Fashion on the treadmill

How often have you looked at an advert featuring Maria Sharapova or Roger Federer in the most fantastic gym gear and been inspired to work out? You are not alone. Gone are the days when a frumpy old T-shirt paired with an age-old track pant would suffice; gym enthusiasts nowadays want to look good even while sweating it out.

Actor Rakul Preet Singh, despite her hectic schedule, manages to work out for at least 45 minutes every day. “You dress well to feel good and while working out, it’s all about feeling good about your body. Good gym apparel is highly motivating, you feel pumped up and I can personally vouch for that fact,” says Rakul, who admits that she gets even more excited to work out when she buys a new pair of trainers. “I love a good pair of trainers, I have four of them,” she says, adding, “When I am working my upper body, I like to wear tank tops or racer backs and when it’s the lower body, I go for shorts.”

A fitness enthusiast, actor Harshvardhan Rane works out for more than an hour wearing apparel that is scandalously known as the “wife beater”. “It’s basically a ganjee with a huge armhole and I find them very comfortable as I’m not into tight clothing. I used to workout wearing a compression top that people in the US wear for good blood circulation and body warmth; I didn’t like the tightness,” says Harshvardhan, adding, “Sports clothing comes in all shapes and colours and it all looks appealing. When in a gym you are going to be surrounded by mirrors so that you can look at your body from different angles. So it is going to make a huge difference if your reflection is as good as your regime.”

Actress Nisha Aggarwal does weight training thrice a week at a gym in Bandra, Mumbai and she, too, admits that fashionable clothing does make an impact, especially at a place like Bandra where every body is a headturner. “The vibe of the place is amazing and you immediately feel like dressing in your best. I am most uncomfortable in cropped track pants and high support tees,” she says.

A huge advocate of having a dedicated gym wardrobe, entrepreneur Priyanka Chigurupati says, “More than just the aesthetics, I'm a huge believer in functional apparel. There is a big difference in for example, a pair of running pants from Under Armour or Nike and your everyday leggings in terms of how they look on your body and functionality. In fact, I just started noticing the difference, thanks to a pair of compression pants my mom bought me recently with a built in moisture transport system, stretch support and some fancy seam placement,” she says.

And she admits that her clothes also come in handy when she wants to lose extra flab. “When you put on some weight, you know that you immediately have to run the extra mile to shed it. With the amount of time people spend working out or at the gym, investing in good workout apparel is definitely worth it,” she says.