What’s on the outside does matter.
For every pair of jeans Gwen Jorgensen owns, she has 10 pairs of running pants. “I probably have 95 percent exercise clothes [in my closet],” says the Olympic triathlete who won the gold medal in 2016. In other words, she knows a thing or two about shopping for and replacing fitness attire and accessories. “Sometimes, it’s fun to get new clothes to have the newest season of colors and fashion,” Jorgensen says. Sometimes, it’s necessary for injury prevention and optimal fitness, too — even if you’re far from Olympian material. Here’s what Jorgensen and other exercise professionals say you might need to toss or replace to boost your fitness:
1. Your ‘fat clothes’
Marissa Gannon gets it: You don’t want to buy form-fitting fitness apparel until you’ve lost more weight. But wearing old, baggy clothes might actually impede your progress. “You want to wear things that are a little more fitted so you can see motion and, if you have a trainer, it’s easier for them to see what’s happening,” says Gannon, a personal trainer in Menominee, Michigan. What’s more, attractive clothing can motivate you to work harder, adds Nathan DeMetz, a personal trainer in Goshen, Indiana. “A person who looks good in their attire is more likely to feel comfortable in the gym — something that can aid that individual in their workout,” he says.
2. Your dusty treadmill
If you use your home gym more to dry laundry than to get those T-shirts sweaty in the first place, it’s time to invest in something you’ll actually use — and keep using — be it a different piece of equipment or a gym membership. “The most important thing you should ask yourself is: ‘Is this something sustainable?'” says Carly Schafer, a personal trainer and nutrition program coordinator at Life Time Athletic Dallas. If you do use your home gym regularly, most equipment should last forever, though you may need to periodically replace parts like bands, Gannon says. “Make sure it’s smooth, not jumpy, because that will put the stress on you,” she says.
3. Your all-purpose sneakers
On Mondays, you walk. On Wednesdays, you lift weights. On Saturdays, you spin. But every day of the week, you wear running shoes. “Generally, I’d say that’s a bad idea,” DeMetz says, because shoes designed to enhance running can cause instability in strength-based movements like weighted squats. “[That] can lead to wobble, decreased performance and greater risk of injury,” he says. Even if you only run, replace shoes every 300 to 500 miles, or when the bottoms start to wear down, experts recommend. “Your best bet is going into a local running store” to find what works best for you, says Jorgensen, an ASICS Elite Athlete.
4. Your free cotton T-shirts
Your first 5K, your alma mater, your bachelorette party — your T-shirt collection might as well be a sentimental tour of your life. But just because you want to keep these treasures doesn’t mean you should exercise in them. “There are few things worse during a workout than a cotton shirt stuck to the body due to sweat, ill-fitting shorts that ride up or limited range of motion due to restrictive clothing,” says DeMetz, who recommends wearing wicking material in warm or indoor environments. And fear not, you don’t have to drop big bucks: “As long as it works for you,” DeMetz says, “it doesn’t matter if it’s name brand or generic.”
5. Your helmet
While you can eye your running shoes to help determine when they need replacing, the same isn’t true for your bicycle helmet, which Jorgensen says should be replaced every year — “even if you haven’t crashed,” although other organizations and helmet manufacturers generally recommend holding on to them for three to five years. Point being, it’s better to be safe than sorry. “Your head is the most important organ in your body, and you need to protect it,” Jorgensen says. Keep your bike in good shape too by, for example, replacing bald tires and worn-out chains. The bike itself “can last a lifetime if you take really good care of it,” Jorgensen says.
6. Your old home fitness DVDs
Lose 10 pounds in 10 days! Trim fat in 15 minutes! Get ripped without leaving your home! Schafer understands the appeal of home fitness DVDs, but doesn’t endorse digging them out years past their purchase date. “While these programs can sometimes benefit populations with busy schedules or those who are just starting a training program, they are not meant for long-term use,” since they rarely keep progressing or offer necessary variety, she says. “It’s crucial to find programs … that can be used long term, that are adaptable to your body and include a combination of high- and low-intensity exercise,” she says.
7. Your compression gear
The next person to walk into Gannon’s gym with compression pants, socks and arm sleeves might be greeted by her eye roll. “It’s become a popular thing to wear, and I don’t think people understand why they’re wearing compression [gear],” she says. While the products have a purpose for some people, like those with painful varicose veins, they can limit movement and lead to injury among those sporting them solely for looks. “If you’re having to support something to do another job — ding, ding, ding — something deeper needs to be addressed,” Gannon says. “If you’re wearing these things just … because somebody told us they’re good, you’re wasting money.”
More from U.S. News
7 Reasons No One Likes You at the Gym
Wish You Were Headed for the Olympics? How to Train for 9 Winter Sports
7 Mind-Blowing Benefits of Exercise
7 Pieces of Workout Gear to Ditch or Replace originally appeared on usnews.com
