Newsflash: Finding time to exercise in your adult life is insanely difficult. You’ve now got to juggle pesky things called a job and responsibilities. To make matters even worse, maybe you’re the furthest thing from being a morning person (girl, we feel your struggle). Great. So, what do you do?
If your schedule is absolutely bananas, that just means you’ll need to get creative about sneaking in exercise whenever and wherever the opportunity strikes. But to make that possible, you need to dress the part. We’re talking about picking up a few stylish workout wear pieces that allow you to get your sweat on while still passing the 9-5 test.
If you work in a fairly casual work environment, dressing in certain athleisure wear pieces is totally doable. Besides, opting for gym clothes that double as appropriate workwear isn’t just practical, it’s also pretty darn comfy if you ask us. Seriously, who doesn’t want to dress as comfortably as they possibly can?
To help you achieve all of your fitness goals in the coming year, we’ve rounded up a few workout pieces that you can also wear to the office. Oh, and feel free to mix-and-match the pieces below. These gym outfits are only limited by your creativity!
Outfit #1: Faux Leather Leggings + Sleeveless Top + Chic Blazer
When you’ve got back-to-back meetings, going to the gym on your lunch break might not be in the cards. In that case, you’ll need to improvise by setting up a quick workout space in your office.
With this stylish gym outfits, you can easily sneak in a 15-minute yoga session and improve your mental focus for the rest of the day. All you need to do is shed the blazer, tuck your sleeveless work top into your leather leggings and namaste it up.
BTW, don’t forget to pack a bag with essential workout gear, such as your colorful exercise mat and glitter water bottle. Because you need something to brighten up your work week, right?
Outfit #2: Tunic Top + Spanx Skinny Pants
Are you going to be doing a full-blown HIIT workout in this gym outfits? No, probably not. But is it going to maximize your comfort and style while you sneak in some quick desk pushups at your cubicle? Absolutely.
The beauty of this outfit lies in its cozy simplicity. Tunic tops made from high-quality materials are always super soft and will make you feel like you’re wearing an ultra-chic blanket to work (and totally getting away with it).
However, the real MVP in this ensemble has got to be the Spanx skinny pants. Stretchy, sleek and stylish, Spanx skinny pants are unbelievably comfortable and just scream #BOSSBABE. Be sure to pick up a pair or two—or five—and keep them in your work outfit rotation.
Outfit #3: Work Skirt + Bike Shorts + Long-Sleeve T-Shirt
We don’t know if you’ve heard, but bike shorts are one of the hottest athleisure trends of the year. What’s not to love about them? Comfortable and stylish, bike shorts can easily be worn both in and out of the gym.
Unfortunately, they’re also not exactly what we’d call “work appropriate,” which is why we’re all for tossing them under a chic skirt until it’s time for your evening spin class. Think about it: Bike shorts underneath a skirt are really no different than shapewear. They also prevent chafing and provide more coverage when you’re running or riding your bike to work.
No red rash on our thighs after a long workday? Sounds great to us. Plus, you can utilize a cozy, knit skirt as a post-workout coverup. Pair your bottoms with a moisture-wicking long-sleeve top and you’ve got a foolproof gym outfits that doesn’t break office dress code.
Outfit #4: Wide Leg Pants + Tank Top
Why spend money on flowy yoga pants when you can just wear a chic pair of culottes or gauchos instead? Seriously, wide-leg pants are ridiculously comfortable and allow for a wide range of motion, which makes them the perfect work-to-workout bottom for yoga sessions after work.
Wide leg trousers are also super trendy as of late. In fact, even Kate Middleton is swapping her skinny jeans for a plus size thigh high boots, so you just know that the wide leg trouser trend will only grow more popular from here on out. To rock this chic style with ease, pair your gauchos or culottes with a chic tank top that you can tuck into your pants. Once it’s time to hit the yoga mat, you’ll already be in a total state of Zen thanks to your ultra-comfortable workwear.
Outfit #5: Workout Dress + Stylish Sneakers
Think that working out in a dress is impractical? Well, that’s just because you haven’t found the right dress. Workout dresses are made with sweat-wicking materials and stretch fabrics that move with you. The result is an ultra-comfy dress that is perfect for running stairs on your lunch break or just slogging through boring paperwork until the clock strikes 5:00 p.m.
Oh, and if that little tidbit alone didn’t sell you on a workout dress, get this: Many of them come with POCKETS. Yep, ’nuff said. Get yourself a chic workout dress, pair it with some stylish and comfortable sneakers and you’ll be ready to tackle anything your workday holds.
Outfit #6: Stretchy Trouser Leggings + Striped Pullover + Tank Top
Leggings that look exactly like work pants? Yes, please! Stretchy trouser leggings are basically the greatest double agent of the clothing world. Designed to look like regular trousers, stretchy trouser leggings are secretly a workout pant that you can wear both in the boardroom or at the gym.
Sounds amazing, right? Though you can get them in a slew of colors, we recommend sticking to darker hues to avoid revealing their true identity (lighter pant colors tend to be less convincing, FYI). For an insanely comfortable work-to-workout look, combine your workout pants—we mean, work-wear pants —with a hybrid tank top layered underneath a striped pullover.
There you go! You can now transition from pencil-pusher to workout-crusher in two seconds flat. Best of all, you didn’t even need to wake up early to do it. We call that a major win.
