As a college athlete playing sports, you must know how to layer your sports apparel well, as it significantly affects your performance level. At first, learning how to layer your clothes well may seem a bit redundant. However, how you layer your clothes can significantly impact your performance and ability to give your best in your game.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro athlete or just starting your college sports journey, dressing right for the weather is a big challenge. For instance, you may have gone for a run in the winter season, only to feel frozen in the first mile and then overheated halfway through it. That wouldn’t have ruined your running session but also made it less fruitful. That’s where the right layering comes to your rescue.
With the help of the right layering techniques, you can easily prepare yourself and your body to deal with the frequently changing weather without sacrificing the fruitfulness of your training sessions. Furthermore, it can help you prevent overheating or sweating excessively during practice, increasing your productivity. Layering has ample benefits, especially for you as a college athlete. Therefore, let’s discuss some smart tips to layer your sportswear properly to maximize your performance.
The Basics of Layering for Utmost Comfort
Start with a Moisture-Wicking Base Layer
Sometimes, we all feel a little lazy when it comes to layering multiple layers of clothes, perhaps thinking, what’s the point? However, layering is crucial for your body to stay comfortable throughout your practice session or game. For instance, think of it as a tool that helps your body perform better, no matter what the harsh weather throws at you. Most of the time, sweat is the main problem many athletes face during their practice sessions. Therefore, you must start layering with a moisture-wicking base layer that can help you prevent sweating and stay cool and dry throughout.
Add an Insulating Layer for Warmth
The main job of the insulating layer is to retain your body’s heat and keep you warm and snug while still allowing moisture to escape. If you live in a cold climate, this extra layer, besides your moisture-wicking layer, can be a game-changer for your early morning practice sessions.
For this particular layer, you can go for materials like fleece or synthetic materials like Thinsulate; they are great at trapping heat without weighing you down. Furthermore, unlike some heavy materials, all these materials won’t ruin the look of your Los Medanos College Mustang and will keep it looking fab.
Ideal it Off with a Protective Outer Layer.
The top layer of your sportswear is like a shield, protecting you from all the rough and tough weather conditions. This layer keeps you cool and dry whether it’s raining, windy, or snowing. Thus, it’s a must for this layer to be waterproof, water-resistant, and windproof. Furthermore, don’t forget to ensure the material is breathable because you don’t want the sweat to trap inside your jacket. Therefore, you can choose jackets with ventilation features like pit zips or other high-performance fabrics.
Don’t Forget Your Extremities
While we layer our bodies with multiple layers of clothes on cold, snowy days or other extreme weather conditions, how about our heads, hands, and feet? These parts of our body deserve a little extra attention, as they are the most sensitive ones, and we often forget to cover them up adequately.
Furthermore, for you as an athlete, covering these parts adequately is even more important because if they get cold, you may not be able to perform well in your game. Therefore, invest in gloves with insulation, breathable headbands or hats, and moisture-wicking socks to keep these parts nice and warm.
Consider the Intensity of Your Activity
Just as crucial as it is for you to layer right, similarly, it’s just as important for you to keep in mind the intensity of your activity. The intensity of your workout can significantly affect your layering strategy. For instance, if you’re into sports like running or cycling, or if you just do these things as part of your practice, your body will generate a lot more heat than usual. So, you must go for moisture-wicking layers or insulating ones to keep yourself comfortable throughout. If you’re into low-intensity activities, then you must wear both moisture-wicking and insulating layers to keep yourself dry and warm.
Final Thoughts
As an athlete who’s engaged in daily sports activities, you must layer your sportswear the right way. Layering your clothes rightly not only enhances your performance but also keeps your body comfortable to give its best as you aim for that next goal. Furthermore, don’t forget that when you’re layering, you aren’t just piling on extra clothes; instead, choose the right materials and combine them effectively to keep your body comfortable throughout.
