In a recent NBA All-Star game, you could hardly notice a single player without sporting some kind of compression gear – from Russell Westbrook’s full-length stockings to a compression T-shirt under Anthony Davis’s jersey. While many athletes claim this equipment is helpful with injuries and bruises, its use isn’t limited to the world of professional sports, but you can see it in gyms all around the world. Here are seven reasons why you should buy compression gear as well.
Injuries
You don’t have to be a professional athlete to stay protected and no matter how careful you are, gym injuries are always an option. When working out, your entire body, from the feet and ankles to neck and shoulders, is under threat, so be extra cautious. This doesn’t mean you have to dress completely into compression clothing, but pay special attention to certain areas.
Heal and Recover
If, however, something bad does happen to you in the gym, don’t worry – your compression gear will help you since long sleeve shirts and compression shorts are quite beneficial during recovery. These items will pump more blood into your injured or sprained muscles, making them heal faster. That’s why you should look into specifically designed gym clothes that will not only minimize your chances of injury, but also help you recover in case something goes wrong.
Weight Loss
Compression clothes are especially helpful when trying to lose weight. Since they apply additional pressure to your body, they make you sweat more, which is great for reducing body weight and burning fat, especially on a treadmill. In addition to that, some compression clothing items increase blood circulation that also assists fat burning. However, make sure you’re hydrated because you’ll lose lots of water this way.
Running Faster
Running enthusiasts often go to the gym in the winter or whenever they can’t hit their favorite routes. They want to make the most of their workouts and, therefore, have to make their performance as explosive as possible. This is where lower-leg compression comes into play – various studies have shown that compression socks improve runners’ performance, from the start to the finish, while compression shorts preserve your strength much longer than regular clothes. This type of workout is a great way to get your body in shape and challenge yourself. Also, high-intensity interval training enables you to do these tough but short workouts on a more consistent basis because there’s no need for long hours at the gym or running outside, which means better results! In order to make sure that everything goes smoothly during this challenging process it’s important to find out what kind of shoes work best with their specific needs so they can maximize performance while getting enjoyable exercise routines and to ensure maximum effectiveness make sure to find shoes suitable for HIIT training sessions before starting yours.
Overall Performance
Speaking of performance, runners aren’t the only ones occupying your gym, are they? Every other gym goer wants to bench-press more than before, which is why more and more of them get interested into compression clothes to achieve better results. Depending on which type of exercise they’re doing – legs, shoulders, chest, etc. – they pick different items. For example, a weights enthusiast will certainly be able to lift more weight with a compression shirt, while someone skinny is going to try to build some leg muscles using compression socks.
Self-perception
When you’re in the gym, you’re trying to produce great results, but, if you’re not feeling well, you won’t be at the top of your game and give your best performance. Therefore, it’s important to achieve the right mindset for working out and a big part of that is your own self-perception. If you look better, you’ll feel better and be more motivated – and there’s no way you’ll think you don’t look awesome in compression clothing. It makes your body look tight and ripped, and inspires you to work even harder.
Aesthetic Appeal
Let’s face it – tons of people join the gym to find someone special and fall in love. That’s why they train harder than the others and hope that their potential partners might notice their effort. However, that’s not all – in order to become more appealing, these gym goers dress more provocatively and try to accentuate their body. And what better way to do so than by wearing compression clothing? It will fit you like a glove, adapt to your body and make you look much more attractive, especially if you pick colors and shades that agree with you.
Other Benefits of Compression Clothing
Some of the other perks of wearing compression clothing at the gym are more power, less fatigue, better use of muscle oxygen, more adequate skin protection – you can finally forget about rashes and irritation! – as well as no post-workout muscle soreness and pain.