Looking Good While Working Out

Posted in 

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not impossible to maintain an attractive appearance while sweating and working out. When you look your best, you are guaranteed to do your best in the gym because you have more confidence and increased energy. This being said, you have every reason to look pretty while getting in shape and maintaining your figure. And since looking good while working out can help you stay motivated and confident, it’s totally worth looking into ways to maintain your beauty in the gym.

Hair at the Gym

When it comes to looking fabulous during workouts, it all starts with your hair. Focusing on your hair helps you look well-kept during workouts, and also after the workout is done too. The first thing worth mentioning here is that, when you leave your hair down, you increase the heat around your neck, thus causing more perspiration. This makes your hair wet, and can cause it to become oily and hard to manage after the workout. So keep your hair off of your neck and face by putting it in a ponytail, bun or braid.
Depending on the length of your hair, you may also want to slip a hair band on to keep your fly-aways in place. Once you’ve completed an exercise routine, rinse off in the shower with your hair still out of your face; also, use a dry shampoo on your roots to bring them back to life.

Makeup during Workouts

The best thing you can do for your skin is to workout without any form of makeup at all. If you’re exercising outdoors under the sun, it’s important to wear sunscreen to stay protected from the sun’s harmful rays. If you’re desperate to cover up redness or small blemishes during workouts, use powder foundations instead of liquid, mousse or cream foundations. By using the powder, you risk clogging pores, so only use cover-up if truly necessary.
Another option is to use a tinted moisturizer instead of foundation; however, these are liquid and can oftentimes slide off your face. Tinted moisturizer also clogs pores and has a tendency to slide off your face, which makes the skin look oily. After your workout, take time to cool down by stretching so that your face can reduce in redness. Once you’ve finished cooling down, rinse your face with cool water to help reduce redness and close pores.

Looking Good after your Workout

Once you’ve finished freshening up, use a foundation primer or tinted moisturizer to conceal any of the redness that is still visible on your face. If your face feels oily, use a translucent powder to help absorb excess oil.
Since you’ve just worked out, you’ll have no need for blush because your face will probably be flushed with color naturally. Keep a natural skin-toned eye shadow shade in your gym bag to apply to your lids for a natural sheen. Only apply mascara on the top lashes, and apply a soft lip balm to your lips.

Dressing for the Workout

What you wear in terms of clothing may be just as important as how your hair is styled or what makeup you choose to wear (or choose not to wear). No matter if you are working out indoors or outdoors, you should dress so that you are comfortable for the type of activity you’re going to be partaking in. So when it comes to the clothes you wear while exercising, it all comes down to your individual body shape and size.
A basic everyday outfit that is flattering on most body types is a pair of black shorts, in combination with a sturdy sports bra and colored top like pink, blue or green.
For those of you who are self-conscious of your body, and aren’t comfortable wearing shorts and tank tops, think about choosing clothing items like T-shirts that are not overly baggy, as well as mid-thigh-length shorts.
One point worth making about shorts is that irritation can occur between thighs due to them rubbing together. So a quick solution for this is to wear a pair of compression or bicycle-style shorts under a pair of relaxed fitting shorts.
One thing you’ll notice about gyms is that there are lots of mirrors around so you can check out your form. Unfortunately, this also means that you can catch glimpses or yourself in unflattering clothes, which may cause you to lose the motivation to work out. This being said, always check your outfits before leaving for the gym so you don’t run into this problem.
Moving along, workout clothes should not be the same clothes you lounge around in at home. It’s important to keep a set of clothes specifically for working out, as well as items that you can lounge around in. Most loungewear is made of fabrics that don’t allow your skin to breathe, stretch, or bend with your body.
When you’re choosing workout gear, you should pick clothing suitable for different forms of exercise. For instance, yoga requires you to stretch, so wearing constricting shorts or shirts that fit too loosely can keep you from performing your best. Also, running requires more room to move, which is why people tend to wear shorts. For sports or high-impact workouts, you may find it more comfortable to wear more fitted tops to give your body extra support.
When it comes to fabrics for a comfortable workout, stay away from 100% cotton T- shirts because they stay wet with your perspiration for a long time after you’ve completed your exercises. You’ll also want to avoid dressing in layers while working out to keep from becoming over-heated, and to prevent unsightly sweat stains.
It may seem like a silly pre-workout ritual to apply makeup, tidy up your hair and take time to think about your outfit, but these tasks will encourage your best performance – even on days when you’re just not in the mood to go to the gym.