Your exercise clothes may be harming your health.
You may have heard about the stretchy materials used in many kinds of athletic wear containing ‘forever chemicals’ that are bad for our health. Thinx period underwear came under recent fire for this same reason (and settled a large class action suit without admitting guilt. Gross). While I hate to be the bearer of bad news, there is simply NO exercise clothing worth risking your health for – oh the irony.
If you want to find out more details about what fabrics you should avoid and why, check out this article on CNN by EcoCult Founder and general badass on these subjects Alden Wicker. This particular article has made the biggest impact on me to date and now that I know more, I have to do better as a stylist and as a consumer.
The crazy thing is, I myself have been following this information for a while. Not super deeply, but it’s been bubbling in the back of my mind. At the same time I occasionally noticed certain exercise pants and bras made me itchy, but I assumed it was because they were so tight fitting or due to sweating. And yet, I made no direct connection to these ‘forever chemicals’ irritating my skin. Y’all, the call was coming from inside the house.
On a brighter note, see this link for healthy options of what you can wear as an alternative. The short answer is…cotton. Definitely not the most intuitive fabric for workout gear these days, but I think it’s worth knowing.
Today I am removing this stack of exercise clothes from my wardrobe, a small collection I’ve been cultivating slowly since I started to exercise more regularly and intentionally. It is a definite bummer; financially, style wise, and from the perspective of what to do with them. I don’t want them to harm anyone else, so will look to the incredibly awesome LA spot Suay Shop to have them repurpose in any responsible way they are able. That said, I still have options to wear on hand. I will be on the lookout for any itchiness and further news on the subject, and will be shopping carefully for any future pieces I do choose to buy. I hope you will consider doing the same.
Lastly, please remember that while the majority of stretchy exercise gear is worn by women, this is a genderless issue; those compression running tights and anything else that is stretchy are likewise suspect and worthy of our close consideration. With knowledge comes power; the more we choose healthier alternatives, the more manufacturers will make them.
x Stephanie
One Response
Thank you!! I had no idea.