5 Reasons You Should Wear Workout Clothes Everyday

I took my five year old son shopping for baseball gear yesterday, and in between making sure the baby didn't jump out of the cart, and my son didn't smuggle extra baseballs under his shirt, a sign caught my eye. It was a line of clothing by Carrie Underwood and it was labeled "athleisure."  It's an interesting concept, athleisure.  It's like you're dressing to workout, but you look so cute that there's almost no pressure to actually exercise.

Look like an athlete, but lounge like a boss. Count me in.

Which led me to today's decision to wear my workout clothes all day. And let me tell you, it's been going so well I'm thinking of making this an everyday thing.

In case you've been toying with the same idea, here are 5 reasons you should totally jump on the athleisure bandwagon:

1. It changes how people look at you.  Usually I show up to preschool drop off in a half baked attempt to look put together. I've got the jeans and blouse on, but my hair is still wet from my 5 second shower and I have no makeup on because the baby got ahold of my brushes and threw them in the toilet. The look invokes sympathy, and on bad days, even pity. But, if I instead put on my workout clothes, and show up sans makeup and messy bun, everyone just assumes I am on my way to the gym after drop off.  Now instead of thinking my kids run my house, they're thinking, "she takes care of herself. You go girl."

2. The term "athleisure" makes the lounge look totally credible. While in years past you might have looked too casual in your t-shirt and yoga pants, now you can remind yourself that the whole point of athleisure is that the clothes are supposed to be functional for more than just workouts. And Carrie Underwood is obviously on board and no one is heckling her for looking too casual.

3. You'll be ready for anything.  The dual functionality of athleisure is genius. For example, when my baby finally falls asleep at nap time and I am faced with the impossible decision of whether I should take a nap or exercise, if I'm dressed in athleisure I can't go wrong. It's way more comfortable to sleep in than my regular clothes, and on the rare occasion should I feel an extra burst of energy from the double shot of espresso I grabbed that morning, I don't need to waste precious baby-nap minutes changing my clothes for a workout.

4. Suddenly everyday activities actually feel like you're working out. I don't know what it is about athletic pants, but I'm pretty sure they have a secret way of burning extra calories when you wear them. It's like a heightened awareness of how much exercise I'm doing all the time without even trying. Instead of just bending down to pick up yet another cheerio spill off the floor, now I'm doing squats. I'm toning my glutes, and stretching my hamstrings. Where's the FitBit I got last year and always forget to wear? I need to be tracking this amazingness, because I'm pretty sure I'm getting double the steps just by wearing these pants.

5. Workout clothes make you look and feel skinnier, even without the actual workout. Maybe it's the construction of the clothes that do this, or maybe it's just a state of mind when you're wearing them, but I feel a good ten pounds lighter in my spandex black capris and tshirt. Even on days when I feel extra fluffy, if I put on workout clothes, at least I feel like I am in the process of getting in shape. It's all about progress, not perfection right? I definitely feel like I'm making progress in these clothes. Working out is the next step, but right now I'm celebrating my wins, and my choice to wear this super cute zip up hoodie and compression pants is feeling like a win.

I don't know why someone didn't come up with this concept sooner. Hats off to you Carrie Underwood for giving some credibility to what us tired moms have instinctively felt was right all along. Workout clothes are not just for working out.