A Great Pair of Shoes Can Make All the Difference!

I love shoes. I love tank tops too but we’ll save that for another post. For now .. shoes!

I don’t actually mean heels and fancy shoes .. I’m a laid back female. I am usually found in flip flops year round (yes, year round) and then in shoes at the gym.

Recently I went through the Les Mills CXWORX training and in the training a coworker suggested that I find a pair of shoes that were a bit more flexible because they would help with the resistance band work in class. So, I ventured out.

To be honest the shoes I’ve been teaching in at the gym I had been wearing them for FOREVER. They probably needed to be replaced anyway. I looked at a few places and could not find shoes that looked like me. Finally I walked into one more store and found them.

ASICS Women’s GEL-Unifire TR Training Shoe and knee high socks by Reebok

The pair I had before were leather and so adjusting to something that was of different material kinda made me nervous at first.

Long story short .. I was hit by a car last year and I’m still a bit tip-toe’ish around my one ankle since coming out of the aircast.

My last pair were leather, wide, and heavy. These are light, breathable, and flexible. They feel amazing on! At the same time I teach a pretty intense bootcamp class that has it’s share of lateral movements. Not one in class have I been worried about ankle stability.

Plus, they are cute 🙂 I actually like the black with the pops of pink.

ASICS Women’s GEL-Unifire TR Training Shoe and knee high socks by Reebok

Granted they don’t match what I’m wearing most of the time but I am going to have to live with that (It’s not like I match most of the time anyway!).

Buying these, and wearing these, has been a bit of an eye opener for me. It has let me know that the cross trainer shoe technology has changed, and changed for the better. I think the old style was about stiffness, weight, and wide bases to protect you while moving. It seems that they have since figured out how to give you the same support in a more foot friendly package.

So, if you have not replaced your shoes in a while it may be worth considering a new pair. I am very happy that I was given that nudge to try something new!

PS – the knee high socks are made by Reebok. I am currently also in LOVE with knee high socks! I need to buy more of them 🙂

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I Could Be Having a Love Affair with Socks!

Really and truly.

I’ve always worn ankle socks to the gym. You know the ones that you barely see
over your shoes? Those.

I messed my ankle up a while back and started wearing a brace. When this happened the brace was higher than the socks. So, I had to get taller socks so that the brace would not rub my skin raw while I was teaching.

I decided that if I was going to wear socks that I’d wear socks .. so, I have bought all kinds of crazy socks to wear while I’m teaching.

I LOVE them and am constantly looking for more of them!

If we are going to commit to working out as a lifestyle then we need to continue to find enjoyment in it. That is not only from the workout but from anything else we can. I love to buy great tank tops and not I love to buy socks!

I’ll have to post photos of my socks over time but for now here is one I wore the other day 🙂

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Some of My Favorite Things – Gym Clothes

I love gym clothes! I do!

Granted, most of the time they don’t all quite match but I love them! People jokingly say that I should earn royalties for all the people I’ve sent out buying clothing that I have bought and tested out myself.

As a group fitness instructor people ask me all the time for clothing recommendations, what works and what does not. While I have figured most of it out I still have a few ‘gaps’ that I’m trying to fill. Yes, after years of working out I cannot find the perfect clothing for everything 😦

Just in case this can help anyone, this is currently what I wear.

Shoes: I wear different shoes for the different classes / purposes, but I typically stick with these:

• Spinning / Indoor cycling: I have been wearing a pair of Shimano brand spinning shoes for year (like 9!) and I’m only replacing them because I want a new pair and not because they are worn out. I’m actually taking my current pair to work so I can use them when I teach spin at times that wrap around my work day.
• Group fitness classes: For anything in the group fitness room I’m currently wearing Asics Womens Gel Unifire TR Training Shoe. When I went through the CXWORX training recently it was suggested that I buy shoes more flexible and better at helping to hold the resistance tube in place. These were cute and on sale at Dicks (bonus!) and … little did I know that I would fall IN LOVE with these shoes!
• Running: Brooks Adrenalines. LOVE. For years .. maybe 10 years now. *BUT* if you are going to run then I highly recommend you go to your local running shop and get sized for shoes that work with your foot type. IT makes the difference between pain and no pain, enjoying it and hating it.

Socks: My latest love are the knee high socks .. I LOVE them! In the bright colors and wacky patterns they add a bit of fun to you, instantly! Plus, in the colder months they keep your legs warm while you are waiting on class to start 😉 Right now I’ve been wearing Reebok socks but I need more so I’ll be shopping around looking for more soon.

Shorts: This is where the gaps come in to play …

• Spinning / Indoor cycling: I have yet, after all of these years, been able to find a good pair of shorts for cycling. It’s SO frustrating! I want a pair that sits mid-thigh and has rubber on the inside (leg grips) and actually stay in place instead of turning into underwear in the middle of class. It is SO embarrassing to constantly pull your shorts down.I do not want the chamois because I’m used to the seat.I have strong (read big) thighs and so far in all my searching I have yet to find ones that work for me. For now I honestly wear either capris or yes, long pants, and roll them all the way up into shorts. But even then they don’t work great .. 😦
• Group Fitness classes: I love some of the shorts by Fila and Tek Gear (it’s a brand sold at Kohl’s). They are running style shorts, have a wider waist band, and sit lower waisted. My favorite pair is from Fila and I wish I had bought more of them. Tek Gear makes great running style shorts that work great in the classroom as well (A pair of them are in the photo below!).
• Running: Pretty much those same shorts I wear in the group fitness room I run in.

Sportsbra: I’m not picky other than I like seriously compression so that nothing moves when I am teaching! I am all over the place when I am teaching and that is the last thing I want to worry about!

Tank tops: I LOVE tank tops! I have so many that I have to force myself to stop buying them! My current favorites are Champion brands (as shown in the photo –>), although I don’t think they make them anymore. I personally like loose fitting tops with the built in bra and gaps on the sides of the tank tops. The built in bra keeps the tank top in place and the gap is nice for letting a little air flow through. But I buy and try tank tops all the time .. and am always on the look out for new great styles!

Headband: I have to wear a headband when I teach otherwise the microphone head piece ends up pushing into my temple and giving me a headache. I love the cute headbands that are being made and sold but none of them are thick enough to buffer the metal headpiece so I honestly wear $1 bandanas, rolled into a headband. They are cheap and work perfectly. They get nasty by the end of class but they keep the microphone in place and my head pain free. The one in the photo is a cute headband but guess what? There is a bandana underneath it .. LOL!

Have a great week! Thanks for reading!

Feel free to follow me on social media!

Follow @joschmoblo

Follow @_findingfitness – my blog’s twitter