as you move or run, having shoes which bounce help to absorb the shock when exercising. Shock absorbing trainers are an essential if you want to go running as running is a high impact sport that can result in injury if you’re not fully supported by your shoe. You can pay a range of prices for trainers, but both Adidas and Nike offer a range of supported trainers. If you’re not sure what kind of trainer you need Sweaty Betty have created a guide to help you choose the right support for your feet and your style of workout.
Another must is a well fitting sports bra (if you’re a girl anyway). You need to control the girls if you’re at the gym or running, just to make sure that you don’t injure yourself and of course for comfort. Sports bras come in a range of shapes and sizes (literally), you’ll see when shopping for a sports bra you can get some very cheap ones, but we suggest you spend a little more than £5. Support for your breasts is very important when doing exercise so spending that little bit more is often important. Nike offer a massive range of sports bras and they help you pick the best one for your breasts, they have four different styles of sports bra, each chosen for the support they give, from light support to high. Their colours and styles are great too.
Sports leggings are a good shout for those who don’t want to wear tracksuit bottoms, and for those who are a little self conscious about wearing shorts. Personally I find joggers too thick and warm for running in, you become too hot too quickly. I find leggings are brill as they are breezy and tight, so don’t worry, they won’t be slipping down. And many, like this Mango pair above, are made of a light, breathable fabric that strips moisture from your body and keeps you dry – so no sweaty Bettys! The good thing about sports leggings is you can get them really cheap – supermarkets such as Tesco sell their own brand sports leggings for a small price tag, so don’t worry about breaking the bank on your trousers.
A sports top is essential to wear over your bra, just to keep you warm and comfortable when exercising. It may be easier to buy a £3 basic T-shirt from Primark but you’ll soon see it’s not the best item for the gym, sports T-shirts are breathable and keep you cooler for longer. The Adidas T-shirt at the top of the page is perfect for just that, it’s made of a light fabric that will reduce moisture and keep you cool, to aid you in your exercises. It’s available in many colours; I chose this light mint one to match the trainers – believe me you will look good when exercising in these.
