How amazing would it be if you could create more energy and get a better workout, just by putting on a particular outfit? Imagine increasing your motivation to exercise just by changing what you wear. Believe it or not, there is undeniable proof that you need awesome workout clothes.
Picture this. It’s time to head to the gym, but you aren’t feeling it. You’re tired. You’ve had a long day at work, or the kids kept you up late. In fact, you would rather roll down a hill covered in thorns and fire ants than lift weights or work up a sweat.
And then… something changes.
You start to feel energized. You feel powerful and athletic. You could run through a wall if it wouldn’t result in costly repair bills. It’s go time, and you feel pumped!
Sound like science fiction…? Think you need alien technology to summon this kind of energy and motivation?
Well, it’s real, and it can happen just by putting on some awesome workout clothes.
The Science Behind Clothing and Fitness Performance
Improving motivation, energy, and performance based on your fitness apparel is a real thing. It sounds too good to be true, but studies have shown that there are real psychological benefits to putting on specific clothing before you hit the gym.
One such concept is known as Enclothed Cognition. It’s related to Embodied Cognition, as explained in this Positive Psychology News article about how what you wear can impact your mental state.
Here’s the cliff notes version… Two psychologists from Northwestern University showed that what you wear, in combination with your experiences, can influence your performance and behavior. For example, in the study, they showed that test subjects who wore white lab coats performed much better on cognitive tests than subjects who were only wearing street clothes. The reason this works is that people associate white lab coats with intelligence and attention to detail.
And it doesn’t stop at lab coats. They proved that once you associate a particular outfit with a mental state, mood or behavior, you can recreate those feelings just by putting on the same clothing.
Examples of Clothing Impacting Your Behavior
Think about it… I bet you have something in your closet right now that you associate with a feeling or mood.
Maybe you have a pair of shoes that make you feel sexy when you put them on. Or, you have an old baseball cap that makes you feel young every time you wear it. Perhaps you always crush your sales presentations at work when you wear a specific suit, dress or tie.
And there are more examples all around you:
- The reserved professional athlete who becomes ultra-competitive when she puts on her equipment
- The performer who becomes an entirely different person when he gets into costume
- The singer who changes from shy girl from the Midwest to meteoric superstar when she puts on her outfit for her concert and grabs a mic
- The quiet chef who creates masterpieces in the kitchen when he puts on his white jacket
- Clark Kent turning into Superman when he rips off his boring work clothes and shows off his signature leotard…
That last one is a little bit of a stretch, but I think you see what I mean.
So what does that mean for you, and how can you use it to your benefit…?
How to Boost Your Workout by Wearing the Right Fitness Apparel
What you wear to the gym can impact your performance, both mentally and physically.
Physically, wearing comfortable, cool and safe clothing will help you enjoy your workout, while also preventing injury and overheating. Selecting flexible, breathable materials like poly, nylon, cotton, cotton-poly blends, polypropylene, spandex, and tencel will ensure that you are safe, comfortable and free to move.
Mentally, if you’re looking for more motivation, energy, and performance, what you wear makes a difference here as well.
You need clothing that makes you feel strong, energetic and fit. Clothing that you associate with crushing your workout and feeling invincible.
Do you wear the same clothes to the gym that you wear to the grocery store or for sitting around on the couch? If so, you’re killing your potential.
Have you been wearing the same old workout clothes for years? Now, your workout and your outfit are feeling stale? Time to make a new connection with some fresh workout apparel.
Get some fitness gear that you love. Put it on, then head to the gym and crush your workout.
Those clothes are now your link to endless motivation and fitness. Every time you put them on, you psychologically tap into your maximum power and performance.
Make the change today, and see what the right fitness outfit can do for your workout.