Just because I’m a mom doesn’t mean that I don’t want to look cute. Yes, sometimes I walk around for days with spit up on my mom yoga pants, and there are days when my hair doesn’t get done so I look like I belong in a Dr. Seuss illustration…. All that aside, I enjoy dressing up. Even for workouts.

But there’s a catch. If I’m going to sweat, I have to be comfortable and cute. My clothes have to be fun and very, very functional.

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? I do a lot of barre workouts, but I also love kettle bells, strength training, and running…oh, and the elliptical if I’m stuck inside. Which means that I do a lot of jiggling moving…so my workout gear has to be able to keep up (and keep ME up!).

A Great Foundation

When you’re big busted like me (thanks breastfeeding!), you need to hold those suckers down. You just do. Trust me on this one. I cannot begin to tell you how frustrating it is to try a sports bra on and have it not fit correctly, or not provide enough support and compression.

Compression is key.

If you don’t want to knock yourself out, you need a bra that can hold the girls in place, right? Right. Moving Comfort makes a great compression sports bra that doesn’t give you uniboob. I am also especially fond of Lucy’s bras.

Once upon a time, I had a few from Lululemon that fit well before I had the boys.

Since we’re talking about under garments, why not just get straight to the point: underwear. What you wear under your yoga pants. No one wants their granny panties sticking out (and yes, I do have some, thankyouverymuch), or *gasp* riding up. Talk about uncomfortable!

I’m a big fan of thongs. Yup. I said the word. They aren’t the kind that go between your toes. I figure, if you are going to have fabric wedged up there better it be 1 inch than 10. If you are comfortable in your tightie whities, then go for it. But for me, when I’m working really hard, the last thing I need is a wedgie.

Sweats Aren’t Made For Sweat

Sure, your VS PINK sweats are cute for lounging, but they really are not made for a morning run (unless it’s super cold, of course), or a hard core spin class. Or even a barre workout, in my experience. You need pants that are made to help you move. Pants that aren’t made for exercise can hinder you.

Of course, you need to be comfortable in your pants, so I suggest that you figure out if you prefer more of a semi-fitted yoga pant or true workout tights. I’m a huge fan of capris (I don’t generally do shorts.), and I am currently obsessed with my Tech Capris and for early morning runs I love the reflective trim on the my Accelerate Capris.

I also love, love, love my Lucy pants. All of them. I’m actually sitting here writing in my Zenergys. Lucy is unique in that their clothes (especially their pants!) do exactly what they’re supposed to…and thy are a bit heavier than other brands that I’ve tried. But that is not always a bad thing!

In fact, if you prefer longer yoga pants, I’m a big fan of their Hatha or Perfect Core pants. Okay, okay…I just love Perfect Core because they hold in my mommy tummy. Hush.

Moving on.

Let’s Talk Tops

I love a good workout tank. I actually think that I work harder if I feel cute. It doesn’t hurt to have a motivating phrase to look at in the mirror, either.

Oh.My.Word. I found some amazingly cute tanks on Etsy (gotta love supporting other working women)! Of course I had to get some. Obviously. I was actually just searching for a motivating “Hustle” shirt when I stumbled upon them.

And guess what? Sunset Sign Designs has offered an awesome 15% discount to my readers when you use the code “BREA15”!

If that wasn’t enough, you can enter to win a FREE TANK below!

I prefer lose, flowy tanks that hide my slowly disappearing mommy tummy. I’m a bit self conscious. But it is slowly shrinking. Slowly. There’s hope. And now on to my [other] favorite things:

SHOES (& socks…)

Can you tell I like shoes (a lot?). I may have cleaned out my closet, but I kept my shoes. A girl needs cute shoes. And my workout shoes are no different! It honestly depends on what type of exercise I’m doing what shoes I reach for.

But if I’m doing a barre workout or wogging (I’m going to make that a legitimate word someday!), I prefer my running shoes. I really, really, really love my Pearl Izumis and my Nike Frees. Of course, I’m working on building my strength in my feet so that I can get to wearing my Vibrams again. I miss them.

If you are wearing good shoes, you need socks to make them work the way they are supposed to. Performance socks are meant to wick sweat, support your arch, and (most importantly) not bunch. No one wants to be on mile 2 and have to sit down and un-bunch a sock! Do yourself a favor and invest in some quality socks. You can thank me later.

Sweat Bands Are So Last Year

I absolutely love my Hippie Runner headbands. I even wear them when I’m not working out. Yup. They’re super comfortable, and they keep my hair out of my face. Functional and cute. That’s how I roll. Of course, there are lots of headband options out there, but with my short hair (think JLaw), most of them are more of a nuisance because they just ride up the back of my head and pop off. At which point, I have to stop, pick up my (now dirty) headband, and refocus. No.Thank.You. That’s why Hippie Runner has my heart.

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