NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • All Blacks
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

What to wear when you're working out

Diana Clement
By Diana Clement
Your Money and careers writer for the NZ Herald·NZ Herald·
7 Mar, 2011 04:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Adidas NZ's Rewi Manahi says branded exercise clothing isn't all about looking good. He says there is science and research which goes in to design training gear to suit any athlete's physiology. Photo / Thinkstock
Adidas NZ's Rewi Manahi says branded exercise clothing isn't all about looking good. He says there is science and research which goes in to design training gear to suit any athlete's physiology. Photo / Thinkstock

Adidas NZ's Rewi Manahi says branded exercise clothing isn't all about looking good. He says there is science and research which goes in to design training gear to suit any athlete's physiology. Photo / Thinkstock

Throw out the trackpants and try some new workout gear to really get you moving, writes Diana Clement.

Clothing is clothing, right? Not so when it comes to exercise clothing. The magic wand of technological advance has revolutionised the clothes we wear when working out.

Good high-tech clothing can make the difference between an enjoyable exercise session and a nightmarish one on a cold winter day or a humid summer one, says Deb Hurdle, general manager of participation at Sparc (Sport & Recreation New Zealand).

Cold, wet and sweat are the three biggest problems faced by sports people, ranging from dog-walkers to Olympic athletes.

In warm weather, moisture-wicking technical fabrics such as Coolmax are much better than cotton. That's because these fabrics wick away sweat from the body, spreading it out across the fabric, which helps it to evaporate more quickly. This fabric is used widely by sportswear manufacturers.

Branded exercise clothing isn't all about sleek looks and multi-national profits - although the latest gear does tend to look good. There is science behind the designs as well, says adidas NZ's Rewi Manahi. His company, like others, does research into athletes' heat zones, which are different for men and women and may differ from sport to sport. The design then ensures breathable ventilation in those critical heat zones, he says.

Modern sportswear also has pockets in the right places for things like GPS devices, keys, and mobile phones as well as built in reflective panels. Good designs can help avoid chafing, Manahi says.

Cool weather creates another challenge says Hurdle, and fabrics have been designed to keep muscles warm, block cold wind, and let sweat escape. Fabrics such as Mizuno's Breath Thermo, which is designed to trap heat, have been developed to meet such needs.

Technical sports jacket are often designed to be windproof or waterproof at the front, but have good ventilation at the rear or under the arms to release the sweat that is being wicked away from the body.

Layering up in cooler weather is really important, Hurdle says. Several thin layers of good technical fabric are better than one thick layer.

Keeping dry is essential for many sports - especially tramping, climbing and mountaineering. Gore-Tex has been around since 1969 but is still the leader in providing a balance of rain protection and breathability. Even so, Gore-Tex's use as a high-tech fabric is compromised if you're wearing cotton T-shirts underneath, which can trap moisture and leave you wet and cold from the inside.

If you can't afford the price tags to go with the flash new fabrics then it's not the end of the world, says Hurdle. You can still make conscious choices that help your exercise, such as layering in winter, and wearing cheap lightweight T-shirts in summer rather than heavy cotton ones which absorb sweat. Or, says Hurdle, if you're going out in winter and can't afford merino wool or other expensive garments, buy polypropylene, which is cheap, lightweight and warm.

Clothing tips

* Feeling comfortable is conducive to exercising more

* Don't mix heavy cotton with high-tech fabrics

* Buy last season's lines at Dress Smart or other outlet malls

* Polypropylene is warm and cheap

Discover more

Lifestyle

Get your boost on

04 Jul 04:00 PM
Lifestyle

Thinking of giving running a go?

15 Aug 05:30 PM
Lifestyle

Hit the road

22 Aug 05:30 PM
Lifestyle

High tech running

19 Nov 11:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

One of Jacinda Ardern's favourite cafes closes over 'economic conditions'

08 Jul 07:00 AM
Premium
Lifestyle

Pain, sexual dysfunction, incontinence: Why men shouldn’t ignore their pelvic floors

08 Jul 06:00 AM
Lifestyle

Maccas adds fave American item to Oz menu – why isn't it coming back to NZ?

08 Jul 03:35 AM

Sponsored: Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
'The truth will come out': Scott Guy's parents speak 15 years after unsolved murder
New Zealand

'The truth will come out': Scott Guy's parents speak 15 years after unsolved murder

08 Jul 09:03 AM
Family appalled after 99yo's landline left disconnected for days
New Zealand

Family appalled after 99yo's landline left disconnected for days

08 Jul 08:26 AM
'Disgraceful act': Historical graves damaged in Auckland
New Zealand

'Disgraceful act': Historical graves damaged in Auckland

08 Jul 08:25 AM
63,000 lockdown breaches reported as Covid inquiry reveals impact
New Zealand

63,000 lockdown breaches reported as Covid inquiry reveals impact

08 Jul 08:11 AM
CCTV footage shows what daughter did in the wake of allegedly murdering her mother
Crime

CCTV footage shows what daughter did in the wake of allegedly murdering her mother

08 Jul 08:00 AM

Latest from Lifestyle

One of Jacinda Ardern's favourite cafes closes over 'economic conditions'

One of Jacinda Ardern's favourite cafes closes over 'economic conditions'

08 Jul 07:00 AM

'We have been going backwards for too long,' the cafe said.

Premium
Pain, sexual dysfunction, incontinence: Why men shouldn’t ignore their pelvic floors

Pain, sexual dysfunction, incontinence: Why men shouldn’t ignore their pelvic floors

08 Jul 06:00 AM
Maccas adds fave American item to Oz menu – why isn't it coming back to NZ?

Maccas adds fave American item to Oz menu – why isn't it coming back to NZ?

08 Jul 03:35 AM
'Scapegoats': DJ blames bosses for tragedy linked to royal prank

'Scapegoats': DJ blames bosses for tragedy linked to royal prank

07 Jul 09:08 PM
Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search