(no subject)
now that i work out regularly, i have an opinion (limited though it is) on workout gear. clothes, shoes, music, towel -- it all makes a difference. of course, when i danced regularly, i definitely had my gear put together. but in dance, gear is more... utilitarian, whereas in the gym scene, gear achieves levels of couture that far exceed the need to accomidate sweat.
still, a pair of sweats and some crappy sneakers won't cut it either. first off, unless you want to wash your clothes to death, you need more than one set of workout clothes. and if they don't fit right, or aren't made of good material, you'll be uncomfortable and distracted, which is really the last thing needed when you're already sweating and feeling the burn. second, you need good shoes that are designed for the task at hand. lifting weights in running shoes, for example, means your feet are worlds of unsupported in the proper way. third, if your mp3 player is constantly slipping, or if your headphones won't stay put, trying to re-adjust while balancing on a treadmill can lead to a potentially disasterious encounter involving limbs, sharp edges, and/or the floor.
i guess i always knew there was a science to it -- after all, outfitters like nike and adidas aren't popular just for their charity work -- but i never had a reason to ponder. now i do. so yesterday, i pondered.
i already have some clothing that works for me, like my sports bra (which is an amazing feat of engineering), socks, shorts, etc. i also have enough tank tops to last me for weeks. but i was lacking some important things. a good pair of pants, for one, and a lightweight jacket to avoid chills when i walk back to the house at night. so i hopped on nike.com to see what was out there.
now, i'm not a big fan of oversized sports outfitters, but nike is the ONLY company that took the time to make a sports bra that both fits me and works well, so they did achieve some loyalty there. they just opened their fall line up to the public, so i scored a new pair of last season's pants and a jacket at a 50% discount. they even match.
i also decided to invest in shoes. i have an ok pair but i wanted cross trainers designed for multiple uses. nike has a very cool feature called NikeiD, which allows shoppers to custom design certain products. for an extra fee, i not only got the shoes i wanted, i also got to pick every aspect of their color design; they even have a motivational quote printed inside ("pain is temporary - pride is forever") and customized tags embroidered on the outside (the left shoe says "kittie" and the right shoe says "numnums"). they're solid black, except for the swoosh, laces and tags, which are white. they match my new black/white pants and jacket.
part of me felt silly, but really, exercise shoes are worth money if they protect and support your body's allignment. and the extra few dollars was totally, 100% worthwhile because the shoes freaking say kittie numnums. come on now. ^_^
i also finally got an iPod shuffle. i've been exercising with my regular iPod and it just isn't working out. i don't want to have to worry about arm bands and velcro strength and all that jazz. a shuffle will hold plenty of music and can clip onto whatever i'm wearing. i even got it engraved! "pain is temporary - pride is forever." heck, we all need a motto in life.
even after my mini shopping spree, i'll still be putting the better part of a grand into my savings account. so, the way i see it, everyone wins.
love kittie
still, a pair of sweats and some crappy sneakers won't cut it either. first off, unless you want to wash your clothes to death, you need more than one set of workout clothes. and if they don't fit right, or aren't made of good material, you'll be uncomfortable and distracted, which is really the last thing needed when you're already sweating and feeling the burn. second, you need good shoes that are designed for the task at hand. lifting weights in running shoes, for example, means your feet are worlds of unsupported in the proper way. third, if your mp3 player is constantly slipping, or if your headphones won't stay put, trying to re-adjust while balancing on a treadmill can lead to a potentially disasterious encounter involving limbs, sharp edges, and/or the floor.
i guess i always knew there was a science to it -- after all, outfitters like nike and adidas aren't popular just for their charity work -- but i never had a reason to ponder. now i do. so yesterday, i pondered.
i already have some clothing that works for me, like my sports bra (which is an amazing feat of engineering), socks, shorts, etc. i also have enough tank tops to last me for weeks. but i was lacking some important things. a good pair of pants, for one, and a lightweight jacket to avoid chills when i walk back to the house at night. so i hopped on nike.com to see what was out there.
now, i'm not a big fan of oversized sports outfitters, but nike is the ONLY company that took the time to make a sports bra that both fits me and works well, so they did achieve some loyalty there. they just opened their fall line up to the public, so i scored a new pair of last season's pants and a jacket at a 50% discount. they even match.
i also decided to invest in shoes. i have an ok pair but i wanted cross trainers designed for multiple uses. nike has a very cool feature called NikeiD, which allows shoppers to custom design certain products. for an extra fee, i not only got the shoes i wanted, i also got to pick every aspect of their color design; they even have a motivational quote printed inside ("pain is temporary - pride is forever") and customized tags embroidered on the outside (the left shoe says "kittie" and the right shoe says "numnums"). they're solid black, except for the swoosh, laces and tags, which are white. they match my new black/white pants and jacket.
part of me felt silly, but really, exercise shoes are worth money if they protect and support your body's allignment. and the extra few dollars was totally, 100% worthwhile because the shoes freaking say kittie numnums. come on now. ^_^
i also finally got an iPod shuffle. i've been exercising with my regular iPod and it just isn't working out. i don't want to have to worry about arm bands and velcro strength and all that jazz. a shuffle will hold plenty of music and can clip onto whatever i'm wearing. i even got it engraved! "pain is temporary - pride is forever." heck, we all need a motto in life.
even after my mini shopping spree, i'll still be putting the better part of a grand into my savings account. so, the way i see it, everyone wins.
love kittie