If you love to work out, you will agree that yoga pants are better than sweats and joggers for several reasons. Most importantly, they offer superior flexibility, courtesy of fabrics that are made to stretch like a second skin.
The athleisure trend that started with Lululemon’s yoga pants has shaped modern casual wear and signaled a shift in the way people dress. Read on to learn why yoga pants are a must-have in your workout wardrobe!
Comfort
Whether you’re doing yoga or running errands, your lower body will thank you for the comfort and breathability offered by these pants. They can also provide you with a feeling of calmness and stress relief, which goes hand-in-hand with your practice.
The comfort of yoga pants comes from their fit and stretchy material. They are usually form-fitting, hugging your body in all the right places and featuring wide waistbands that don’t dig into your skin.
Many brands use high quality fabrics that are both comfortable and quick to dry. Some of these fabrics have anti-odor properties and help reduce the appearance of pills, which are small balls of fiber that appear on clothing over time as a result of abrasion. These pills are less noticeable in natural materials, but can hang on to synthetic fabrics.
For example, prAna’s men’s yoga pants are made from a sustainable blend of cotton and recycled polyester. They also include a high performance, odor-reducing fabric called UPG 50+.
Flexibility
Invented by Lululemon’s Chip Wilson, yoga pants have since become a staple for casual athleisure wear. Their popularity can be attributed to their flattering, form-fitting design and buttery fabrics that stretch to fit your body.
They’re typically tight from the waist to the knee and flared at the bottom. Today, you can find yoga pants in many different styles, such as skinny yoga pants, harem yoga pants and jogger yoga pants.
Leggings are made from a wide range of materials, including polyester and cotton blends, velour, faux leather, fleece and denim. They can be worn as everyday pants or as activewear, and they come in various colors, lengths and fits. Good Housekeeping tests all types of workout leggings and yoga pants, evaluating them for moisture management, construction and fabric elasticity. Then, GH pros assess how comfortable they are and what features are ideal for a yoga class or running errands.
Breathability
The breathability of yoga pants is an important factor to consider. This refers to the ability of the fabric to allow moisture vapor to escape the body, which keeps the wearer cool and comfortable by allowing sweat to evaporate rather than pooling on the skin.
A wide range of factors affects the breathability of a fabric. For example, tighter knits and weaves tend to be less breathable than looser ones, while thinner materials are typically more breathable than thicker ones. The fabric’s weight also plays a role, with heavier fabrics being more breathable than lighter ones.
To test the breathability of a fabric, you can conduct a simple experiment at home: simply hold the material up to the light and see how much it lets through. However, it’s important to remember that breathability ratings are not standardized, so results from different labs may differ significantly. Likewise, the permeability of a fabric can decrease over time if it gets wet.
Compression
Yoga is a low-impact, healthy activity that increases range of motion and decreases pain in joints and muscles. To reduce pain and discomfort, many people wear compression gear. These tight-fitting clothes increase blood flow to the skin, decreasing swelling and reducing muscle cramps.
The modern form of yoga pants did not appear until the second half of the 20th century, when spandex (or Lycra) was introduced by American chemist Joseph Shivers. This form-fitting material is a stretchable, durable fabric that can be worn as athletic or casual apparel.
Today, yoga pants and leggings are nearly synonymous terms. They are crafted from soft, often brushed fabrics and can come in looser styles like joggers or bootcut leggings as well as tighter fits. They are available in a wide variety of colors and prints. Some pairs even have a built-in crotch cup for support. These pants can also provide a boost to proprioceptive function, which helps you maintain stability during balance poses like the tree pose.