Getting sporty with Sportsshoes.com sportswear

If any of you follow me on twitter (and if not, why not?  You can follow me here), you might have seen that I’m trying to lose weight and get fit.  I’ve been extremely lax and ultimately just been a pig.  I lost 2 stone just before my mum died last year, but then Christmas came and since then the weight’s piled back on and more.  I’m now the weight I was when I was 9 months pregnant.  How horrendous is that!?

So enough is enough.

I do generally try and walk at lunchtimes when possible (hate the hot weather and being sticky after walking back up the hill to the office though), and since May have been swimming again a couple of times a week.  It’s bliss now that the outdoor pool’s open, although it’s a shame that it’s only open 3 lunchtimes (2 of which I can do).  I dread to think how busy it’ll be once the children are off for the holidays though; at the moment it’s bliss (and an easy way to get a tan…strapmarks aren’t great though).

I’m not a runner at all, but I’ve also been doing the 30 day plank challenge and the 30 day squat challenge.  The latter is awful – I’m not sure how I’ll ever be able to increase any further than the 80 I’m on now.  Add to the mix daily HIIT workouts that I’ve subscribed too which I do when I can, and healthier eating (well, a lot less food than I was eating), and hopefully I’ll lose some weight before a christening I’m going to in September.

But workout gear isn’t really in existence in my wardrobe.  I have plenty, but it was all when I was a size 12.  As I tend to exercise early or late at home, pyjama bottoms and a vest top tend to do the job.  Or did, until I was given the opportunity to review sportswear from sportsshoes.com.

I decided that ordering bottoms online probably wasn’t the best idea with getting the right size, and I’ve got 3 pairs of trainers already that I rarely wear (of which I only tend to wear the walking ones), so I opted for tops that will be useful to wear at home as well as if I ever decide to exercise out of the house again.  Sportshoes.com have so much choice, I was a bit overwhelmed.  Because they stock lots of different specialist brands, you have to check the sizing on each item if you’re not sure.  It’s great that the sizing is brand specific, as so many other websites aren’t.

I chose:

• Nike tank top vest in grey, as you can’t have too many basic vest tops
• Mizuno Drylite sunset running t shirt, and
• Puma pr pure core windstopper jacket

The item I was first drawn to on the website was the Puma running jacket.  I have lots of fleecy jackets and waterproofs, but nothing light enough for walking in.  I have a tendency to get hot, and this one is thin and light, so is great for walking if it’s inbetween seasons.  But it is also windproof via it’s Gore Windstopper technology, which means you don’t get a chill through you once you’ve got warmed up.  There’s also breathable material under the arms, and an opening at the back, so it really is a great jacket for activewear.

Plus look at the colour.  I’m a big fan of purple – there’s nothing like having something bright to wear when you’re exercising.  If you’re walking out on the roads (which I’m likely to be when walking near home), there are reflective pieces to make you visible to drivers. 

The shape of the jacket is quite fitted (and that’s not just because I’m overweight).  I opted for my smaller rather than larger size, so when I’ve lost a few pounds it will fit perfectly. There’s a small zip pocket for presumably keys.  The length of the sleeves are good so no half-mast look, and the shoulders fit in the right place.  On to a winner with this jacket – good for walking, (running, if you’re so inclined), and for being out on the bike (when I replace my rusted one with a new lighter model with suspension).

When I’m exercising I prefer sleeveless tops as I do get really hot.  But I decided to try the Mizuno t shirt as an alternative to a vest top.  I love colour of this t shirt – a real ombre effect, although the back is plain.  I expected it to be the same colour all over.  Despite the horizontal blocks of colour, and the darker shade at the top, it’s quite flattering.

I’d usually wear cotton but this is aimed at runners so it’s a dry lite technical material, to keep sweat away from the skin.  Again, it’s a light material, which helps prevent rubbing, and I quite like the neckline – a bit different and smarter than a round neck (if workout clothes can be smart?!).  Not being used to running gear, the material reminds me of football shirt material.  I guess both wick moisture away so makes sense they’d be similar.  It feels like good quality material, and hopefully would last through a decent amount of wear

In my past experience exercise clothing always comes up small, so I ordered an extra-large (I’m usually a 14 on top but at the moment don’t really have a waist) – it was a little tight over the waist and hips, but plenty roomy enough on top thanks to me being pear shaped.  If you’re a straight up and down, it’d likely be a better fit.  Hopefully once I’ve lost a bit of weight, it’ll be a bit looser and look better.  I think this would be more a walking top than for my HIIT training.  I think I’d always be fidgeting with the sleeves if I was doing hardcore exercise.  

Finally I opted for the basic Nike flow tank top vest.  I do prefer working out in vests as they’re so much cooler, but I liked the look of this one as it was slightly A line which is much better for my shape.  The colour goes with anything so it’s a failsafe addition to my exercise wardrobe. 

Knowing Nike sizing I went for the large, and it fits fine.  It’s a good length – not so short it’ll rise up, and I haven’t got lots of gaping under the arms – although after a couple of wears or a lot of exercise I might find that’s the case as it’s basic jersey material.  The only downside is that it’s very low at the front.  But wearing a sports bra or another tighter vest underneath would sort that out.

A racer back is always good for exercising as it means no having to pull up vest straps all the time, and this isn’t too much like sportswear, so you could easily wear it day to day if you have quite a casual look.  It’s not got the Nike logo on so another reason it’s not like obvious sportswear.  I can see me wearing it lots.

Overall there’s so much choice on Sportsshoes.com, I could have bought quite a few different items.  I did find quite a lot in my size was out of stock which is always a shame when shopping online.  It’s always nice to get a bargain, and some of the price reductions looked really good.  Delivery is around £4.99, and there’s different options to choose next day or Saturday deliveries, so lots of flexibility.

Now I’m set for exercising.  Just need to dig out my joggers and get to work on building up my exercise time.

Do you exercise?  How do you fit it in round children?

—————————————————————————————————————-

Disclosure: I chose these items to review for SportsShoes.com.  All views and words are my own.