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Yoga clothes should be comfortable and functional. They should allow you to move freely and not distract you from your practice. They should feel good against your skin so they dont cause any irritation.

Ideally, the clothing should be absorbent so that it wicks sweat away from your body. There are few things that feel as uncomfortable as a sticky, clammy body that is moist from perspiration.

I also think they should be attractive and fun to wear. When I do yoga alone in my home, I am willing to wear an old tee shirt and sweats or baggy shorts. When I practice in a class, I am more discriminating in what I choose to wear.

I admit it. I work very hard to keep my body in shape, and when I am with others, I want to show off the efforts of my hard work. I usually choose form fitting pants and a fitted tee shirt. This allows me to see the outline of my body in the mirror so I can maintain good form, and it lets me move without having to fuss with my clothes. They are also flattering to my body, so when I wear them I feel good.

Here are some of the things that you should look for in yoga clothing so that they work well for you and make you feel good about yourself and your practice.

Yoga pants
There are many types of yoga pants. Some are long and go down to your ankles; others stop just below your knees. often they are relatively form fitting. These types of pants have the benefit of allowing your instructor to see your alignment so she can make any necessary adjustments to your form.

If you arent comfortable in pants that are so revealing, you might enjoy wearing loose, cotton trousers. They offer freedom of movement without being too tight.

Whatever pants you choose, make sure that you can bend and move freely in them. Also be sure that there are no bulky ties at the waist that might be uncomfortable when you are lying in a prone position.

Yoga Shorts
Yoga shorts are a very good choice if you practice Bikram or hot yoga, because the room is heated to such a high temperature. They are a good bet in the warm summer months when long pants might be too warm. They also help you more easily check the proper alignment of your lower body because you can see your knees and ankles.

The yoga shorts should be long enough to cover your derriere and they should not ride up. Form fitting shorts usually dont move too much, so they may be just right for you.

Yoga Tops
Yoga tops should allow you to move freely without having them fall in your face. Tee shirts should be short enough so that your lower body is not hidden, so you can more easily check your alignment. Some women like to wear sports bras (especially those who practice Bikram yoga). If you choose to wear one, make sure that it holds you securely and that nothing falls out when you are bending or stretching. You dont want to wear something that is going to cause you to worry about what you might be showing to the rest of the class.

Yoga tops come in many bright and attractive colors. You might also have fun wearing shirts with characters such as Yoga girl on them.

Yoga Shoes
most people do not wear shoes during their practice. However, they might be useful if you practice outside in a park, on a beach, or some place where you would not want to take off your shoes and socks. Yoga shoes look very similar to other athletic footwear, except that the soles allow for considerable flexibility in your foot and the tops of the shoes are very lightweight. Some popular brands include puma yoga shoes and Adidas shoes for yoga.

Jacket
Many people might not think that a jacket is an important part of yoga clothing, but I beg to disagree. I think it is absolutely critical to take a jacket with you to your yoga class. I have been in many classes where the temperature has been quite cool (some are downright freezing). While the temperature often doesnt matter too much while I am moving during the poses, it becomes quite a different story when the time comes to meditate.

I dont know about you, but I find it difficult if not impossible, to relax when I am cold. Bringing a jacket with you gives you an option of covering up during the relaxation period if you are feeling chilly. Feeling warm and comfortable allows you the pleasure of letting your body relax fully.

So yoga clothes should be functional, comfortable, and give you the freedom to totally enjoy your practice. Have fun with them and enjoy wearing the ones that make you feel good!

Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Her website http://www.beauty-fitness-yoga-source.com/ is filled with practical information about how you can make yoga and fitness a positive part of your life. Visit the site and get your free meditation e-book.

Seasonal fitness is very common with the general weekend warriors and serious fitness gurus. In fact, seasonal fitness provides variety as a host of new and exciting routines opens up to each and every one of us with changes in the weather. A great example is outdoor exercising. Not only is this influenced by the seasons but also geographically. In the west you can just about workout outside every day (some exceptions for rain of course). On the east coast you can certainly choose to run in sub 30 degree weather but most will choose not to do so. We like to think of this as the attraction factor. The attraction factor is critical as it helps to setup and thus manage ones enthusiasm towards repeatable exercising and adherence to your overall life fitness goals.

How often do you see the Television Ads where the healthy ads always seem to be on location somewhere near Los Angeles? Its not by chance its a fact that everyone thinks of california as the healthy state (Florida is right in there as well of course!). The land of the creative and fortunate to have been born/raised or moved to the sunshine have almost too many choices for outdoor activities year round. Sometimes this leads to being overwhelmed and it can create a failure to start or implement a fitness program.

Bike riding is probably one of the most misunderstood levels of exercising. People think they need a top of the line product to achieve maximum performance and results. Hardly, find yourself a solid bike within your budget. Then find a course around your neighborhood that offers challenges (hills) and enough soft landings to properly maintain 30 minutes of solid riding. Bike riding can achieve much better results than just walking. We recommend this above and beyond walking if its feasible.

So, what to do when we are less than fortunate to live in a year round warm climate? You can invest in a home gym for starters and we have lots of information on our corporate web site for ways to research these options. There are also the private gyms, local community centers and all offers some level of performance that should be a good enough fit for your needs. Swimming indoors is just as effective as outdoors. All across the US and europe there are choices available to swim year round. Swimming is a great way to tone and maintain great body fitness with the least amount of muscle wear and tear.

In Todays world there just isnt an excuse not to exercise. Move that body and get yourself in shape to lead a healthy life style way into your later years of life. Todays retirees have an enomorous task as their once beloved pensions and healthcare solutions are not what they had hoped. We can all take a step in the right direction by getting ahead of the health curve and get in shape early in life. Its never too late! Make sure you combine a healthy eating plan as well. Exercise requires solid fuel intake and a well balanced meal plan. In addition we strongly believe is a good (twice a day) natural supplement program. We like adding almonds and Mona Vie Internationals acai berry juice to our daily plan. It provides a safe and healthy way to achieve 100+ percent of the RDA for our vitamins and antioxidant needs (and then some when it comes to the benefits of the Acai Berry!).

Irene has been servicing the Health and Wellness industry since graduating from Cal State Fullerton in 1982. Through her professional experiences in primarily the Physical Therapy field (presently working) she has gathered deep understandings on nutrition, exercise and overall healthy programs to share with her readers and clients of Planet Berry LLC. To learn more on Irene or Planet Berry please visit their corporate web site at http://www.planetberries.com or email at info@planetberries.com