How to dress for the gym

We’re halfway through January already (yikes!), and I still haven’t committed to any New Year’s resolutions. How are you doing with yours?

If you resolved to exercise more in 2014, I have a tip based on real-life experience to keep you motivated: Invest in a few stylish pieces of workout gear.

Midway through my first trimester, I decided to reacquaint myself with the gym after an embarrassingly long hiatus. The last time I regularly worked out was when I was pregnant with Levi, and I credit that commitment for keeping my body strong and my mind (somewhat) clear during my first pregnancy.

Since early July, I’ve been meeting with a trainer for two 30-minute sessions a week. Spending the money on a trainer helps keep me accountable, while ensuring that I’m doing the exercises properly (so important as my body changes).

To get me excited to return to the gym (because let’s be honest, exercising is not my favorite), I splurged on a new workout tank from Lululemon that I felt really good wearing. I had always admired the women who managed to look stylish in fashionable fitness clothing even while dripping with sweat. Compared to them, I felt like a slob in my old sorority t-shirts and shorts.

Unfortunately, it’s back to cotton maternity tanks and leggings for me, as I’ve just about outgrown my Lululemon top. But thanks to its blousy fit, I was nearly able to wear it for the duration of my pregnancy! It was so flattering that I recently purchased a second one on sale to see me through my postpartum exercising efforts.

If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to revisit the treadmill (or start a brand new workout regime), here’s how to dress for the gym so you stay motivated to work out:

1. Zippy jacket
2. Adidas sneakers
3. Capri leggings
4. Athleta tank
5. Striped hoodie
6. Asics sneakers
7. No Limit tank
8. Tempo shorts
9. Capri sweatpants
10. Nike sneakers

PS – The best headphones for working out.