Michelle of the Sangria Sisters wrote a post on Sunday that something was bothering her about her exercise routine: what I call “the jiggly bits.” You know, the parts of your body that you can feel moving up and down, side to side, and ’round and ’round.
I’m still establishing my workout routine (I’m up to making myself do at least 30 minutes of cardio every other day), but I can tell you that I wouldn’t go at all if I hadn’t found ways to help neutralize the jiggly bits. Here’s what I wear (for reference, I’m 5’4″, carry my weight in my tummy area, currently ~235 pounds, and think I wear an 18/20 but I still haven’t gone clothes shopping):
An Enell sports bra. They’re expensive, but I feel not as overheated when I wear my Enell because of the wicking nature of its synthetic fibers and my boobies go NOWHERE.
Alternatively, I wear two less expensive cotton sports bras: one a size too small under one that’s the proper size. I get three of these Fruit of the Loom bras at Walmart for less than $10. I feel stickier when I wear these, but sometimes I don’t have the patience to hook the Enell up.
Flexees Tummy Toning Tank
My next layer is a Flexees Tummy Toning Tank by Maidenform. I get these in a size XXL from Costco for less than $20 each and have worn them for the last 15 pounds or so. They’re super tight on me, but that’s my goal! It’s long enough that it overlaps my compression capris (see below) so there’s no wiggle room for my fat.
My last layer on top is a C9 by Champion® Duo Dry Tech Tee, which I get for under $10 at Target from the men’s section. The size XXL is pretty big on me, so my rear is covered!
On my lower half, I buy capris similar to these for about $20 at Target. The things I look for in capris are: a polyester/spandex blend (no cotton) and a tight fit (I wear XLs). I don’t like shorts and I don’t like full length pants when I’m exercising, so capris are my compromise–I don’t wear that length of pants otherwise!
*redface* I don’t wear panties! (Did I just share that with the entire Internet?)
C9 by Champion® Duo Dry Tech Tee
I’m still struggling with finding socks that work well for me. I can tell you that, as with the rest of your workout gear, you want to get socks with synthetic fibers and NO COTTON! Why all of the cotton hate? It’s a good fabric for everyday use, but it tends to hold moisture against your skin. This causes chafing and general discomfort when you’re moving around a lot. Synthetic fibers, on the other hand, pull moisture away from your body and allow it to evaporate more quickly.
Other things I can’t live without when I go to the gym are:
- Body Glide Anti-Chafe Balm. I slather it on my feet to help with blisters. It’s also great if your thighs rub together and your bra band irritates you. A 1.3oz stick was about $10 at a local sporting goods store.
- A music player of some sort. I love the red iPod nano I got for my birthday! My gym playlist full of upbeat music helps distract me from what everyone is doing or saying. An 8GB nano is $150.
- My nook from Barnes and Noble (I made out like a bandit on my 27th birthday!). The only time I allow myself to read fiction is when I’m at the gym, which gives me an extra incentive to exercise. I bump the font size up to “Extra Large,” which makes the text easy to read even though my head is bouncing with the rest of my body.
- A towel for wiping sweat off of my face. I got a pack of four fluffy hand towels and four fluffy washcloths at Costco for about $7.
- Clorox or Lysol wipes. You never know what the person before you did on that machine!
- A bottle full of a half water, half Pedialyte blend. Fewer calories than sports drinks and I actually feel somewhat hydrated at the end of a workout, which doesn’t happen when I drink water alone.
Wow. I guess I’m kind of high maintenance when it comes to exercise! I don’t NEED an iPod or nook to exercise, but my workouts just aren’t the same if I don’t have both music and a book to keep my brain occupied! I DO need the compression and layers of workout clothing because when I jiggle it’s all I can think about and I quit after 10 minutes or so.
What about the rest of you? What are your exercise essentials? Tell all, from the frivolous to the necessary!
