Looking Good During a Workout

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Sweaty Betty.

I will admit it. I like to look cute when I workout. There, I said it.

Now, that doesn’t mean that I’m going to be doing my hair all fancy or putting on makeup before I go for a run. That’s just ridiculous. But I do make sure that my hair isn’t sticking out at any stupid angles.

(Note – this is all about how I look when I start the workout. It is a guarantee that after a workout, my hair is going to be sticking up at all sorts of stupid angles.)

So it’s no surprise that I like really cute workout gear. I have to admit, I’ve become one of those people who is often in workout gear during non-workout situations. So what if I don’t do a lot of yoga? Doesn’t mean I can’t wear cute yoga clothes. I may have even gotten away with wearing yoga pants to work. But in my defense, it was a casual day before a holiday and they weren’t obviously yoga pants… okay, there is no defense. But I just don’t care.

On the weekends, you’ll often find me in a pair of jeans or a tech skirt paired with a running shirt. More often than not, the shirt is from a race, as I own way too many race shirts. But I’ve been trying to branch out and have bought a number of nice workout shirts for races (and for everyday wear).

Of course, it can’t just be cute. It also has to be functional. Just because a sports bra comes in fabulous colors doesn’t mean it’s going to keep the girls in place for a workout. And that shirt had better be wicking, because I’m not one of those girls who just glistens when she works out. I full on sweat and there is nothing worse than a sodden cotton shirt.

Lately, I’ve seen a lot of backlash against the idea of looking good while you workout. And I admit, when I’m biking up a tough hill, I’m certainly not looking stereotypically “good.” I’m sweating and red and huffing and puffing. But when I make it to the top of that hill, I certainly feel fabulous. I’m not worried about how I look during that ride or after. However, there is an added bit of self confidence in knowing that I look good before I start a workout. If I’m self-conscious about how I look in my gear, I’m not going to have as good of a workout. Or worse, I might not even show up.

Sure, I shouldn’t care. But telling yourself how to feel doesn’t ever change how you feel. If it worked, we would all feel awesome all of the time.

Who am I trying to impress? No one. But I don’t even like running alone on my treadmill in just a sports bra and shorts. Who’s going to see me? Just the cats. But I don’t like the way my pale belly looks, so instead of rocking out the workout, I’m going to be thinking about how I look.

Is that crazy? Yes.

Now, I’m not saying that you should have to look good for a workout. But you should dress in a way that makes you feel comfortable and confident. I know that I feel best when I feel like I look good, be that in heels and a fabulous dress at work or a great workout outfit while on a run. And it’s hard to describe, but I don’t do it for other people. I like to look good for me.

But it’s also fun to look back at race pictures and think I look fabulous.

Sweaty Betty is an awesome company that I recently discovered, and I love reading through their catalog. I’m currently lusting after their protector run jacket. They’ve got lots of fun gear and more excitingly, an inspiration page so you can get ideas of what to wear. Get that wishlist started!

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Thanks to Sweaty Betty for sponsoring this post.

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