What NOT To Wear When You Workout

It never ceases to amaze me what people decide to wear to the gym. Yes, there is a lot of flexibility with what you can put on your body, but one needs to be aware of what they are wearing. There are some very basic fashion rules when it comes to exercising at the gym that can keep you comfortable and safe. Not to mention avoiding double take looks from other gym goers.

#1. Exercising with No Underwear or No pants

Forgetting to wear underwear under your baggy shorts is a fashion no-no especially if you are in a yoga or stretch class. Other people may get a view of your “junk” and may wish they hadn’t. This goes for your pants. Yes, you want to be comfortable but  this can make for an unpleasant experience for other exercisers around. Just because you forgot your pants doesn’t give you justification for working out in  your undies. Exercising in boxer shorts, bras or anything else that looks like underwear should be avoided and is most likely against your gym’s rules.  If you end up at the gym and realize you’ve forgotten an important piece of clothing, I give you permission to skip your workout that day. Please. It’s really for the best.

#2. Men In Tights

After talking to my girlfriends about fashion disasters they see at the gym, hands down, we all agreed that this one needed to be on my list. Men, listen up, I understand that tights are comfortable and gives you freedom of movement but they tend to show the rest of us things we don’t want to know about.

There are a handful of times you can wear fitted pants and it’s ok:

Bicycle shorts, if you are actually riding a bike

Running tights, if you are running or walking outside in chilly weather

If you are working out indoors and you are male, wear looser-fitting shorts or pants. If you must wear tights, pair them with a pair of loose, lightweight shorts.

#3.  Revealing Clothing

No, you don’t have to cover yourself from top to bottom but there is such a thing as showing off too much skin.  Ummm, I’m talking about the women who wear teeny, weeny sports bras. Everyone is staring, it’s distracting, and might be offensive to some gym members. Plus if you are spending a lot of time tugging at your clothing chances are you are not focused on your workout. If you are proud of your body, you worked hard for it, I approve if you want to show it off in the appropriate way.

I know there are others. What are your favorite fashion “mistakes” you see at the gym? Let me know in the comment section. I’d love to hear about them!