I have never really had what is probably now called Active Wear. I have had leggings and t-shirts and hoodies, but never anything particulary special. Most of the kit I do have fitted badly because I bought it in my twenties, so none of it made me feel particularly good.
If you had been reading this blog before the Summer then you would know that due to a change in career I have been to make time to run at least three mornings a week and have really enjoyed it. However over the Summer Holidays I didn’t get that time because I had the children all day, so when it came for the kids to go back to school I decided that I really needed to get back out and see whether I could still run. So on the Sunday before the kids went back to school I ran 10k! I was super proud of myelf and decided that I hadn’t lost any strength of the summer. So when the kids were at school on the Tuesday I went out with the same friend and we tried to run it agian. Unfortunately what I hadn’t accounted for was the fact that my body had gone into shock as a result of doing the first 10 K on the Sunday and it just couldn’t cope. It was really hard, I struggled a lot and when I got back I was in agony. I had actually done myself quite a lot of damage and I’d really hurt my right thigh! Brilliant!
Long story short, the lack of ability to run made me re-think my exercise routine (at least for the time being) and I have joined the local council gym. Luckily an off peak membership is only £15 a month which is an absolute bargain and there are loads and loads of classes. I’ve really got into spinning and I’m loving it – bringing me back to the reason for the title to this post and the question – Does it make a difference what Active Wear you wear? Well for spinning yes it does!
I have to work really very hard in the spinning class and I get really hot! Not just a little bit hot, but a lot and having tried a few different combinations out over the last fee weeks it really does make a difference what I wear.
I have some fairly cheap and cheerful legging and tops from Aldi. These have been absolutely fine for running, but when I spin I think they compound the heat somehow. If however I wear the Proskins Slim Leggings, I feel cooler and I basically sweat less! This ability to keep the body cool, dry and comfortable throughout the day is one of the ‘extra’ features of the leggings, together with ‘Active Micro-Climate’ which regulates the body temperature to 37°C (98.6°F) making the leggings perfect for wear all through the year.
The actual selling feature of these leggings is that they
“use advanced technology fabric to ensure function, innovation and versatility”
The technical detail is that there is a
COMPRESSION FABRIC – A controlled level of pressure promotes blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, flushing fluid and toxins which would cause cellulite out of the body. The appearance of cellulite is reduced, giving a more even skin tone through the strengthening of connective tissues in the legs, buttocks and hips.
PATENTED MICRO-ENCAPSULATED YARN – The fabric is impregnated with micro-capsules containing the finest active natural ingredients. These are massaged into the skin during wear, leaving the skin feeling soft and smooth. The micro-capsules in the fabric are guaranteed to remain in the fabric for at least 100 washes.
Now to be honest I don’t know about any of that really? I have lost some weight, but then I am spinning 3 sometime 4 times a week and I don’t really want the leggings to take the credit for that. I do however like wearing them, they fit well, they do wash well and I do want some more! So all in all – a win!
The second two items of clothing that I’ve been wearing and are impressed with is the above Merino Vest by Rohan. It has been designed as a base layer and has all manner of impressive qualities, just take a look at the full spec on the Rohan website, but it works really well for a spin class as merino wool has an ability to regulate your temperature and keep you cool. It also somehow absorbs the ‘moisture’ and has a well needed resistance to odour. It to be honest doesn’t make me look amazing (unlike the lovely model above) but I do choose to wear it and throw the Hooded Long Sleeved top over the top. Up until now it has been too hot to wear this to exercise but when I get back to running, it will be the first thing I choose!
NB: I was sent the above items in order to review, but all views and opinions are my own.