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Workout Essentials for Women
If you’re looking to join a gym and/or begin a workout regimen to lose weight and get healthier, here are my workout essentials for women list.
These are the things I believe are essential for success as you begin your fitness journey.
Sports Bra / Tank Top
This is an absolute must for women! Don’t go into the gym with your $60 Victoria’s Secret bra. It isn’t designed to support “the girls” during strenuous activity, & why would you shorten the lifespan of your good bras?
Buy bras that are designed to support your boobies during your work out. Most sporting goods stores have sports bras, but for those of us who are well endowed, try stores who specialize in helping you find the right kind of bra. More and more stores are equipping their stores with professional bra fitters that will help you find the right size and fit for you. Enell.com, TitleNine.com, roadrunnersports.com, Amazon.com & Glamorise.com are good sites to try.
Workout Shoes
A good, comfortable pair of workout shoes is a must. Buy shoes dedicated to your craft. If you’re a runner, buy quality running shoes. If you’re a walker, buy quality walking shoes. If you do a little bit of everything, buy cross training shoes.
Let your feet do the talking. Try on both shoes, and walk and run in them to make sure they’re comfortable. Most sporting goods and athletic shoe stores have people who specialize in helping you find the right kind of shoe for the sport you specialize in. If their are no athletic shoe stores in your area or you’re on a budget, you can also purchase some quality workout shoes online.
HRM – Heart Rate Monitor
This will help gauge where you are and how hard your heart is working. You can calculate your target heart rate quickly by taking 220-your age. Then you take that number and multiply it by 65%. If you haven’t exercised before, or if you haven’t exercised in a long time, then this is where you would want to start. For example, if you’re 45 years old, you would subtract 220-45, which equals 175 beats per minute (BPM). This would be the maximum heart rate (MHR). Then you take 65% of your MHR, (175×65%), which equals 113.75 BPM. Round up to 114 BPM. This is the number you shouldn’t exceed when you start to exercise. You’ll find that as you consistently exercise, your body will adapt and your exercise will get easier at this rate. As this gets easier for you, you can shoot for 75% of your maximum heart rate and work your way up to 85%-90% of your MHR. The HRM will do all of these calculations for you and will warn you if your heart rate is too high or too low. Otherwise, the only way you will know your heart rate while you’re exercising is to check your pulse which will be somewhat difficult to do. But you can take your pulse while exercising for 10 seconds and multiplying by 6 to get your heart rate. But having a heart rate monitor would be much easier wouldn’t it?
Pedometer
If you’re just starting out, or are extremely overweight, walking is a fantastic exercise to get you going! A pedometer will calculate the number of steps you’ve taken. Your goal is to try to increase the number of steps you take everyday. You want to reach 10,000 steps/day. Once you’ve accomplished 10,000 steps, you can progress to perhaps a walk/jog to increase your intensity and keep your weight loss going.
Comfortable Clothing
I personally like to wear loose cotton clothing. I buy workout clothes with the same mindset as I do when I buy pajamas. I want them to be able to move with me when I move in my sleep. For workout clothes, I want them to move with me when I move without chaffing or scratching. Everyone has their own preference when it comes to this. There are all kinds of synthetic, dry wicking materials that help keep you dry. The most important thing is to get clothing that’s most comfortable for you!
Comfortable Socks
You want cotton socks to absorb the moisture from sweat and to control odor. Just like shoes, there are also specialty socks for running and walking.
Lock
This is a must if you’re working out in a gym, and your gym doesn’t provide locks. I prefer combination locks but you have to remember the combination.
Locks that have keys are also an option, but you have to keep track of the key. There are all kinds of locks to choose from.
Weight Lifting Gloves
These protect your hands from ugly calluses. Guys view callouses as badges of honor to prove how hard their workout was, but it’s not so cute on women. Ladies, don’t be afraid to lift weights. Resistance exercise produces sexy, fat burning muscle. And most women don’t have enough testosterone to produce bulky muscles.
Weight Lifting Gloves on Amazon
Towel
No explanation needed here. Usually a hand towel is good enough, but if you shower before you leave the gym, you will need a bath towel as well, all of your toiletries and a change of clothes
Gym Bag
I keep a fully stocked gym bag in my car at all times. You never know when you will be able to squeeze in a workout. It helps to eliminate a more popular excuse for not working out.
Water Bottle
I bring a water bottle that’s BPA free with my own water. Water is crucial to get through your workout. You should drink water before, during and after your workout.
Hair Taming
For ladies with long hair, a hair rubber band and comb & brush are essential. A headband or a hat is also an option. The sweat combined with the oil from your skin and hair isn’t good for your skin.
Personal Trainer (BONUS!)
I always recommend a personal trainer especially for people who are new to working out. A trainer can set you in the right direction with diet and exercise, and give you proper instruction to maximize your time spent working out without getting injured. And even if you’re more advanced in your exercise regimen, a personal trainer can show you new exercise regimens to try, and/or provide accountability and encouragement to keep you coming, so you can reach your goals.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, 13 of my top recommended workout essentials for women. Being properly equipped before hitting your daily workouts is another key to help you achieve success on your health and fitness journey, so gear up and get ready for another exciting year!
Workout Clothing Tips for Women
If you want to get maximum results from your workouts, wearing the right workout clothes is going to be very important.
In this article, we will be talking about choosing the right workout clothes for women according to their workout plan.
Clothes do make a difference in how you feel and what results you will get. Factors like size, fitting, fabric, and whether it is the right choice for a workout or not will impact your performance.
Workout Clothes Fabric
All workout clothes are good but some are of course, better than others. Just like tanktops and shirts are for summer and sweats and hoodies for winter, some fabrics are specifically designed for intense workouts while others are not. The following are some types with their functionality.
Cotton
Cotton gets heavy as it absorbs sweat and with time it can lose its shape too. evaporation is also slow so they are not ideal for workouts where you will be sweating a lot.
Cotton blends
Cotton blend fabric, for instance, cotton and spandex, is comfort with required features. It wicks away sweat better and retains its shape. These can be used for intense workouts from running to the gym, etc.
Spandex
Spandex fabric is great and can be used for almost any type of workout. It fits snugly and covers the body properly so you won’t get embarrassed.
Nylon
Nylon is lightweight, soft, and durable with added sweat-wicking feature they are one of the most popular fabric.
Seasonal Workout Clothes
As temperature and climate change it is an indication that you should now bring change in your workout clothes. Either indoor or outdoor workout choose according to the environment.
Hot weather
Try wearing breathable and lightweight fabrics that wick away moisture better. Avoid pure cotton and if you will be working outdoors wear cool colors.
Cold weather
During cold weather cover yourself properly and wear warm clothes. You can take off the hoodie or whatever in the gym once your body is heated up. Layering is a good method of removing them one by one as you feel. Even if you must be out in the cold for a few minutes cover your body properly if you want to be safe.
Wet or windy weather
During the wet and windy weather, it’s better to cover up. Instead of shorts wear trousers or leggings, instead of tank top-wear shirts and so on. If you can manage to put an outer layer that is wind and waterproof then nothing is better than that. For long-duration workouts or exercise in the sum, your body must be covered upright. You would not want to have a sunburn. Click here to look at women’s bottom wear, explore for great collection and more options.
Workout Clothes Features
The following are some of the key features of workout clothes. You should have a keen eye for these, next time you go shopping for workout clothes.
Sweat-wicking
Sweat-wicking is an important feature and helps to keep you comfortable even during heavy workouts and sweat.
Breathability
Breathable fabrics are great at providing comfort so try to avoid those who are not breathable.
Non-restrictive
If the body is free to move it can stretch and muscles would workout properly giving you better results. So, the clothes that are stretchable and nonrestrictive are the best ones.
Workout Clothes Fitting
Of course, the fitting matters a lot so you must choose the right and proper fitting. Try to wear clothes that:
- Do not show extra skin
- Don’t flash others and try wearing proper clothing
- Avoid baggy and very tight clothing
- Compression wear fabrics can be used for almost any workout
- Don’t let your clothes get in the way
About Theresa Duncan
Originally from Detroit, MI, Theresa has been offering health and fitness advice for the last 30 years while working as an engineer. She decided to turn her passion into a profession, and finds nothing more satisfying than helping others reach their health and fitness goals.