How to pick up the most suitable gear for your daily fitness regime

Products in this segment are designed to cater to specific activities. Marathon shoes, for instance, are very different from the kind you'd use for zumba

If you're getting into a fitness routine, then you'd do well to pick up a suitable set of clothes and shoes for your daily tryst at the gym. After all, you'd want your gear support the workout, not hinder it, right? So if the apparel is oversized or too tight, or if, say, the shoes you're wearing for your zumba session are better designed for a marathon or a 100-metres sprint, your performance is bound to suffer. For energetic gym workouts, heavy sports, running on rough terrains, one needs to invest in quality sportswear. Also called athleisure wear, this kind of gear tends to complement, instead of inhibiting the efforts you make towards achieving your fitness goal -- weight loss, toning up, mastering a sport or reversing lifestyle diseases.

What are the key attributes of performance wear? High-intensity workouts often mean heavy sweat and intense physical activity, so the apparel must be odour-resistant, quick to absorb perspiration and endowed with drying hydrophobic finish. It should also be lightweight, allow breathing space and all-round body movement. 

"It's a good idea to buy fabrics that can stretch and move with you as you exercise," says Ashish Gurnani, Co-founder, PostFold. He says the fabric content also plays a major role in the effectiveness of the garment. While cotton has always been a favourite since it is very breathable, synthetic variants such as polypropylene or polyamide mixed with elastane also make a great selection. As far as texture is concerned, the garment should feel comfortable and soft and material like the superior Supima cotton, with its extra-long staple fibres, is a great choice. While colour is a personal choice, darker shades tend to absorb heat but don't show sweat stains easily, and lighter hues lend a cooling effect.  

What about other forms of fitness such as power yoga? "Yoga wear in particular needs to be stretchable and non-restrictive to provide for easy movement while you go in and out of asanas," says Radhika of Proyog, a premium yoga wear brand. “One additional important quality of yoga wear is breathability. The skin is the largest organ in the body and practitioners need to ensure the clothes they're wearing don't restrict the skin's natural process of osmoregulation or cut off blood circulation.” 

These days, the market is flooded with synthetic material, which is essentially plastic in sportswear that comes cheap too. But that is “fast fashion” and tends to harm both, the body and the environment. However, some brands have made a conscious decision to choose eco-friendly products. Says Radhika: “Proyog uses only cotton. Yoga practice not only involves the union of mind, body and breath but also heightens our connection to the Earth and nature. It's important for our yoga clothes to allow for this amalgamation. This is why one must choose yoga gear that is only made out of sustainable and natural material for one's practice.” Good quality yoga gear costs anywhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000.

International brands are also stocking performance wear at their stores. “Performance wear is an important and growing category for us," says Dhatri Bhatt, Head–Communications, H&M. She says her company has quick-dry options and a variety of clothing for running, training and yoga.

The sportswear market has strong growth potential in India as it still hasn't matured. According to market research provider Euromonitor International, the total size of the performance wear market is pegged at Rs 53,732 crore (as per latest data recorded in 2018) growing at a CAGR of 22 per cent (2018-2023). India presents a big opportunity for the segment and athleisure clothing will continue to grow with the highest sales coming from younger buyers on account of spurt in wellness revolution.

One exercise routine that is more like a “fitness party’ and is catching on in every small and big city in India is “Zumba” or Bhangra classes. Zumba wear collections have bright, fun colours that reflect the essence of the happy workout. Apparels are high quality, made of breathable fabric and can be worn for years. The designs change every season, incorporating new styles, technology and hues. The gear is exclusively designed by the Zumba wear design team in Miami. According to Sucheta Pal, Ambassador and Educator for Zumba Fitness in India, “Zumba has its own exclusive apparel and workout shoes, which are shipped to 185 countries via the proprietory website, zumba.com. The shoes are specially designed for lateral movement like cross trainers and have wider grooves on the soles. Most have ankle support too.”  

Performance wear uses a lot of tech input to create 'intelligent', high-quality fabric that helps one withstand the rigours of an intense training session and sustains the performance at a high level. Says a spokesperson of international brand Rhone, which creates men’s workout clothes: “We start with the finest fabrics, pair them with cutting-edge textile technology, and finish with an unmatched fit and style to create clothing that satisfies both form and function.” 

Brand	What's on offer	Pricing
Alcis Sports	Clothes for different types of workouts such as yoga, running, training and racquet sports	Rs 400-2,200
Aesthetic Nation	Performance Bottoms made of soft, sweat-wicking fabrics such as track pants, shorts; plus T-shirts and vests with with Cool-Dry technology

Rs 500-1,100

HRX by Hrithik Roshan 

Gym apparel for men such as T-shirts, vests, joggers, track pants, socks Rs 500-2,000 Just F (Jacqueline Fernandez co-creation)

India's first female-only fitness brand, Just F, which retails athleisure outfits through online platforms 

Rs 1,000-3,000 Proyog  Quality yoga wear/gear  Rs 2,000-5,000 H&M 

Variety of quick dry options for running, training and yoga

Rs 799-2,999 Zumba Wear Zumba has its own exclusive apparel and workout shoes sold on their website zumba.com Fitness bands, bandanas and accessories starting at Rs 500; shoes cost Rs 5,000 and upwards