Beginners Guide to Pilate Activewear for Women
Pilates is now considered the trendiest way to build your body. Just scroll through your Insta feed or check updates of your favourite celebs, chances are that you will find at least half a dozen performing their Pilate routines.
If you have been thinking of adding some Pilate moves to your daily exercise regime, this may be the perfect time to up your sportswear game as well. No need to wear boring tanks and cotton shorts, you can easily find both comfort and style in modern, attractive, and well-designed Pilate clothing.
Not sure where to start? Continue reading our detailed guide to Pilate activewear for women, and get your hands on only the best items for this popular exercise.
Can You Wear Your Yoga Wear for Pilates?
Although Pilates is known to be a successful exercise for the last decade or two, it has been in existence since the 1920s. Often people misunderstand Pilates exercises with yoga moves—both have some similarities but they are never totally indistinguishable.
Pilates is a relaxed form of exercises that tighten up your core muscles and increase the mobility of your muscles with a constant flow from one move to another. As you can understand, you need to move your body constantly like a butterfly while doing Pilates. This means your Pilate wear should be like your second skin to support you mentally and physically with every move.
Now, a perfect pair of sportswear can boost your attitude tremendously while shedding those extra pounds. So, if you have yoga clothing that can ensure smooth Pilate moves, then why not? If not, consider investing in Pilate activewear that will help you achieve the body goals you have been dreaming of.
What is Pilate Activewear?
Before going through Pilate activewear, we need to understand what activewear is.
Activewear is the clothes that are worn during any physical activities like weight lifting, cycling, running. So, Pilate activewear is no different except for the fact that they are designed to be more flexible.
The right Pilate wear can save you from injuries like pulled muscles or bone fractures. For example, when you are trying to stand on one leg, you are keeping your balance well but suddenly your jeans may restrain themselves from flexing and cause you to fall on the concrete floor. With a fractured leg, you are done for at least 3 months.
To avoid this type of unfortunate event, you need to be conscious about what clothes, shoes, and undergarments you are wearing. To be safe during the Pilate moves, there are a lot more factors involved rather than just wearing flexible cloth. So, be with us till the end to make all the moves smooth with confidence.
Tight or Loose-Fitting
Whether it is workout cloth or regular tops, 90% of women prefer comfy ones. However, wearing a new type of cloth does not instantly make you feel comfortable—you need to be acquainted with the fabric and the materials. As an example, the first time you went to the gym, you felt pain, you were stressed and tired but eventually after months, work out sessions became the fun hours of your day. So, if you are a beginner then obviously not any Pilate activewear will make you relaxed. But after a few days, you might even throw the regular top in the corner and start wearing the activewear while doing house chores. After all, these are often called ‘athleisure' for a reason.
Now let’s come to the main point, what should you choose? A tight Pilate activewear or a loose one? The answer is pretty simple – you need to choose form-fitting activewear.
Activewear should always cling to your skin and allow you to stretch according to your comfort level. On the other hand, baggy attire is good for moderate lifting activities, but never too good for a Pilate enthusiast.
To be more precise, the fitting must not be that loose, instead, it should be moderately-tight because Pilate moves will challenge your balance. So, you always need to be prepared for it.
Undergarments and Socks
Our first suggestion would be to stop wearing a regular bra while doing Pilates. Even a sports bra might not do the work properly. So, in order to keep up with the pace in a Pilate class, you need a supportive bra. If it is a sports bra, then make sure the fabric is breathable and contains moisture-wicking properties.
Investing in socks for your Pilate class might seem pointless to most beginners. But to be honest, even $2 socks can save you from an upcoming 3 months-long injury. But for that, you obviously need a pair of grip socks. Grip socks have rubbery patterns at the bottom which support you while performing exercise on a mat or cardboard floor. If you are unwilling to invest $5-$6 on socks, then you can buy the regular ones as well. These will help you maintain balance on a sweaty floor.
Figure-Friendly Attire
As mentioned above, Pilate activewear should always be form-fitted, so you cannot choose a typical ‘M’ sized activewear. Most of the sportswear brands offer XXS-XXXL clothes. So before purchasing one you can give the other sizes of activewear a try and find out which fits you the best for your Pilate moves. Again, if you are buying online, then check the details and take measurements to order a precise one.
Black or Vivid
Yes, we all love black colored attire but, in the gym, or a Pilate class, a mere black colored activewear might be a dull choice.
A well graphical designed gym-wear can bring out the attitude to be more active. Now we all know, in Pilate moves, you stay in a position for a while and practice the breath-in & breath-out technique to be relaxed, so why would you need aggressive-looking activewear?
If not, then you can choose something a bit light in color – sky blue, white, pastel pink, or go for something vibrant to elevate your mood.
Green Activewear
Do you want to hold the moisture of your body for a long time? Then you can try some organic workout clothes. They are cozy, comfy, and effective. The modern fabric is more concerned with holding the moisture where the organic cotton gym wear is more into making it as much as comfortable as possible.
Limited Budget?
If you have already crossed your budget to book your Pilate sessions, then it is time to be a cost-saver. Instead of wearing the same top branded clothes, move to the other new budget brands which will save your money efficiently. However, always try to avoid the non-branded ones as they are not that rigid or long-lasting as the branded ones.
So, if you are persistent about spending a significant amount on sportswear, then instead of purchasing two Pilate activewear from a well-known brand, you may opt for purchasing 5-6 activewear from a local brand.
Short or Full-Length
You can wear shorts while performing Pilate moves but then again, you need to be a bit conscious about the shorts or cropped legging you are wearing.
They should not be baggy – baggy clothes limit your mobility in an extreme manner. Also, if you exercise in a warm environment, then shorts might be the preferable option as it will allow your body to be less clumsy.
Moreover, during summer, it is always better to wear clothing with higher breathability in order to keep your body relaxed during a workout.
Wrap-Up Tips
This particular article is written for the newbies who want to join or have only recently joined a Pilates class. So, it would be ideal for them to start slowly—whether it is Pilate exercise or choosing activewear.
As a beginner, you cannot completely follow the dressing styles of pros. It might be a better idea to choose activewear with which you can breath-in and breath-out comfortably. Then gradually you can move towards more form-fitted activewear. If you are still confused, then you can take suggestions from your professional Pilate trainer and determine the length, fabric, and material you should go for.
Final words
Pilates has lots of health benefits; it improves flexibility, increases strength, improves posture, and a hundred more. So, if you do not have much time to attend a Pilate class then you can start Pilates in a corner of your room following some YouTube videos. It will keep you focused and healthy throughout the day. However, do not forget to take safety measurements and always start at a slow pace.