On average, 30 minutes of moderate exercise is recommended by doctors and health experts and light-to-moderate physical activities have a low risk of causing trauma to your body. However, if you’re going to do high-intensity workouts, it’s important to follow safety tips and prepare proper workout gear and accessories to avoid injury.
Athletic apparel and essentials aren’t only good for boosting motivation, but they’re also useful for increasing mobility and comfort, on top of preventing painful accidents. That said, here are seven workout necessities every fitness enthusiast should have…
QUALITY WORKOUT CLOTHES
Workout clothing should be lightweight, flexible and durable. The design and materials used in workout clothes are chosen to ensure you have mobility and comfort while you exercise.
While you’re doing high-intensity exercises, your body’s temperature will rise exponentially, and sweat will flow like a waterfall. Workout clothes use light and breathable materials that allow sweat to evaporate so your body can gradually cool down during and after the exercise.
Quality sportswear uses clothing technology for optimum movement and ease during exercise. That’s why it can be more expensive than regular clothing but, even if you’re a gym newbie, it’s a good idea to invest in one set of suitable workout gear to get you started.
SPORT-SPECIFIC SHOES
Be sure to choose the right shoes for the kind of physical workout you’re planning to do. Wearing sport-specific shoes will allow more freedom of movement and stop your feet from hurting at the end of your exercise.
There are different types of shoes made for a variety of physical activities: Running shoes are designed to lessen the impact on your joints when your feet hit the ground and provide support to your ankles. Hiking shoes or boots give greater support and traction because they’re made to be worn on rough uneven paths. Find the proper pair of shoes for your exercise to avoid foot injury and boost your performance.
GYM TOWEL
You might not feel like it at the time, but sweating is a good sign when you’re working out! Perspiration doesn’t tell you exactly how much fat or calories you’ve burned, but it indicates that your body is regulating its temperature so you don’t overheat.
If you’re lifting weights or doing dangerous exercises, sweat can give you slippery palms or get into your eyes and cause an accident to happen. That’s why you should always bring your own gym towel or two to wipe off perspiration when it starts to get in the way of your workout.
WATER BOTTLE
Your body loses moisture as you perspire so if you’re doing a physically demanding activity that’s making you sweat, you’re risking dehydration. Before leaving your house to exercise, fill up your reusable water bottle, and stay hydrated throughout your workout. Dehydration is no joke so watch out for signs that your body is losing too much water before something even worse can happen.
EXERCISE MUSIC AND EARBUDS
Everything’s better when there’s good music you can listen to! Listening to upbeat music can pump up your energy and help push you to your physical limits. Plus, with your favourite workout playlist playing in your ears, you can tune out distractions and concentrate on doing your routine.
ELASTIC THERAPEUTIC TAPES
Elastic therapeutic tapes, or kinesiology tapes, are used by athletes and fitness experts to prevent injuries and boost their physical performance. You can use an elastic therapeutic tape by applying it along your muscles, ligaments, or tendons. Kinesiology tapes work by easing the skin and decompressing connective tissues to facilitate better flow of lymphatic fluids. These fluids bring in white blood cells, which eliminate toxins and bacteria in the body.
FITNESS TRACKER
Keep track of your workout progress using a fitness tracker with an app. A tracker can provide you with valuable insights on your physical condition, including your heart rate, the calories burned, and the number of steps taken, to name a few. If you track your fitness, you can try to beat your own ‘personal best’ each time and gradually improve your fitness.
The data gathered by a tracker app can be helpful in deciding which exercises are the most effective for you and how close you are to your fitness goals. The information on your body will also help you determine when it’s time to push yourself or to stop to avoid injury.
Whether you’re going to the gym or playing a sport, it’s essential to wear clothes and shoes that are designed for the activity you’re doing. Donning the proper gear will allow you more flexibility and comfort when exercising. The other workout accessories in this list will also help prevent exercise mishaps and improve your physical performance. Let me know what else you would add to this list in the comments below 🙂
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