Your Workout Clothes Might Be Contributing to Inflammation Here Is Where I Start

January is one of the most strategic times of year to reassess what actually supports you. Energy is clearer, routines are visible, and it becomes easier to see what is helping and what is simply taking up space.

Clearing a closet at the start of the year is not about trends or excess. It is a practical reset. Keeping what works. Letting go of what no longer fits your body, your movement, or your priorities. Sometimes that even means reselling pieces that no longer align, giving them a second life through platforms like Poshmark or Facebook Marketplace, and creating room for fewer, better choices.

When inflammation enters the conversation, food is usually the first place people look. Stress and sleep follow closely behind. What rarely gets considered is what we wear when we move, even though activewear is often worn close to the skin, during sweat heavy movement, and sometimes for hours at a time.

That makes workout clothes a surprisingly relevant part of the inflammation discussion.

The skin is not just a barrier. It is an active organ and one of the body’s primary interfaces with the external environment. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences notes that the skin is a major route of exposure to chemicals, particularly when contact is repeated and prolonged. During exercise, increased circulation, heat, and sweat change how the skin interacts with fabrics and finishes.

This does not mean workout clothes are inherently harmful. It does mean they are worth reconsidering.

How this Can Show Up

Like low grade inflammation itself, the signals are often subtle. You do not need to feel sick or have an obvious reaction for something to be contributing to stress in the body.

For some people, this shows up as recurring skin irritation, itchiness, or breakouts that seem disconnected from diet or hygiene. For others, it looks like feeling overheated or uncomfortable quickly during workouts, or noticing that certain clothes retain odor no matter how often they are washed. Sometimes it is less specific, a sense of feeling off after movement even when nutrition, sleep, and training volume are well managed.

Research helps explain why. Certain chemicals used in textiles, including treatments designed for durability, stain resistance, or odor control, have been shown to act as endocrine disrupting compounds. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, these substances can interfere with hormone systems and are linked to immune and inflammatory effects over time.

The Environmental Working Group has also documented the presence of PFAS in some performance fabrics. These chemicals are persistent and can accumulate in the body. The concern is not a single exposure, but cumulative load. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has emphasized that small exposures from multiple sources can add up, particularly when exposure is frequent and ongoing.

This is why workout clothes deserve a different level of attention than many other garments. Frequency, proximity to the skin, heat, and sweat all change the equation.

Where To Begin

From an exposure standpoint, not all clothing is equal. The pieces that matter most are the ones that sit closest to the body, experience the most heat and moisture, and are worn repeatedly for long periods of time.

Areas like the groin and underarms meet all three criteria. During exercise, these regions are warm, damp, and in constant contact with fabric. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has noted that repeated and prolonged skin contact is one of the primary factors that increases exposure through the skin. In practical terms, leggings, bike shorts, and base layers deserve more attention than a loose top worn briefly.

This does not mean everything needs to be replaced. It simply means prioritizing the most obvious place first. Editing what sits closest to your body is often the most efficient way to make a meaningful change.

If you want to dig deeper on your own, there are independent resources like Good On You and Mamavation that rank activewear brands based on materials, chemical treatments, and transparency. They can be helpful if you enjoy researching.

If that feels overwhelming, you do not need to stress about it. I have already done the work and share the pieces I actually wear and trust on ShopMy, so everything lives in one place. And if you want more personal help, just let me know. I spent years in fashion before moving into tech, and I honestly love getting back into these conversations.

The Guide: Reducing inflammation from the inside out

If you’re feeling inflamed, foggy, or stuck in a cycle of guessing what to eat, food is still the first place I recommend starting.

The Anti-Inflammatory Kitchen is my two-week nutrition reset designed to reduce bloat, stabilize energy, and support your body’s natural anti-inflammatory rhythm. It’s practical, realistic, and built around what actually works day to day. No cleanses. No rules. Just a clear foundation you can build on.

But food is only one layer.

What you wear, how often it sits against your skin, and how your body is supported during movement all contribute to overall inflammatory load. That’s why I also share and link the workout pieces and low-tox outfit ideas I actually wear and trust, so you don’t have to research everything yourself.

Together, these two layers — what you eat and what you wear — are often the simplest way to start reducing inflammation in a way that feels manageable, not overwhelming.

You can explore both here.

Click here to download “The Anti-Inflammatory Kitchen”
Click here to see brands and low tox outfit ideas I love