By BRUCE OAKLEY
Women Run Arkansas — Batesville Co-director
Do I have an outfit for that? Many beginners no doubt will be asking themselves this question as they get ready to step out on their fitness adventure. Bits and pieces of running fashion are addressed in other posts in this collection, but let's go through a quick list from head to toe.
Actually, let's go from toe to head, because footwear is the most important gear to get right. Walking or running pounds your feet and legs, and any problem with your footwear will add injury to those insults to your frame over time. You pick shoes for your arch type, your gait and your weight. If you're on your feet a lot at the office or at home, you'll also want to get daily footwear or orthotics to provide proper cushioning and arch support or you will undo the benefits of your exercise shoes. The harder the surface at your home, office or training route, the more critical is your need for proper footwear. See Best foot forward for details on picking your exercise shoes.
In those shoes, you should have good blended fabric socks. All-cotton or even single-fabric synthetics tend to generate the most friction and lead to blisters, which usually messes up your stride and leads to other strain or injury. Tech fabrics are made to wick moisture away from the skin to limit friction, prevent blisters and help control temperature. Different fabrics are blended to keep you cooler in heat and warmer in cold, so you can also pick socks by season. If you still have problems with blisters, you can wear a thin, low-friction inner sock and a second pair that fits the season or your body temperature. The layers diminish any friction between shoe and foot.
Moving higher, you may want tights, gym shorts or varied types of sweatpants or leg coverings. Generally, inner layers should be snug and have wicking action. Moving moisture away from skin enhances the temperature-regulating by your sweat, as it prevents icing the skin in cold or stifling it in heat. Above the inner layer, you generally want comfortably loose and thin layers that allow easy motion and are readily piled on or tossed off. The loose fit also creates an air pocket between layers for more efficient temperature control.
Reaching upward, we find breasts — and reliable sources inform me that a comfortable exercise bra is every bit as critical to a woman on the move as are appropriate shoes. My darling Suzy has the girls covered, so to speak, at How to buy a sports bra.
Once you have the underlying support you need, you'll again generally add a snug first layer with wicking action, followed by looser layers suited to the season. A rule of thumb is to dress for exercises as if it's 10 degrees hotter, because your body will warm up as soon as you get moving. If it's 40 degrees, dress as if it's 50. You'll be a bit cold to start, but you'll soon be normal and approaching uncomfortably warm as your workout continues.
Seasonal gear is available for repelling rain, insulating in winter or cooling in summer.
Last, we want to leave nothing for you to worry your pretty little heads over, so a word or two on what to wear over your head: Not to be rude, but we are all a little hot-headed, and not to brag, but this is because our big brains run on a lot of warm blood. Heat rises to our top, and a lot of how we feel about conditions depends on how much heat we keep in up there. Light, wicking fabrics close to the skin again are best, and you may want layers for particularly cold times. Ears and cheeks are the most vulnerable to cold, with skin exposed or stretched tight over chilling bones, so ski bands, balaclavas or neck gaiters are good choices depending on your preferences, hairstyle and warm/cold nature.
Gloves, arm and calf sheaths, and assorted belts and bands for attaching watches, keys, water bottles and phones are also worth a thought.
To complete your outfit, the best accessory is a warm smile, the power dress of a happier, fitter you!