For Women Only!

9th May 2012

For Women Only! →

Sweat is pouring down your face, you’re grasping for breath & running like a fool. It might look like you’re escaping from zombies but these are all activities that are usually required for a great workout. As women we know getting in a good workout is important but also that there’s added pressure to the workout because we want to look good inside the gym and outside of it. So sometimes working out becomes much less about being healthy physically, emotionally and spiritually but more about how good you can look in those yoga pants.

YOGA PANTS, comfy and versatile. If you’re anything like me the minute you get home from school or work you slip into your “comfies” which consist of some sort of sweats and a t-shirt look. Recently I have noticed my fleeting pursuit of the super fit chick who works out all the time is closely coupled with the lazy girl who wants to lounge in her “comfies.” The result is that I buy all these wonderful cute workout outfits that are meant for working out but instead of working out in them I’m lounging around, going to the store, running errands, doing whatever, all activities that are outside the gym.

This has caused me to really think about what I’m wearing. Yoga pants and workout pants are for that, yoga and working out. What does that mean? Those pants are specifically designed to be very tight so your clothing does not hinder your movements during exercise. Okay, that makes sense but what does that mean for me? Well, it means you shouldn’t wear yoga pants if you’re not working out or doing yoga. The reality is, many of our yoga pants have never been to yoga but many of us still purchase these pants. They’re comfortable and perfectly compliment my “comfies” but I have to think to myself “Why am I buying these comfy yoga pants over other comfy pants?”

When wearing yoga pants we have to be aware of the fact that we’re going out in public with clothing that is very tight on us. So tight that others see the exact shape of our bodies (think “Catwoman”). Believe me, I’ve done it in my day and it’s tempting to continue to do it because it’s convenient and comfy (my two favorite words) but the tightness of our yoga pants, workout pants and oh those leggings, can be very distracting to others—to men and women. For men, because it’s tempting in a physical sense, for women because it can create jealousy or judgment (i.e. “I wish my bottom could look that good, or “whoa, that girl should NOT be wearing that.”)

There’s a movement afoot among women who know the power of a well-placed outfit. Hollywood and the like wants us to believe the power is in showing off your body. I had read many magazines in my life that have told me, based on my body type of “big-boned” I should wear v-necks to draw the eyes “there” instead of on a more unattractive part of my body. Hopefully we can all see the flaws there. I was told to essentially dissect my body so others would look at one place rather than me the whole person. So while Hollywood and the like are giving us bad advice, there are real women out there who are witnesses to the power of a well-chosen outfit, one that enhances your soul. There are women out there who rock an outfit that they put time into. It’s more than just throwing on some yoga pants and heading out. It’s an outfit that says “I’m not an object to be gazed upon but a woman to be loved upon.“ I want to be that kind of woman.

A wonderful male friend of mine once said to me “YOU wear the clothes. Don’t let the clothes wear you.” So let us strive to be women not restricted by the tight yoga pants but rather be women who are set free. There is freedom in having a nice outfit that shows your soul. There’s freedom in knowing that what you wear is a representation of YOU and not the cheap clothes that cover your body. You along with your body are far more priceless than any outfit you could ever buy or wear.

Easy way to make yoga pants more modest: