Monthly Archives: January 2012

How to look sporty – and feminine

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As more and more women take up fitness and sports activities, so sports clothing designers and manufacturers are responding with gear that is both practical and feminine.

If you’re new to sport then you’ll not recall the many decades when women were forced to buy small men’s sports clothing in a range of bloke-ish blues, blacks and greys. The cut of these clothes was rarely flattering and the fit was male-orientated and definitely not great for the female physique. Remember flappy running shorts and vests that revealed too much bare skin? Oh dear!

You see, if you’ve been paying attention, women tend to have longer legs compared to men, and shorter bodies. They have smaller waists and bigger chests and hips. Many sporty women are proud of their physiques so they prefer to have clothing that fits beautifully and offers a flattering line.

Brilliantly, contemporary women’s fitness clothing includes feminine-fit, bright colours and detailed design. The choice is amazing too, so you do not need to look like your pal’s twin sister, unless you want to!

One key trend also sees a range of sports clothing that can be worn to the gym or for everyday wear. Lycra and sports-fitting clothing are comfortable so many women are now choosing to wear leggings and sports tops as leisure wear in the evenings, when walking the kids to school and at weekends.

You don’t need to be a Tomboy to love sports

Take a close look at the detailing in women’s sports clothing today and you’ll see a host of feminine features. Tops are cut to neatly fit waists and chests. Sports shorts and trousers offer room for wider hips but without being unflatteringly baggy.

Clothing is cut, nipped, tucked and designed to follow the contours of the female physique.

However, for women who do want to hide some areas  of their body, such as bums and tums, there are designs that will still flatter. Skorts, for example, are created with a skirt over the top of lycra shorts to offer a more flattering look. Sports tops and vests also come in tight-fitting and looser fit to suit the individual’s shape.

T-shirts with v-necks or round necks and pretty capped sleeves are also popular among women who want to keep fit and look good.

This summer look out for fitted vests, especially those with internal bra supports. Women’s two-in-one shorts are also set to be big. The shorts have an internal Lycra short with a looser-fit running short over the top.

If you don’t want the top of your legs to be on display but you still want to look summery  choose capri or three-quarter length leggings or sports pants. There is a choice of high waist, low waist, wide waist and with drawstring or without.

The sports clothing colours this season

Bright pinks, berry colours, vivid blues and purples are set to be big again. This year look out for yellows, lime greens and oranges, too. In fact, it’s a year for rainbow coloured clothing!

And who ever imagined that sports bras had to be black or white? Sports bras and supporting crop tops now come in an array of fabulous colours. So much so, that your sports bra could easily double as a top in itself when the going gets hot.

Looking fit and feminine never felt so good!

Benefits of yoga for runners

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Jane arrived at her first yoga class feeling fit and ready for anything. Just 10 minutes into the Ashtanga-style yoga class, the keen runner and mum-of-two realised that while she might be fit and fairly lean, she wasn’t flexible. Not in the least. In fact, the 70-year-old yogi to her right was able to reach and hold yoga poses to a far greater extent than Jane, and she was surprised to see the amazing suppleness of the rather large lady to her left.

By the end of the 90 minute class, Jane was in no doubt that she needed to attend a yoga session at least once a week, if not twice.

She says: “I realised just how stiff my joints and muscles are during the yoga class. I could hardly even touch my toes at the class start but by the end I was able to wrap the tips of my fingers under my toes. So this was amazing progress.

“I had heard that runners have tight muscles, especially in their legs but I really didn’t realise how tight my muscles are.

“I know that it’s of benefit to runners to have nicely stretched muscles and some flexibility, especially if we want to avoid injury, so I decided there and then that I’d pursue the yoga thing.”

That was three years ago. Jane still attends a regular Ashtanga-style class and has definitely reaped the benefits.

She says: “I feel so much more balanced in my running style and stronger, too. I have much stronger core muscles and I rarely get injured from my running. I am now in my early 40s so I would be expecting to pick up regular niggles but the yoga seems to perfectly balance the running.”

The benefits of yoga for runners

  • The range and number of yoga postures can help to correct muscle imbalances that result from high-impact training. Yoga can help to align the joints, improve bone density, stretch and stabilise the body to prevent pain and injury, particularly in injury-prone areas such as hips, hamstrings, Achilles tendon and the iliotibial band (IT band).
  • Standing yoga postures correctly align the knee, strengthen the arches of the feet to provide better shock absorbers and maintain healthy connective tissue in the foot and shin.
  • Standing yoga postures also improve balance, pelvic stability and leg strength.
  • Dynamic and flowing yoga sequences develop a sense of rhythm between breath and movement. These sequences can also improve stamina and coordination.
  • Yoga breath work and concentration exercises can improve body awareness and confidence – and lead to a more positive attitude to your running pursuits.

Why not book up a few yoga sessions at your gym or local yoga centre in the coming months and see if you reap the same benefits?

Why jogging is better than walking

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Have you taken up brisk walking as part of your New Year fitness campaign? Did you think that walking would be less tiring than jogging? Or perhaps you simply thought that walking would be easier on your body, but still an effective way to lose weight. Now an American study could make you change your mind.

Researchers from North Carolina State University compared the muscles used for jogging with those used for brisk walking – and they found that a slow jog is actually less tiring than a fast walk.

But how can that be? Brisk walking doesn’t seem to make us as out of breath as jogging.

Well, it seems that a muscle in the calf is used in a more efficient way when we run, allowing energy to be released… which, in turn, stops us becoming tired as quickly.

The researchers carried out ultrasound scans to find out how muscles reacted when volunteers were running and walking.  A spokesperson for the study said: “Muscles work too inefficiently to speed walk, so the body turns to running in order to increase efficiency and comfort, and to conserve energy.

“Other than Olympic race walkers, people generally find it more comfortable to run than walk when they start moving at around two metres per second, which is about 4.5 miles per hour.”

Further explanation reveals that the muscle in the calf can’t catch up to the speed of the gait as we walk faster and faster…but when we shift the gait and transition from a walk to a run the muscle becomes almost static and doesn’t seem to change its behaviour very much as we run faster and faster.

This finding is also good news for people who excuse themselves from exercise claiming that that they do not have enough time. (This is the biggest excuse for not keeping fit, by the way!) Jogging is faster than walking and this means you can squeeze in a quick jog – and save on body energy. Result!

Fitness fashion trends for 2012

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It’s not just the exercise that you do that’s important, it’s also how you look. In 2012, there’s a host of fab fashion predictions for keep-fitters. Here we bring you the best from the fitness fashionistas.

Accessorise: Headbands, sweatbands, arm warmers, bags, gloves, socks, laces, you name it, the fitness accessories arena is burgeoning with a host of funky kit and designs. If you want to be a trend leader this year at the gym or while out for a run you need to find a unique accessory and wear it with pride.

WomensTempoRunningShorts-BlackandWhiteBlack and white: Last year, fitness clothing was bright. Think neon yellows, pinks and greens. In 2012, the fitness trendies are fighting back with a return to neutral colours, and especially black and whites. But don’t mix and match white tops with black leggings. It’s all black or all white if you want to keep up with the trendies.

Hair today: Beards are in for the guys, while long hair is on trend for the girls. Apparently, there is nothing cooler than a buff athlete with a burly beard (think David Beckham). And for the ladies, the hottest look is definitely not short, pixie cuts but long lovely locks (perhaps tied up in a high bun for your workout).