The type of workout clothes you wear can have a direct impact on your workout performance.
In today’s world, there seems to be a negative connotation around why workout addicts insist on wearing tight shorts and shirts. Some say that it is because they want to show off their body. But others argue that the tightness of your workout apparel actually has an impact on your workout performance.
But how tight is too tight for your workout shirt? And how loose should your workout shorts really be?
This has become a quickly trending topic in the athletic world, many thanks to the image-driven pressures of social media. Workout buffs do not just go to the gym to workout anymore. They also go to the gym to take picture-perfect snaps to promote their own personal brand online. This has created a spiral of workout enthusiasts putting more effort into what they wear to the gym—many choosing outfits that highlight their physique.
We are going to deep dive into some considerations you should have when considering how tight your workout clothes need to be to ensure you not only look good but feel good too when hitting the gym!
1. Know your body type
The first consideration that you need to have when deciding how tight your workout clothes should be is understanding your own body type and how workout clothes fit on you. While super tight shorts might look good on someone else, they may have a very different fit on you—and that is totally ok!
2. Tight clothes can hold it all in
The good thing about wearing tight workout clothes is that it can help hold it all in and make you feel nice and sturdy. But it is all about the fine balance as if the clothes are too tight they can lead to circulation loss and actually prevent you from being able to get a good workout in. You want to find a great balance between the workout clothes being breathable and form-fitting.
3. Too tight of clothes have negative effects
Did you know that if you have too tight of workout clothes on you can create long term negative effects for your body? In fact, it has been proven that workout clothes that are too tight can lead to long term hip and joint problems. This is because there is too much pressure around the spine and there is not enough circulation for your body. It has also been shown that there is a correlation between workout clothes that are too tight can lead to immune system issues as well! This is because, once again, a lack of circulation prevents your lymph fluids from flowing throughout your body.
4. Workout clothes are a personal fit
It is not worth it to risk creating long term problems for your body in an attempt to show off your rocking body. Instead, you should really focus on finding workout clothes that suit your specific body type and hold you up in all the places you need extra support on. When your workout clothes fit you correctly, you can put all your focus and energy into the actual workout at hand.
With workout clothes becoming increasingly popular—especially due to its cross of providing comfort stylishly—there are more and more aspects to consider when deciding how tight your workout clothes should fit.
Of course, you should feel confident in what you are wearing and show off the muscles you have worked really hard to get. But you should also ensure that there is still enough room for functionality and that you will not create damage to your body in the long run.
So when answering the question of how tight your workout clothes should be, there is no exact answer we can give. Just the advice that it really is all about balance and never jeopardizing your own wellbeing to look a specific part.