We all know we need to be more active, and if we’re being honest, it’s something most of us struggle with. We’re set to make our New Year’s goals (again), and while we have the best of intentions, when it comes to choosing between going the gym and slumping on the couch watching Netflix at the end of the day, Netflix always wins.
If you’re bored of sliding off the fitness waggon, consider this: wearing activewear might actually motivate you to exercise more. While it may not have occurred to you previously, activewear is a good tactic to help you become the active person you’ve always wanted to be.
While you may be tempted to work out in your baggy tracksuit and old t-shirt, there are several compelling reasons why investing in some sportswear is a smart choice. There’s a reason why the market for workout gear has risen dramatically in recent years. It’s more than simply a vanity exercise, as polls indicate that wearing appealing and comfortable workout apparel increases motivation to exercise for over 85% of women. Clearly, what you wear and how it makes you feel is a significant motivation for exercise – and anything that encourages you to move is a good thing. To explain the occurrence, experts have developed the phrase “enclothed cognition.”
The concept of enclothed cognition is that the garments we wear may impact our behaviour and emotions. Wearing a lab coat helps you appear more professional, but wearing a leather bomber jacket makes you appear more rebellious. When you wear activewear in this condition, you are more inclined to go to the gym and work out, and therefore you become more active.
Of course, this isn’t to say you can’t be active if you don’t have contemporary sportswear to wear – you really can! However, for the great majority of individuals, wearing sportswear may increase motivation and put you in the correct frame of mind for working out.
Activewear You Can Love
La Sculpte is our top pick. La Sculpte is a shapewear and womens activewear firm based in Australia. They provide a fantastic selection of track pants for women, yoga clothing and more in a number of designs. Furthermore, because of their experience in sportswear, their product fits comfortably while still giving the required support to allow you to exercise with ease. Check out their plus-size activewear collection here.
How Activewear Makes You More Active
Making You More Conscious Of Your Choices
Because you identify wearing activewear with being active, you are more likely to make good choices and exercise.
Using science to its full potential
‘Enclothed cognition’ reflects the notion that when you wear certain garments, you experience a mental shift that is tied to the symbolic significance of the clothing. As a result, what you dress unconsciously influences how you act. Wearing a lively, colourful design, for example, is more likely to make you feel “fun” and “happy” than wearing all-black. Wearing activewear increases your likelihood of becoming active.
Reducing your reasons for not exercising
Because you’re already dressed and ready to go, wearing activewear makes it easier to go to the gym/park/sporting field.
Providing a mental boost
When you wear activewear to a workout, you become more motivated, confident, and energetic. And when you expect to do better, you typically do.
Enhancing your physical performance
Running shoes that are correctly fitted and supportive can increase your performance and reduce your risk of injury. When hiking, wearing good hiking boots rather than running shoes provides you with increased grip, stability, and shock absorption capabilities, allowing you to climb longer and more difficult terrain and make the most of your time. Choosing appropriate bike shorts for riding a bike can undoubtedly increase your performance by decreasing friction and chafing from the bike. You get the point – excellent activewear is constructed with qualities that will improve your performance. As a result, you are more likely to enjoy being active and to maintain an active lifestyle.
Keeping you safe from severe weather
You’re also more likely to enjoy going active if you know you’ll be able to do it comfortably. Wearing warm, insulated textiles that keep the cold at bay may make winter exercise much more bearable. Similarly, if your gear is breathable and sweat-wicking, you’ll be more inclined to exercise even on hot days in the summer.
Increasing your self-assurance
When you wear sportswear, you look at the part and, more importantly, you feel the part. Wearing the correct clothing, especially if you haven’t been active in a long time, can make you feel more confident and fit in, which can raise motivation levels. And the more self-assured you are, the more likely you are to go to the gym – and stay there.
While wearing activewear offers a number of advantages, no one is required to do so. If you’re happy working out in whatever you have lying around, that’s fantastic! Wearing sportswear and feeling like we ‘fit in’ may make us feel good about ourselves and be a significant incentive for a lot of people, so it’s definitely worth considering.
Also, while high-quality, long-lasting activewear might be costly, there are low-cost versions of every style of sportswear available that will still help to boost your confidence and motivation. What matters is that you feel good about yourself. When it comes to being active and sustaining an active lifestyle, it is up to each individual to find inspiration, choose an activity they love, and stick with it. And if you wear athletic gear that makes you feel inspired, enthusiastic, and confident, the entire process becomes much simpler.
While putting on your sportswear may not turn you into a star athlete, it is likely that it will make you more eager to exercise rather than couch-sitting – and that has to be a positive thing.