I struggle at the best of times to motivate myself to excise, never mind when the weather is rubbish and it is freezing cold. The dark mornings and evenings make it seriously difficult to leave the warmth of my bed. It is for these reasons that I decided that my gym gear needed a little winter make over, to make it a little easier to face the winter chill.
I don't really like wearing 'normal' clothes when I go to the gym. I would rather just get changed and sorted into my gym clothes before heading out of the door, go in, do my work out and then come home and shower in the comfort of my own home. I don't have a fear of changing rooms or anything, I am just super lazy and find it a real effort to get my arse in gear and go to the gym. Once there I want to go in and get out. I can't be bothered getting changed, and having to take a towel, shower products, makeup and clothes ect, I would so much rather go home and get sorted there.
This being said my trips to and from the gym can get rather chilly from leaving the warmth of the house and the gym and so I was in need of a little extra comfort.
I think that it is important to keep warm before and after exercise, not only for comfort reasons but also because I have always been told not to begin an exercise routine when cold as it can be really bad for your muscles. If you are chilly then your muscles become tense and you are more likely to pull something or injure yourself so it is helpful to stay warm on your way to the gym. Likewise, it is also important to stay warm on the way home as you have probably worked up quite a sweat during your workout and it isn't good for you to let your body temperature plummet as soon as you walk out of the gym doors.
Baring this in mind, I was so happy when I received a beautiful, cosy, warm hoodie from the guys at Cottonridge. They are a brand that not only provide great, high quality, stylish clothing, they are also wonderfully ethical as they use local services to create their products and donate a proportion of their sales to Children's Charities. This Ultra Premium Soft Hoodie is the perfect gym companion as it is seriously warm and so comfortable to wear. It has a big hood, deep pockets and is a perfect length that keeps me warm and covered up when travelling to and from the gym.
What are your gym winter essentials?
*Although this Cottonridge hoodie was kindly gifted to me, this was not a sponsored post and all thoughts and opinions are my own.