Need girl advice about exercise clothes

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’ve been going to the gym five days a week since December. In the winter I wore sweats. When the weather got warm, I started to wear knee-length “compression” exercise pants. Spandex exercise wear, basically.

I cannot figure out if I’m supposed to wear underwear with it or not. On the one hand, that familiar layer of cotton is very reassuring. On the other hand, there’s no way to not have VPL, and research indicates that none of the other women in spandex pants have VPL.

What am I supposed to be doing here?

2

I know that with bicycle shorts with the cushioning in the seat one doesn’t wear underwear.

I would follow the same rule with opaque spandex in the gym.

3

I always wear underwear working out (I run in yoga pants).

I have never considered, nor cared, whether VPL is an issue. It’s a gym not a fashion show. If someone is so intent on staring at my ass, may my pantylines burn their retinas with the horror.

4

Thongs

5

One does too wear underwear with bike shorts. At least this one does. Bike shorts are expensive and somewhat delicate and fussy to wash; I can get 3-4 rides out of them before they need to be washed if I wear undies with them. Without, they need to be washed after every ride. Crotch sweat is steeeenky.

And I’d wear undies with spandex/gym wear as well. Why in the world would I care about panty lines in a gym, for God’s sake? I’m there to get sweaty and stinky and work out, not to look like I’m heading out on the town for the night.

6

I’m not a girl, but I wear underwear with every type of pants except swim trunks. To me it’s a matter of hygiene. Of course, I don’t give a rat’s butt about panty lines. :slight_smile:

7

OK. Bike nuts say not to, and they’re designed to be form fitting. It’s more comfortable for me without underwear.

I was extrapolating to form fitting stuff in the gym. I don’t care if a woman has a pantyline anywhere, including the gym, and was thinking about comfort, but live and let live.

8

Consider seamless, laser-cut underwear. It’s what yoga enthusiasts wear when they don’t want VPL and it works.

VPL is one of those things that I don’t notice in other people, but I still don’t want it on my own ass. So I sympathize with your concern.

9

Concur with wearing a thong or that seamless underwear.

They’re designed to be worn without underwear. If you wear underwear anyway, that’s your choice, but it doesn’t mean that it “should” be done.

What’s fussy about washing them anyway? Turn them inside out, throw them in the washer, and hang to dry.

10

My experience is that spandex is meant to be worn next to the skin, and anything worn underneath just interferes with the sweat wicking. Spandex pants are halfway a type of underwear themselves in that the less secure people wear loose shorts over them.

11

I wear underwear with everything except swimwear and dancewear (i.e. leotard, tights). Cotton underwear. This includes bike shorts and tennis skorts where it probably isn’t necessary called for.

12

I wear near-seamless underwear when working out, but only wear semi-fitted pants, rather than compression gear.

13

I don’t understand this

if I’m really working out, the shorts need to be washed whether I’m wearing underwear or not.

so why would I?

14

How about doing the world a favor and not wearing spandex in the gym at all. My god, I try to look away but there you are on the stairmaster right in front of my treadmill, with every defect of your posterior anatomy staring me in the face and jiggling and flexing with every move. It’s hypnotic.

OK, this is what I have said in my head any number of times at my gym, not to you personally. You may have a fabulous body that would be a treat to be behind. But I have to wonder why not just wear loose shorts instead of spandex?

15

Because I’m wearing a long loose shirt over them, and they don’t ride up like shorts do. Thanks for asking.

PS: this guy is why I worry about VPL.

16

Because I’m more interested in having an effective workout than I am in your opinion of my ass.

(I prefer loose shorts, or cover tighter shorts with a long-ish t-shirt myself, but if I got a better workout by exposing my spandex-clad ass, I’d do it.)

17

And to head off the retort that I know is coming: wearing a long loose shirt and having VPL are not incompatible situations. VPL happens on the lower part of the ass. The shirt cuts off slightly above that, because no, I’m not going to wear a dress to work out in. The VPL would still be visible even though the top and mid portion of my ass is covered.

Got it?

18

And yet you posted it here directly to her.

19

I wear underwear with all my workout, but it is not excessively compressive. At least not anymore. As to why, because I can use it more than once without it getting very stinky. And I have way more underwear than workout pants.

Also, consider that many spandex and form fitting pants can be semi-translucent, especially if they’re not brand new or are tight. So I would still want to wear underwear, to avoid showing off more than I want. I’m picturing right now the women in the gym that do squats and exercise in front of me in class. I can even tell what color and brand of underwear they’re wearing when they’re stretching, and that’s covered under their workout pants.

20

I don’t wear underwear under spandex exercisewear & I wash everything after every use. I can’t say if that’s what I’m supposed to do or not. I think of it in the same category as dancewear.