Saving money by wearing sweatpants to the yoga studio does not give you the full benefits of a workout. Invest in yoga pants that fit well, move with you, feature high-tech fabrics and have a cut that suits the style of yoga you do. Good yoga pants also sustain the abuse of floor poses, stretches and multiple washings.
Fabric
Even gentle yoga stretches and restorative yoga raise your heart rate and make you sweat. Stay comfortable by buying yoga pants that have lightweight fabric such as cotton. Cotton blends with spandex or Lycra work well because they wick moisture away from your skin to keep you comfortable for the duration of the yoga workout. If you want to hide panty lines, consider a thicker cotton yoga pant.
Flattering Fit
Choose fashionable yoga pants that offer a flattering and comfortable fit. A boot-leg style balances your bottom half with your top half. Supportive panels around the stomach, hips and thighs improve your posture and camouflage potential problem areas. A foldover top in a contrasting print adds a pop of color. Some yoga pants come in reversible styles to switch up your look. Avoid too high of a rise, which makes your backside look flat, and too low of a rise, which reveals too much during poses in which you bend over. A mid-rise cut that hits right below the navel works well. Good yoga pants should hug your body without constricting it. You should be able to twist, bend, reach and move without yoga pants inhibiting your full range of motion.
Style
Select a style of yoga pants that corresponds to the type of yoga you practice. If you do meditation and restorative yoga, consider a style that extends to the ankles, protecting your knees during seated poses and floor work. If you like hot yoga, select a fitted or cropped yoga pant style that moves with you.
Eco-Conscious
Eco-style has entered the realm of yoga fashion. You can purchase yoga pants made of organic cotton or other natural fibers. Some companies focus on reducing waste by recycling other fabrics to use them in yoga pants. One innovation features yoga pants woven from cellulose fiber from eucalyptus trees. Some manufacturers use natural materials such as coconut shells and volcanic rocks to give yoga pant fabric sun protection or microbe-fighting capabilities.
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