Sweat and odor: Two troubles that have gripped our workouts since forever

Imagine a day in the gym. Some good weight lifting, push-ups, burpees, squats, and so on, and a subsequent calorie burnout. Along with this come sweaty armpits and malodors. Gross! Isn’t it high time that we address the elephant in the room? At some point or the other, we all have stood there conscious of sweat and stink coming out of it after a nice workout session. It is definitely inevitable and the fear of going near someone else is nothing but scary. But what if suddenly, on your way back home, you cross paths with the girl (or boy) you've been contemplating asking out for months now? You let the opportunity pass or jump at it? But what about the odor? Aarrgghhh! 

Been there and done that! But as a matter of fact, the accumulated sweat in the gym clothes actually hampers your performance and range of motion. It is that uncomfortable sticky feeling that dominates the length of your workout session. Exercising is that activity that anyway pushes your body into a bit of stretch. At any point, you are out of your comfort zone and exerting excessive efforts in order to achieve the number of aimed reps. Amidst this, if your clothes are posing an issue, that’s the last thing to sign up for. Furthermore, that sweat that gets locked gives way to unwanted odors and sweat stains in unsightly areas of the crotch, rear, and armpits. Basically malodors are a by-product of sweat. Not for anyone else around, but these stains and odors are embarrassing for oneself. They stay and make it difficult to step out. These issues with workout gear have stood the test of time. They also somehow manage to attack the confidence with which you walk around in the gym. Nobody admires stinks and thus the inferiority complexes begin to build up. They are universal and everyone experiences them. But, it is time someone decided to do something about it!

The brain-o-brainess of the fabric technology has been tirelessly working to drive these issues of the workout gear. It is amazing how fabric manufacturing and treatment techniques have been designed to tackle these problems. The blend, the knit, the design and the stitch of a garment can bring about a remarkable change in defining its purpose. Same goes for workout gear. All these factors put together can not only combat the issue of odor and sweat but also enhance your performance and range of motion. In general, your clothing should not get in the way of your activity. You want to be able to move easily. Clothing should not catch on equipment or slow you down. It is like an investment with a definite return. Give it a shot, take the plunge! Work out in your regular clothes one day and in appropriate activewear the next day. You will feel the difference. 

But why is it important to wear the correct clothing when doing physical exercise?

Wearing appropriate clothing can drastically enhance your workout experience. It wouldn’t be right if you dress up in your pajamas for your business party right? Formal attire for that event is the right call. Similarly, activewear has a special position when it comes to clothing for physical exercise. Below are the reasons why you should consider wearing them.

Seamless workout experience

Most of the activewear is lightweight and stretches properly. So, whenever you workout, your movements remain unrestricted. Your clothes don’t hold you back from achieving your goals. 

Enhancing comfort level

Sweat-wicking and anti-static properties are an important part of your activewear. With good sweat absorption, you no longer need to wipe your sweat every now and then. Anti-static property prevents unwanted static charges that can be very irritating.

Confidence among people

Now you wouldn’t want to be the source of odor that makes the crowd uncomfortable, right? That’s what happens when your clothes don’t have the capacity to withhold the odor that comes from your clothes. Good activewear is packed with anti-odor properties that boost your confidence. Today’s workout clothes are stylish and fashionable while providing comfort. Let’s be honest: Why wouldn’t you want to be more confident by suiting up like some futuristic soldier before a workout? Modern-day workout clothes look and feel great, helping you to do the same.

Making a fashion statement 

Dressing for the occasion is important. Working out in normal clothes that do not aid you in your workout is no good. Activewear is specially designed in a way that enhances your experience with both fashion and function. They have an athletic fit that makes you look stylish.

What kind of technology makes good activewear?

Activewear does not mean wearing just a pair of t-shirt or shorts. It has a fixed purpose. It has a single goal. Once you start your workout routine, it should be the only thing you focus on. No matter how much you stretch & sweat, what you wear shouldn’t be your concern.

That’s where activewear comes in. 

They fulfill your requirements for a smooth workout experience with no hindrance whatsoever. But how can activewear achieve that? What benefits can you derive from them? Are they even necessary, can you not wear your regular t-shirt and workout? Let’s answer all that below.

Sweat-Wicking

Sweat-wicking is the most in-demand feature that has countless benefits. You wouldn’t want your sweat t-shirt to weigh you down as you do a pull-up. Or even soil the mat as you do your push-ups. That is the beginning of the pain. What follows is odor. They are caused when bacteria on your skin break down the sweat into acids.

So the next time you smell the odor, remember what caused them. Let us talk about the odor in the next point. Sweat-wicking fabric pushes your sweat through capillary action to the outer surface of your t-shirt. Once the sweat comes in contact with the air, it dries up quickly. That in return cools your body and makes your workout comfortable. 

Anti-Odor

As we discussed on the above point, when you release sweat, the bacteria on your skin break them into acids. So what you smell is acids in your sweat. A t-shirt with anti-odor will have the capacity to restrict the growth of bacteria. If the bacteria cannot grow, they won’t be able to break the sweat into acids.

We have mastered fabric technology that not only inhibits the growth of bacteria but kills them on spot. As a matter of fact, we claim to have permanently removed odor from the picture altogether. To achieve this futuristic feat we treated the fabric with sustainable silver ions. 

Silver is a well-known tri-modal bactericide. Silver binds to bacterial DNA preventing replication. It even binds to select odors, giving it the added functionality of an odor absorber. Hence, silver prevents odors before they are produced. Moreover, silver is a Lewis acid, and functions as an odor neutralizer. It also absorbs critical odors produced outside the fabric. 

Thermoregulation

While working out, if your t-shirt does not have a free flow of air, your body gets heated. Now it wouldn’t be ideal since your workout is already producing enough heat. So, to regulate & dissipate the temperature of your body, thermoregulation plays an important role.

To induce this, we use 3D knitting technology in the fabric that creates mini air pockets. These keep your activewear breathable and ensure the free flow of air. This in return dissipates all the heat that you produce during your intense workout session. Thus, allowing you to keep pushing your limits.

Anti-Static

Remember seeing sparks while wearing your clothes, or diving in/out of your blanket? Sparks accompanied by the sound of chit-chit? Yes, that’s the static electricity we are talking about. Now imagine wearing your activewear, and enduring all the irritation of the static electricity. Not a pretty picture, right?

That’s the reason, the activewear fabric is induced with anti-static properties. This does away with all the resultant shabbiness. With no static electricity, you don’t need to scratch yourself every now and then. Moreover, you can focus on your workout with full concentration. This proves anti-static as a critical feature of any modern activewear.

Ultralight

Working out in heavy t-shirts might not be a good idea. First, they will soak your excessive sweat and make it heavier. Second, they won’t dissipate the sweat which will further heat up your body. The result will be a very bad workout experience, that will keep pulling you down from achieving excellence.

Ultralight activewear, as their name suggests, is lightweight. They don’t hold your sweat but dissipate it through capillary action. Moreover, they give you more agility and at the same time don’t restrict your movements. Ultimately, the entire experience is enhanced with t-shirts that are ultralight in nature. 

While these are some befitting features to have in your indoor activewear, here are some pointers that you can keep in mind while exercising outside.

If it is cold, dress in layers. Wear a fitted layer that wicks sweat away. Add a warmer layer, like a fleece jacket, on top. Wear gloves, a hat, and ear coverings if you need them. Take off the layers as you warm up. 

If you will be out running or walking, you may want to add a backpack. Then you can take off layers as you heat up, as well as carry a water bottle.

In the rain or wind, wear an outer layer that protects you, like a windbreaker or nylon shell. Look for the words "waterproof" or "water-resistant" on the label. Ideally, this layer should also be breathable.

In the hot sun, wear light-colored clothing that dries fast. You can also buy clothing made to block out the harmful rays of the sun. These clothes come with a sun protection factor (SPF) label.

When exercising in the evening or early morning, make sure your clothing has reflective parts so drivers can see you. 

As a country, India is currently witnessing a boom in the fitness industry. More and more individuals are taking to staying fit by exercising regularly and adopting an active lifestyle. Especially with the impact the pandemic has made on the idea of immunity and being healthy. Coming generations are much more vigilant about the health of their bodies. With this, comes a need and demand for activewear clothing. These needs and demands should be met with style as well as quality. Good activewear does that just right by giving a bang for the buck. It gets better when good activewear is not very expensive yet comes laced with the latest technology.