Physical Funness for the Motion Starved

Fit more fun into your fitness while exploring the outdoors.

Tag Archives: cloths


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Where’s that funky stench coming from?

Deodorant just isn’t enough!

I don’t know about you but my exercise cloths smell really funky. Last week I was running and as I went along I kept smelling cheese. Then I realized it was me! I smelled like a big fat wheel of funky cheese!

If you ask folks how to get the stench out of your gear, you’ll be told to use Febreeze, 20 Mule Team Borax, white wine vinegar or baking soda. I even saw something that suggested you put your cloths in the freezer for a few days. That was funny!

Personally I like to stay away from products that contain ingredients that I can’t pronounce like Febreeze. Febreeze claims to be “specifically formulated to find and eliminate sweat odors.” It’s the “find” that worries me for some reason.  I recommend sticking with what Granny would have used. Baking soda or vinegar and possibly 20 Mule Team Borax. I like baking soda although I often have to rinse the batch twice.  They say you can pre soak but I don’t have the patience for that

Here’s the plan

  • First, your most offensive laundry should be washed separate from other clothes so you don’t spread the love.
  • My strongest recommendation is to add about a cup of baking soda to a large wash load. You can buy baking soda in a huge box so you don’t have to deal with all those small boxes.
  • Another idea is to use vinegar, this doubles as a fabric softener. Use a cup of white wine vinegar in the wash water.

That should do it although you’re gonna need to use this format every time you wash your workout cloths. That, or risk smelling like cheese.

Over and out…


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Cotton is rotten

Pretty girl, bad clothing choice.

I like to sweat, that’s a good thing, as my body seems to sweat a lot. Sweating is good as it cleanses the body of all those nasty toxins and cools us down.

Ever notice that when you sweat in a cotton t-shirt it seems to stay wet forever, and then once you stop sweating, you start freezing because you’re standing around in a soaking wet cloths.

Well, thank goodness some brainiac came up moisture-wicking fabric. Fortunately for us, most athletic clothing is being now made of the stuff and it really makes a difference. This special fabric magically sucks the moisture away from your skin, through the fabric, and holds it on the outside of the garment so it can evaporated, hence keeping you much dryer than cotton.

So, the next time you go shopping for workout togs make sure to stick with moisture-wicking fabrics. Moisture-wicking clothing can make a difference in your comfort and in your ability to focus on things like keeping your pace and enjoying the experience rather than feeling like a wet rag.

Don’t get me wrong, cotton is great for keeping you cool, and for looking cool while you sip margaritas on the beach but not while you exercise. Those coveted event t-shirts you get as proof that you’ve survived a challenge, are best worn post sweat to strut around in after you’ve changed out of our smelly workout cloths and are sitting down to your recovery meal.

P.s. Different apparel manufacturers have different names for their moisture-wicking fabric, including Dri-Fit from Nike, ClimaCool from Adidas, just be sure to read the tag.

 


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If they worked for Granny…

Recipe for recovery

Remember your Granny’s support hose? Ever get a look at a pair of those uncomfortable contortions? They looked like a full-length girdle, sort of. The good news is they’re back in fashion, although now they’re called Compression Socks.

Anyway — Compression Socks or sometimes-called Recovery Sox are currently all the rage. Essentially they’re a knee-high version of Granny’s support hose. Their soul-purpose is to create an upward flow of blood through the lower legs helping to get unoxygenated blood out and replace it with fresh oxygenated blood. A desired effect for anyone who wishes to increase circulation in the legs. I.E. athletes, diabetics, folks that work on their feet or sit for long periods of time.

Fresh oxygenated blood is what athletic recovery is all about, which is why athletes are willing to drop $30 plus dollars for these magic socks.  I have a pair thanks to my friend Mo.  At first I thought “gee, thanks Mo…what do I do with these? They’re ugly.” Now I am addicted to them. I can’t say for certain if they help my legs recover but I know they don’t hinder recovery and the squeezy feeling is oddly nice.  Kind of a tingly massageie feeling. I even sleep in ‘em sometimes.

Get your Google on if you want more info, or take a risk and pick some up.  They’re socks. Everyone needs socks and these are magic socks!


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Help! I’m trapped in my togs!

A few years ago (15) I put on a skirt that I hadn’t worn for a while only to find that it had become so tight, that the zipper got stuck, and I had to literally cut the skirt off my chubby rump. It was humiliating and not an easy task. Imagine taking a sharp cutting instrument to the bottom hem of a very tight, knee-length skirt and contorting your hand so that you can cut up the front, between your legs, past your belly to sever the waistband and free yourself. Believe me, it’s not easy, in fact, in my attempt I managed to snip a chunk of fat from my tummy. Crying, I looked in the mirror and vowed never to get stuck in my cloths again.

Well, it’s happened again, not once but three times!  It’s those darn drawstrings they put in our spandex bike shorts and fitness pants (the ones that are continuous so you can’t tie a bow). While I love them and actually seek them out, at times they cause major distress.  Once, while on a bike ride I was desperate to take a code yellow when the loop knot in my bike shorts wouldn’t release.  After a few attempts to untie the knot I finally had to use brut force to break the elastic as to keep from wetting my chamois. It was not easy, those drawstrings are extremely hard to break. Just yesterday, it was my nice, very expensive Lululemon togs. Twice now I’ve had a really hard time keeping the drawstring from locking me inside my Lulu’s. I got out once by squeezing free, but the other time I had to use brut force again. Frankly, I am a bit pissed and have decided to look into the matter for instruction should I find myself in this situation again.

Here’s what I found — After wasting my time looking online, I decided to swallow my pride and call the always happy to help gals at Lululemon.  I was told that when you can’t get the knot untied, you should gently loosen it with a safety-pin until it opens up. Dooh! Why didn’t I think of that?  Guess I’ll be roaming around with a safety-pin attached to my pants for now on. Just in case.

There you have it. Consider yourself informed.