Have you tried doing yoga in tight jeans? Unless it rips off, you might have no problem but does it feel comfortable? Now you might think, compared to jeans, normal trousers would be perfect for yoga.
You are not wrong but saggy trousers could be uncomfortable while doing many different types of yoga poses. Therefore, some pants are made specifically for yoga, and these will, for sure, improve your yoga experience.
What Are Yoga Pants?
Yoga pants are comfortable and slim-fitting trousers designed for stretching and relaxing activities (especially like yoga). It is usually made up of a mix of nylon and Lycra, however, there are various materials used to make yoga pants today.
Although yoga was first invented more than 5000 years ago in ancient India, yoga pants were first created by Chip Wilson, Lululemon’s founder, in his first store in Vancouver. It took a while for yoga pants to gain popularity but compared to stiff jeans, these pants gained popularity among teenagers all around the globe within 2014.
Today, Nike, Adidas, and Target have also started making their yoga pants to meet the demand of this athletic generation.
Yoga Pants vs Leggings – Are They The Same?
Well, this question strikes on everyone’s mind as they look quite similar, but honestly, there is a huge difference between them.
Yoga pants are designed as athletic wear, meaning they resist tearing even while you engage in poses that require a lot of stretching. However, leggings are just thin cloth that is too thin to wear during fitness activities and have a high chance of tearing off.
Yoga pants are not always skin-tight, for example, sweatpants, wide-leg yoga pants, and capris while leggings are always skin-tight.
Most importantly, leggings are usually made up of cotton with spandex and nylon and are designed to prevent cold, while yoga pants are super elastic and are designed for sports. More specifically, those sports requiring a lot of stretching in all the areas.
So, leggings are cute- little- skin-tight wear that can be worn for everything, except sports.
Not All Yoga Pants Are Skin-tight
When anyone mentions yoga pants, all we think about is the tight-fitting trousers showing off the curves in our legs but there are many varieties of yoga pants that are not skin tight.
Although most people prefer to choose yoga pants that are skinny, that always doesn’t have to be the case. In case, if one doesn’t like skinny pants, and would rather prefer to wear yoga pants that aren’t skin tight, these could be some good options.
- Tight yoga pants
- High waist yoga pants
- Maternity yoga pants
- Capris yoga pants
- Yoga shorts
- Wide-legged yoga pants
- Specialty Fabric Yoga Pants
- Wide waistband Yoga pants
Yogis today can do yoga to the best of our abilities by having all the option to choose to feel the most comfortable yoga pants.
The Benefits of Wearing Yoga Pants – Why Should You Wear Them
Well, “yoga- pants” by its name makes a clear statement that it is made to wear for yoga; however, these could be worn on many occasions according to your comfort.
- The moisture-wicking property of yoga pants prevents overheating during exercise and can keep body temperature stable.
- It promotes the right amount of ventilation so, unlike leggings, you don’t end up having itchy and sticky pants.
- Yoga pants are stretchy- meaning they don’t tear off while you are in the most flexible positions.
- They are comfy and can look both formal and funky when right-colored pants are worn.
- As they are not so tight, you don’t have to worry about the blood flow in your legs.
- If you have varicose veins in your legs, yoga pants can work wonders to prevent further complications.
The Cons – Disadvantages of Yoga pants
Although yoga pants are amazing, they do have some disadvantages. There are some serious cons that might make you think otherwise, before choosing a yoga pant.
- Yoga pants are thought to cause, musculoskeletal disorders. A study done in 2016 found that males wearing tight pants are at a greater risk of musculoskeletal disorders because they cause abnormal movement and posture in the lumbar spine and pelvis.
- Compared to loose trousers, wearing tight yoga pants can make you more prone to yeast infection, Tinea cruris, and other fungal infections.
- The tight-fitting yoga pants can also make you more prone to ingrowing hairs, which could be seriously painful.
- Yoga pants may help to prevent the risk of varicose veins, it increases the risk of interfering with your blood circulation, it can also constrict your nerves causing you to feel numb.
In most cases, all these side effects of yoga pants usually occur, if you are wearing these throughout the day. Thus, wearing yoga pants only during yoga practice should not pose risks and must only offer its benefits.
In Conclusion
Having numerous options today, such as ones that have beautiful designs, yoga pants with pockets, yoga pants that are made from sweat absorbing materials and the list goes on. Maybe this is the reason why yoga pants are getting so popular these days.
Be it a person who prefers yoga or loathes yoga, the yoga pants could be comfy wear for anyone, anywhere. So, if you thinking of buying a yoga pant, you can do without putting much thought into it!
References: Wikipedia | MedicalNewsToday | NCBI | TimesofIndia
