Summer Workout Gear
Since I never grew up with official seasons, they kind of confuse me.
When it’s summer, I don’t want to spend a ton on summer clothes, since fall will be here soon. And then I remember it’s technically summer here in AZ 3/4 of the year.
I have a hard time committing to trends (unless it’s a year later and the trend is still hanging around). Current example: neon. I read about the neon trend in a magazine about 2 years ago, had a good laugh to myself about how ridiculous it was, and now, I like it. It always takes trends a little while to grow on me, especially since I like the see the real-life version instead of the magazine version. AKA cute neon shoes at the gym > magazine girl with 4-ft afro hair wearing piles of neon necklaces and a tutu.
I am excited to get a pair of neon sneakers to wear at work, especially since our uniforms are black and grey: (we can wear whatever sneaks we want, and whatever clothes we want if we’re teaching the class)
1. Asics Gel Kayano (this is an extremely supportive shoe- I prefer lighter shoes and this one feels a little bulky to me. The good news about Asics is that they make so many different types to provide ideal comfort for your stride and level of pronation.)
2. Neon Nike Frees (I haven’t tried these but would love to get a pair, as many of my work friends wear these shoes. If you’e going to rock any type of “barefoot” style shoe, I definitely recommend working up to wearing them all day. Try the shoe out for an hour or two each day to build up the muscles in your feet before attempting any workouts with the shoes)
3. Newton running shoes- love the fun orange color!
4. Brooks pure flow (even though I’m as Asics girl, Brooks are my #2 shoe. Love how light they are with the perfect amount of support for my pronation. To find your dream shoe, have your feet and stride checked out at a local running store)
*Of course, Zumba shoes are always bright and fun, too 😉
Breezy tanks and shorts are my favorite pieces for summer workouts. I used to just wear sofee shorts and a cotton tee, and eventually learned that cotton doesn’t breathe very well for workouts, especially outdoors. Technical fabrics are more expensive, but last longer, and feel 1000x better on long runs or intense cardio seshes. Tip: I never put workout clothes in the dryer if it’s made of a technical fabric. I’m not sure if it’s just our dryer, but it has a tendency to eat our clothes and make them look more worn. This is the only reason why I still have some of my good-quality workout gear a couple of years later, and it still looks ok.
1. Short sleeve tech and run tracker shorts (both from lululemon)- I like the tee version better than the tank (which scoops a little low on me) and adore the shorts. I have a few pairs of the turbo run shorts and they’re my favorites for summer workouts.
2. Champion long and lean running tank and Nike tempo shorts (can be found at most sporting goods stores- sometimes TJ Maxx has them, too). Love the soft fabric of the Target tank and Nike tempo shorts are awesome for running or weightlifting
3. Solow crop leggings and Moving Comfort tank – Moving Comfort makes super-supportive tanks in great fabrics
Headbands!
I love pulling my hair back with a headband for late-night workouts or teaching. (During the day, I do my “save the gym hair” routine which is a post in itself) I’ve kind of avoided it lately, since my hair has been falling out since giving birth and I’m a 27-year old with a receding hairline. Good news is that it’s growing back 😉
Anyway…
Here are some fun headbands:
1. Barely there bandana -perfect for Zumba or cardio dance classes
3. GLITTER headbands with an incredible cause. This organization was created by Jessica, a blog reader and friend, as a way to support girls affected with childhood cancer. For every headband purchased, a girl with childhood cancer receives a headband (an accessory they can wear as they lose their hair) and $1 goes to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to fund life-saving childhood cancer research. I’m excited to order a few glitter bands for myself, and some headbands for Livi, too.
4. The classic lulu slip less headband. They hurt my head after a while, but they do the job.
So tell me, friends: do you fear or embrace the neon? What’s your favorite gym accessory or summer piece of workout gear?
I’m crazy about lulu cool racerback tops. They’re not as pricey as the other options, and are perfect for every type of workout.
Hope you have a wonderful day <3
See ya later on the Fashion page.
xoxo
Gina
Something to read:
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Yogitoes makes the best headbands that stay on and don’t give me headaches…and bonus…they’re only $3 a piece!
I thought I was the only one who got headaches from headbands. I’ll have to check out Yogitoes; thanks for making the suggestion!
I love lulu racerback tanks, too! I know they can be a little more expensive than other options, but I think the quality is so high that they have serious staying power. A few years ago (maybe 4 or 5), I went on a lulu spree & bought about 5 new tops and 2-3 pairs of bottoms. I still wear all of those things and they aren’t showing any sign of wear or tear! 🙂
I love when you put the “Something to Read” links!!
I LOVE that last headband! But yes, I’m from the Cayman Islands and we have the same issue – no seasons at all! So when I first came to Vancouver, for university, I really had a hard time learning how to layer and buy for appropriate seasonal wear!
My college graduation present was a pair of Asics Gel-Neo 33s in “electric coral.” Soo comfy, supportive, and BRIGHT! I’ve been getting compliments on them all summer long… and it’s motivation to run faster since everyone can see me 😉
embrace the neon!!! I LOVE it!!!
I just went to a running store to get fitted for new shoes. The ones that fit the best are ELECTRIC NEON YELLOW! They are blindingly bright! I’ve gotten a lot of comments on them already. I think people are really shocked by them. ha!
I actually just got the Kayanos in that color! I get so many compliments for them and I always notice people checking them out as I run by 🙂
Loooooove love love the neon trend! I just got the grey and neon yellow Nike free’s and would HIGHLY recommend them! I love how comfy and light they are and of course, love the colors 🙂
This was a great post. Made me realize I really need some good workout tanks!
I have a Lululemon ruffled running skirt that I love (not sold anymore). It is bright pink, not quite neon. I feel like cars can see me when I’m running and it’s extra cute for Body Tone classes. I’ll save the true neon for my shoes. Small doses! I’m 36 so I remember when it was popular in the 80s.
Love the neon! So bright and fun! I am love with the entire Lululemon summer line! Although every time they come out with something new I pretty much love it 🙂
Love Lulu Cool Racerbacks, it is my favorite workout tank. And I also love their headbands!
I totally embrace the neon, at least for work out clothes. I have tons of glitter headbands too!
In normal everyday clothes I am BORING. Like today – gray pants, black shirt, black jacket.
I just bought a pair of Brooks Pure Cadence and love them! I’ve always been an asics girl at heart but tried these and may be a convert.
I’m totally loving neon too! I wear it mostly in my gym gear rather than other clothes, but I LOOOOVE bright shoes and have quite the rainbow going on! I have a bright pink and blue pair of Asics right now, but like you said, I’ve just realized (since I’ve bee experimenting with some other shoes for cross training and weight training) how much bigger and more structured they are!! I definitely enjoy a light shoe, especially since my feet are size 9 1/2! As for clothes, Lululemon is my go-to trusted neon source. Have a great afternoon Gina!
I have the pink neon Nike Free’s! They are so comfortable! I “broke them in” on the track with a few 3 – 5 mile runs. They passed my test when I wore them on a 9 mile road run (I had to take out a bunch of rocks from all the grooves on bottoms at the end of my run)
I love the neon trend! Makes me excited to put on my workout gear… and once that’s done – working out is inevitable! 🙂
I just bought a few neon sports bras from target. It wasnt on purpose; it was all they had and I thought, well..may as well hop on board in 2012 since the last time I wore much neon it was 1988. Lol
I love colorful workout gear, but it can be hard to justify splurging on it- though sometimes it’s totally worth it! Lately I’ve discovered these GoDry tanks from Old Navy- I really like them for spinning and yoga (my main two ways to sweat). It’s mostly cotton, but I find them comfortable, even when sweaty. http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=53934&vid=1&pid=898253&scid=898253092
I’m the same way about trends- I need to see them in real life first (and often) to be convinced! =)
I don’t think I currently have any neon, but I’d totally rock it! The only color that scares me is yellow because it makes me look sallow. I love cute headbands but have a double problem wearing them: migraines and a really small head that won’t keep stretchy headbands on. I have one massive (hideous) one I wear for workouts that is super wide and plastic, with those little rubber things on the bottom. It makes me look like I’m balding, but it keeps my fluffy (short) hair out of the way.
I agree on tech gear. It is SO much more comfortable. I need more tech shorts for sure. I love those Asics shoes. My feet are on the short-and-wide side, though, so I generally go with New Balance.
I’ve embraced neon since it was cool in the early 90s. Yeah, I’m that person. Imagine my joy when it started coming back–my favorite running clothes are all neon 🙂
I embrace the neon!!!!! I just got new sneakers that have a neon blue stripes on them and they are awesome (I also get a little bit of hight in them so at 5’1, I’m not complaining!). My favorite zumba shirt is a bright neon pink. Neon is my friend. Love neon sneaks! They add color into any outfit!
I love my lulu racerbacks and turbo run shorts. I also have these awesome brooks running shorts that slit a bit more up the side than my Nike tempos. great for a hot summer day. Ooh and I bought some bright orange and purple fun nike shorts a month or so ago. Just hard to match things to them -basically, I rock a white shirt or tank.
I love sweaty bands (headbands). Headbands typically give me a headache after an hour, but these stay on all day and I can’t feel them at all. They have some nicer material ones that I wear to work on days I don’t feel like doing my hair and they have every pattern and color you can think of!
I love me some neon!!! I’m really happy that’s finally a “trend” and I can buy a ton of bright shoes and not hoard several pairs of my hot pink sauconys! 🙂
I’m completely obnoxious and will wear all of my neon together. Its great for visibility during my outdoor runs. And it’s extra fun at races when people call you out for your neon awesomeness 🙂
I definitely work out in neon! My fav is definitely neon green – I add touches of it whenever I can, usually it is my top since it’s pretty hard to find good tech shorts in neon green 😉
The Nike Frees are awesome shoes! So light and flexible. I’m with Jaimie on the headache headbands…I have a hard time throwing down for hair bands because I’m almost certain they will be annoying. Maybe I should give some higher quality ones a try!
I love those Ascics! I’ve tried a few different brands of running shoes and Ascics are my favorite. I really need to get some new workout clothes, but I’m a little low on the cash. However, my birthday is in October and I may be asking for some LuLuLemon clothes! I loveee them but they’re just so darn expensive!
I also really like a workout top you had in a picture once – it had gray straps and it was a white background with floral. I loved it! You always have super cute workout clothes!
thank you, friend! i can’t help myself, but justify it since i pretty much live in workout clothes
Love anything lulu (and it’s Canadian roots) – especially CRB’s, 50 rep bra (not made anymore – sad) and Run: Speed Shorts (slightly shorter than Turbo). Lots of brights, neons and patterns in!
the 50 rep bra was AMAZING! i only have one.. and treasure it haha
Same lol. I save it for running days.. pretty much plan my work outs around when it’s clean…
I literally just placed my lulu order for two neon workout tops. One pink and one orange….hope they run in my usual size since they are both new styles to me…. Wandering Yogi halter and Scoop Me Up Tank:) Love getting packages delivered at home!
Love neon – I was a little hesitant at first, but like you when I saw it hung around for a while I decided to give it a shot. Now I’m definitely a fan. 🙂
I definitely buy less summer clothes, I think because you only need one layer of everything…do what I do with trends..I incorporate it into my hair and makeup {nail polish, etc. instead of a skirt} that way I am not spending too much on something I may not like at all the next season.
I have 2 pairs of Nike Frees and I love them! They’re cute, and I find them to be comfortable. I know a lot of people (including my mom, dad and sister) who have at least one pair of the Brooks Pure Flow shoes, and they say they are the most comfortable shoe ever. I’m going to jump on that bandwagon as soon as my workout clothes/accessories fund gets a little bigger 😉 I also love yoga booty shorts and Nike athletic shorts to work out in a lot!
If you could do a post on your “gym hair” suggestions that would be great. I tend to only go really early in the morning or at night. Any day time tricks would be so helpful.
it’s in the works! i just have to find a time when i can work out during the day and film right after- hopefully this week
Since everyone has been wearing neon around me for the past few months, I am now totally on board with it. Like you it takes me time to get inspired by new trends, but when I see real people rocking something new, i can get hooked. Im up for a neon pair of sneakers now. Time to hit the stores.
let’s shop it up together, friend! 🙂
Anything lulu rocks my world. Just ordered new Wunder Under crops. They are perfect for teaching since shorts can get revealing during core work or yoga poses.
LOVE wonder unders- like second skin 🙂
I LOVE neon. And every single fitness shoe that I own is a BRIGHT color. I love it <3
When do we get this post on your gym hair? You’ve mentioned it a few times, and I want to know how you do it! If I put my hair in a pony for 5 freaking minutes I get the bump that wont go away til I wash it next…I need the secret!!
i’m waiting until i can workout during the day and film right after to show what i do- it hasn’t happened yet but hopefully this week it will be bale to. usually i can only workout at night
I absolutely love the Nike Frees and have worn them exclusively for the last 2-3 years. They’re super light and perfect for pretty much anything workout-wise. Can’t recommend them highly enough, especially with some of the new color combos they’ve got going on. Speaking of which, I’ve totally gotten sucked into the neon thing which I’m telling myself is fine since we’re wearing less clothing in the summer months and don’t run quite the risk of overdoing it with those day-glo brights. If nothing else they make you look like you’re rocking a killer just-back-from-vacation tan, right? I say embrace the neon. And happy shopping!
~Amanda
I hate Nike Tempo shorts. If anyone would like mine, I have a bajillion pair!
Seriously love my Nike Frees! I wish I could own them in every color.
My fave brand of workout wear has always been hardtail. I loove it! I have their shorts and crops and use them for running, working out, and yoga. The material is softer and more comfortable to me than lululemon. I know this is going to sound sacreligious–especially in the blog world–but I actually don’t like lululemon. I find the material uncomfortable. I have a few tops–like the the scoop tank–which looks hot and love the look–but I just find the material uncomfortable and binding against my ribcage. I’ll always be a hardtail lover.
ah! that bandana uploaded today! i’m a total lulu stalker. my lulu wardrobe is embarassing. my favorite gym summer item is the lululemon run: for your money tank, i had to buy it in three colors! loose body + high impact chest support + cutouts=my ideal article of clothing! love the neons, recently bought some neon orange nike free advantages and some free fit training shoes in neon green with splashes of other colors. hmm….my nike trainer collection might be embarassing too now that i think about it…..
I looove bright running shoes, but for some reason it seems like the ones i like/need (for my overpronating) are never in cute colors.
I wear neon Newton’s. Check these out: http://www.newtonrunning.com/shoes/women-shoes/women-racers/light-weight-universal-trainer
I took a little while to catch on the neon trend, too. I’m usually a fashionista, but I felt too old for neon! I guess I got over that quick… my VS shipment came in today and I had a neon sports bra (orange leopard print… rawr!) and a bright pink tank. I can’t wait to work out tomorrow so that I can rock my new clothes!!
I love neon shoes too- I have the new (for Aus anyways) Asics Gel Nimbus 14 is BRIGHT pink. I love them! I am after some better headbands also- I hate instructing and then realising at the end of class my headband has slipped to the back. I’ve tried bobby pinning it but it doesn’t help much.
Just got a new lulu top called hot but not tank and it is sooooo friggin cute light and summery!! I wore it last week for 4th of July and then today at bootcamp!! Love lulu’s versatility!!
I’m not sure how I feel about the neon trend… I dropped by Lululemon yesterday and some of their neon items were just a little *too* 80’s for me haha. I love their cool racerback tanks too though – so comfy!
I fell in love with these headbands from Yogitoes when I started doing a lot of Bikram and now I wear them all the time. They have saved me in Tucson. When I first moved here, the sun was bleaching my hair pretty badly and I did not like it!
http://yogitoes.com/tools-accessories
They come in basically every color you could want, are super soft and wearable, easy to throw in the washer, and pretty inexpensive. Loveeee them.
Love neon! and LOVE Lululemon! My absolute favorite workout wear. My favorites for running & strength training are speed shorts, power y tanks, & cool racer backs. Love boogie shorts & the flow y bra for bikram yoga. Also have tons of skirts which are great. I might wear Lulu more than real clothes.. haha. Sweaty bands are also a great headband – different sizes & tons of colors & they don’t slip or hurt.