How to choose cotton clothing for your yoga workout?

With the rise of manmade fabrics and chemical filled manufacturing processes finding clothes that are good quality can be tricky. When you’re working out you also need a balance between comfort and practicality, meaning that an all-cotton outfit may not be the best choice. So how do you choose the best clothes for your workout and why are natural cotton clothes a good choice?

What do you consider when choosing your workout clothes?

When we think about choosing our workout clothing we usually start with the style and fit, maybe the colour, or how we think we’ll look when wearing it in class, but quite often we forget to consider the fabric that they are made from. Although each type of material has its benefits, sometimes going back to a natural fabric like cotton can be the best choice.

Why is cotton clothing a good choice?

Good quality cotton has many benefits; it’s comfortable to wear because it’s breathable, so it will keep you cool in summer and warm in winter. It’s also really easy to take care of your cotton clothing by simply washing them in cool water on a gentle cycle and leaving to dry naturally, not only that, cotton is also durable and will last a long time, which means you will get lots of mileage out of your yoga tops and yoga pants for class. Here are some of the many benefits of choosing cotton:

• Cotton is low maintenance – so it is easier to care for than other fabrics, you can simply put it in the wash and leave it to dry without worrying about temperatures or handwashing and you definitely won’t need to spend money on dry cleaning!
• Cotton keeps its shape – the more elasticity and stretch a garment has, the more chance there is of it sagging and getting baggy, cotton keeps its shape much better meaning your clothes last longer.
• Cotton is breathable – cotton will keep you dry and cool during exercise and is more breathable than oil-based synthetic fabrics such as polyester.
• Cotton doesn’t cling – because cotton doesn’t produce a static charge it won’t cling to your body, instead, it will move freely with you making it comfortable to wear all of the time
• Cotton is natural – fabrics such as polyester are synthetic and are created from a reaction between an acid and an alcohol to create a man-made material whereas cotton is derived naturally from a plant.
• Cotton is versatile – as a fabric cotton has many applications it can be made into corduroy, lace, velour and more, as well as being used in its basic forms, this means that whatever style you’re looking for there will be a cotton option available.

100% Cotton Yoga Clothes | Ana Heart

Choosing cotton clothes for your workout

When you’re working out you want comfortable clothing that is practical for your workout and breathable. Whether you’re choosing a yoga bra or a 100% cotton t-shirt you want to know that it will do what you require it to when your work out. Here are some top tips for choosing cotton clothes for your workout:

• Wear items that are Comfortable and Breathable

As you exercise you want to make sure that your clothes are made from breathable fabric. Breathability will allow you to feel fresh and wick away any moisture build up. You also want to be comfortable in what you’re wearing so something that allows you to move with ease is a great idea. Particularly when you’re choosing items such as yoga pants or yoga tops you want to ensure these move with your body while you’re attempting your poses.

• Choose your Underwear Wisely

When you’re choosing your yoga bra,  make sure you pick one that gives you the right level of support. You want to be sure that whatever position you are in that it keeps everything in place.

When it comes to the rest of your underwear you want to make sure that you choose wisely, cotton socks are a great choice, but cotton or lace knickers may not be, as in intimate areas with a lot of sweat building up the cotton may get soaked or heavy too quickly, so an option that helps wick away moisture would be preferable.

• Layer up

Prepare yourself for changes in temperature by layering different items. Try pairing a 100% cotton t-shirt with a yoga top to give you options. When heading to class you may need both to keep you warm, but during class as you warm up the t-shirt will be more than adequate

• Consider your accessories

It’s not just your clothing you should think about when considering what materials have been used to manufacture your accessories too. From your yoga mat to your yoga bag there are options available that are kinder to the environment and still look great too!

The most important thing is that you feel comfortable in what you’re wearing as that will give you the confidence to practice well and feel good doing it. While you are practicing yoga you don’t really want to be concerned about your clothes, you want them to be fit for purpose so you can practice on your breathing and movements.

At Ana-Heart all of our designs are produced in the EU and we use cotton wherever we can to give our clothes a quality feel that lasts. It is worth noting though that for some of your workouts having 100% cotton fabric may not be a good idea as cotton will hold sweat and create moisture buildup in some cases and therefore a man-made material that is more breathable and wicks sweat away quickly may be more appropriate. This is probably true for sports such as running or hiking where the intensity is higher, and if you’re outdoors at changing temperatures any moisture on the body could lead to you catching a cold.

If you’re looking for some inspiration for new clothes to add to your wardrobe then why not check out the Ana-Heart yoga clothes collection. There are a wide variety of yoga tops, yoga pants and yoga bras for you to choose from.