How Activewear Impacts Your Workout Performance and Motivation

The wardrobe you select for your exercise regime could be more important than you realise. Discover how dressing for dopamine can elevate your fitness game, along with other tips to maximise your gym potential. Many of us meticulously plan our workout schedules, ensuring we have a healthy mix of strength training, cardio and mobility exercises. We often overlook though the importance of what we wear during these sessions, choosing attire based on what's clean or readily available rather than its suitability for the task at hand. This approach might result in apparel that is too tight, too baggy or insufficiently sweat-resistant for our chosen activity. While it's perfectly fine to not be fashion-conscious, being deliberate about our workout outfit selection, particularly when attending new classes, heading to a busy gym or participating in a running club for the first time, can yield dividends. Studies show that our choice of activewear can significantly affect our mindset, drive and overall performance.

5 Ways Your Activewear Choices Can Impact Your Workout

Renowned behavioral psychologist and author of 'The Psychology of Fashion,' Carolyn Mair, Ph.D., emphasizes the profound connection between your mental and physical state. She suggests that your emotional condition significantly influences your actions. Hence, when you adorn workout attire that is not only functional but also provides physical comfort (like a pair of sweat-wicking, silky smooth leggings paired with a supportive sports bra in your favorite hue), you're more likely to overcome hurdles to achieve your fitness objectives. But the impact of your activewear selection on your workout isn't limited to this. Here are five aspects of your gym clothes that can enhance your self-confidence, motivation, and more.

The Color of Your Activewear

Colors are often linked with specific emotions and imagery. For instance, the color yellow may conjure images of sunshine, flowers, and evoke feelings of happiness, suggests Mair. Red could appear aggressive, stimulating, and demanding attention, whereas blue can seem authoritative, according to Dawnn Karen, M.A., a Faculty member of psychology at the New York-based Fashion Institute of Technology and author of Dress Your Best Life. 

Although these color perceptions might sound insignificant, they can be harnessed to enhance your motivation and performance. One approach to achieve this is through mood illustration dressing as suggested by Karen. This method involves selecting clothing that reflects your current mood by triggering serotonin release, a neurotransmitter responsible for mood regulation and inducing feelings of calmness, happiness, and focus, as stated by the Cleveland Clinic. An example would be choosing activewear in colors like yellow or red to maintain your upbeat mood during your jog, weightlifting session, or kickboxing workout, Karen explains. 

If you are not looking forward to your workout, mood enhancement dressing or dopamine dressing can come in handy, says Karen. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation to seek positive reinforcement, Mair explains. In such cases, selecting workout outfits in bright colors can stimulate dopamine release and improve your mood, Karen advises. “If you feel a little apprehensive about exercising or lack confidence, wearing blue could alleviate that,” she says. “If you’re feeling lethargic — just got out of bed and think, ‘I don’t want to hit the gym’ — wearing some red can actually energize you.” Research published in Frontiers in Psychology also suggests that wearing red clothing can enhance sports performance and induce feelings of dominance. Conversely, softer hues like pastel green and blue can promote relaxation, ideal for yoga or meditation sessions, Mair adds. 

It’s important to remember, however, that these color associations can vary based on cultural context, personal experiences, and geographical locations, according to experts. “But when you deeply believe in the socio-cultural interpretation of a color, such as yellow signifies happiness, then it becomes internalized,” Mair comments. “So, wearing yellow can boost your mood.”

The Fit and Feel of Your Activewear

When you're striving to achieve a new personal record at the gym or any other target, the comfort level of your activewear becomes crucial. This is according to Mair, who suggests that clothes causing itchiness, skin irritation or simply being too loose can be an obstacle towards achieving your best performance. Instead, having comfortable activewear allows you to concentrate on the task, enhancing your chances of performing optimally, she adds. As per Mair, it's important to think of your clothing as essential equipment contributing to your excellent performance. "Your training attire should be neat, fit well and specifically designed for gym usage," she says. Similarly, wearing a low-impact sports bra for a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session or tight leggings for a gentle yoga routine could impact your ability to execute the exercises efficiently and comfortably.

How You Perceive Your Workout Clothes

Walking into a Pilates session dressed in an old college t-shirt and worn-out shorts may not allow you to feel, or project, the highest level of self-assurance. Mair suggests that our attire mirrors how we feel about ourselves, as well as how we want others to perceive us. Studies featured in the Journal of Social Behavior and Personality reveal a connection between favorable feelings toward your clothing and positive self-perception regarding your own emotions, social abilities, and job competence. In other words, donning favorite workout clothes – ones that let you move freely and make you feel fantastic, rather than an uncoordinated, stained set reserved for lounging – can enhance feelings of confidence and comfort in unfamiliar settings. This boost in morale can subsequently improve performance, according to Mair. Karen also implies that viewing your workout clothes as a type of uniform can foster commitment to a fitness regimen. As Mair explains, when people put on a business suit, their attitudes shift; they feel more professional, meticulous and ready to accomplish their tasks. Extending this concept, dedicating certain active wear solely for exercise use could be beneficial. This aligns with what happiness expert Gretchen Rubin refers to as the Strategy of Pairing. So, if you usually wear a chic exercise dress for casual lounging, desk work, or shopping, consider saving it specifically for actual workouts. Establishing a link between a particular outfit and physical activity may inspire you to head to the gym or embark on that run you've been contemplating all day, as per expert advice.

The Branding Behind Your Activewear

Mair suggests that the identity of your activewear brand can have an impact on your workout efficiency and motivation. Consider the iconic Nike brand; with its "swoosh" logo and "Just Do It" slogan, it personifies the concept of velocity, strength, and peak performance. This association, once ingrained in your subconscious, may give you the confidence to run a bit quicker or attempt one more box jump while dressed in the brand's apparel. "If a brand represents something, or if you see athletes performing sports you aspire to do wearing that brand, that could inspire you and make you feel like you can perform at a higher level," she elaborates. Moreover, your activewear branding can assist you in achieving goals beyond fitness. "Your gym attire immediately communicates something about yourself and your personality," Mair comments. For example, donning an Ivy Park workout outfit for your HIIT class signifies that you are vibrant, extroverted and a fan of Beyoncé. These nuanced representations of your personality might help you connect with similar individuals in your class, she proposes.

The Cost of Your Workout Clothes

A Final Thought

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