7 Benefits of Wearing Compression Gear to the Gym

Group of men and women running on treadmills

When it comes to going to the gym or doing any fitness regimen for that matter, there are multiple ways to increase efficiency and results. The easiest way to do this is by just changing up what you wear. If you’re new to compression apparel or are unsure of what they do, several underlying factors of this piece of clothing contribute to getting in shape. Even if you are a veteran gym-goer, you may learn a thing or two about the aspects that make compression gear an essential asset to your daily training outfit. As you read on, keep in mind that it’s an easy solution with many benefits to helping you improve in the gym.

1. Recovery

One of the most important categories to consider compression apparel before anything else is the recovery aspect each piece of clothing provides for each different muscle group you’re training. When you initially hear of compression gear, you may listen to that it helps increase performance on the field or in the gym. And to put it bluntly, it’s false. Many research studies have shown that while playing sports or working out that performance has no significant change while wearing compression pants or shirts. But don’t let that turn you away from compression gear, because recovery is the big reason to pick one up. The value it provides is the help in speeding up the process of Rebuilding your muscles after a workout. It has shown to help increase blood pressure and reduce soreness. It doesn’t necessarily eliminate it, but it does aid in helping alleviate it quicker. You will be able to heal the broken muscle tissue quicker which in turn helps build more muscle. Also, it helps fade most soreness and swelling depending on the graduated compression or tightness.
tesla_working-out

2. Breathability

compression_yoga_pantsOne key difference in compression shorts over a pair of regular athletic or basketball shorts is that they’re much tighter and compact along parts of your body. For some people, this may cause some confusion since it seems ironic that a tight piece of clothing is breathable. Or it that may come as a turn off if you’re new to compression apparel, but a quality compression short will contour along your legs and feel like another layer of skin that will form correctly to you. Most quality compression shorts are manufactured and stitched with a quality weave design to allow air circulation to pass and travel through your thighs. This weave helps out a lot when you’re training or working out because it helps keep things fresh and flowing. A lot of sweat tends to build up in the crotch area when you’ve been going at it for awhile lifting, jumping, jogging, or just being active in general. Compared to regular basketball shorts they would soak up the sweat, but the air circulation helps regulate the perspiration.

3. Natural Sweat-Wicking Properties

girl_working_out_legsWhile we are on the topic of sweat regulation, compression gear, in general, is made usually of a polyester or nylon related material which is naturally able to wick away sweat and help you get drier quicker. For the guys out there: You probably experienced the uncomfortableness of having sweat build up in the crotch area. It gets wet, and things get stuck together or bunched up, and overall it doesn’t feel all too great to move around. But for most, this problem is only with athletic shorts or cotton briefs, and you see this reduced with the compression variants. With compression briefs, the moisture wicking takes care of most of the sweat. It does not mean to repel or wipe off the water, but rather through capillary action. This wicking means the water is drawn upward through the fabric and is drawn out and then evaporated; this helps the cooling process that happens while you’re sweating. You don’t even have to think about it. You can go ham in the gym and the process will do its thing and keep you as dry as possible.

4. Style

compression_pants_mirror_styleBesides flexing your body in the gym, many people like to show off the sporty look or athletic aesthetic through their clothes. Compression gear is a staple piece of apparel that many people today equip themselves with to feel confident as they go about their workout. While still being comfortable, they are a form-fitting piece of clothing that outlines your physique. If you’ve been working out for a while, it helps define your muscles and such even more. The most popular and familiar pieces of apparel are the compression pants and compression shorts. Some people could argue that compression shorts look kind of awkward, but as long as you measure them correctly and get a knee length short, they look great while you are doing deadlifts or squats because of the pressure on the thigh area. Compression pants, or yoga pants for women, are the best overall choice for the gym because they outline it all. They express your butt, calves, and thighs. It’s a fantastic way to increase your confidence while exhibiting your progress in the gym.

5. Flexibility

Thanks to the engineering of most quality compression products, they’re made a stretchy material that you can trust to hold up in the gym. When you’re doing a variety of movements such as stretching, extending, or lifting, you can trust the cloth to move with you. It won’t hold you back like other training garments. While some people like to wear sweatpants to the gym, they are usually too baggy and hold me back. I wouldn’t want any loose articles of clothing getting in the way while I’m doing my work out. Sometimes it introduces safety concerns that I don’t want to think about or deal with myself. With the flexibility of compression pants, you don’t have to deal with the baggy or loose nature of sweatpants. Every move you make, they make with you. You won’t have to worry about going through several cycles of sweatpants or shorts.

ccompression_sleeve_pushup

6. Support

Compression gear provides a sense of stabilization to your legs while you lift. When you’re squeezing and applying pressure to your muscles as you perform different movements in each of the muscle groups, it helps support some of the strain. By helping pump blood and exerting that much-needed compression, it helps provide that ongoing recovery process to help you get through your workout.

7. Compression Aspect

Last, but most definitely not least is the compression aspect of compression gear. It’s the underlying factor in most of the other categories that I previously mentioned. One of the most underrated things that people who are looking for compression apparel for the gym don’t understand is that it is an easy way of helping out your training efficiency without actually having to do anything significant. All you have to is pick up the needed compression apparel, make sure it’s the correct size and put it on while you go to your gym. It will do all the work without you having to think about it. That’s the beauty of wearing compression clothing to the gym.