to expect keep fit clothes to come in BIG sizes?

[punter]

I am looking at you Sweaty Betty - your XL translates according to your website as a size 16 which is the average UK women's size. As you have a sale on I ordered 3 different styles, they arrived this morning and looked like they had shrunk in the wash when I tried stuff on.
Surely people who want to get fit should be able to get clothes that are comfortable and fit for purpose (that came out as a pun sorry.
Suppose I shall have to try dreaded M&S ....

Smooshface, that's really interesting thanks for posting that

Sally your post was amazing.

I'm fat. I probably have a genetic tendency to be so - I was at a family function yesterday and the only slim people there were my sister (and she takes after my mother's family massively) and my grandfather who has cancer.

I also don't eat particularly well which doesn't help.

But I'm pretty fit. I cycle to work. I run at least 5 k twice a week (although I will never pretend to be a club runner) and try to fit in some Pilates too.

People do make the mistake of thinking fat = unfit. One of my colleagues very solicitously checked that I would be OK going up the stairs and then had to make me stop when he was out of breath... He of course is tall and slim whereas I'm short and dumpy!

34 mins for 5K is 11 min/mile. That's not a great deal faster than walking pace and doesn't say a great deal about the fitness of the average person.

I'd say 34 minutes is a Race for Life pace. It's about 9.5kph whch is definitely not a walk bonkers

And it is a much better time that those who sit on the sofa achieve so let's not diss it eh?

KatoPotato I'm just thinking "hammer time" and trying to do the dance now!!

The only sportswear I spend money on is footwear. I've dodgy feet so will make sure trainers are well fitting and fit for purpose. Rest of it is cheap sports direct/primark/supermarket stuff oooh or decathlon but mainly go there just to gaze at the vast array of sporting goods! Then buy chocolate and comfy yoga pants to lounge about in

As for walking pace v jogging pace, im rubbish at jogging. The only way I can do it is to jog at slug like crawl which is slightly slower than my fastest walking pace. I'm not fast in the slightest and that's fine.

Tortoise pace all the way for me.

I have had this too. I'm very overweight but have never had problems before as I bought some joggers and t-shirts at Asda which have been fine for gym classes. I decided to start walking and went to buy a waterproof jacket only to find that I am too big for any of the ladies outdoor ranges. I ended up buying a man's coat but it struck me as ironic that we are all told to move more and get fitter yet the clothing to do that is just not there

Try fat face- I Am a 12/14 and had to buy a small in their active 88 range, and the vest is quite loose but didn't fall down when I was downward dogging! The large must be about a 16/18?

Agree that fitted vests are needed if you want to be at all upside down- unless you have washboard abs and a pretty bra!

I also wore a Nike medium at a post baby size 16 so I don't think sports wear is that small sized. Mind you it is v good quality and stretcy, I still wear it now and is only baggy on the knees!

I did my first ParkRun last year and finished in 37 minutes. I was one of the slowest but not the last.

Re times - I think ParkRun have special mentions for men who can run in sub 17 minutes and women who can run in sub 22 minutes. These seem incredibly fast to me.

Who cares what time someone does something in as long as they are out there making the effort? My 5k time is about 35 mins, my 10k best is 83 mins, I am slow I know I am slow but I am a lot faster than I was when I didn't run!

Wow, Chandler's attitude had amazed me! It is people like her/him that put larger people off exercising due to that sneering attitude of if you can't run fast, don't bother running at all!

I have seen (and shared on FB) a meme which states a mile is still a mile whether it is a 7 minute mile or a 17 minute mile... And it is still quicker than anyone sat on the sofa!

Try primark op, though do one size up because clothes can be a tad tighter.

Taking shape and Ulla Popken do good stuff and both have good sales on at moment

Gosh, what is wrong with some people?!

What is so terrible about people carrying a bit of extra weight wanting to lose it, and wanting exercise gear to fit...? And I say this as 5"10' size 10, so no axe to grind.

I am really pleased that there are no attitudes like this on the runners thread in Exercise, or it would be completely off-putting. Everyone there is massively encouraging of any and every effort or achievement.

Telling someone that a 20-min 5k run isn't that good is just disengenuous.

Running and exercise in general is supposed to make you happy and put you in a positive frame of mind. I know it does for me.

There are a couple of pretty miserable people on this thread, who should ask themselves what they get out of being quite so grinch-like.

m.facebook.com/stateofmindactive
I've bought a few things from here after seeing it recommended on another thread. Good stuff!

I agree, I hate the fact that running shorts are all so short. I am tall, and I just don't want a whole lot of bare leg hanging down from my clothing. I feel uncomfortably exposed.

I run in capri leggings instead, although in warm weather these aren't ideal. Shorts would be cooler, but they're all virtually hot pant length.

Why is there not more choice? Men certainly don't have only the option of shorts that only just cover their arse.

I disagree actually. I really like the very short shorts- longer shorts flap around too much. I can see why not everyone wants to wear them but they are definitely fit for purpose IMO.

I don't want flappy long shorts.

But I do feel vulnerable to passing eejits when I have a lot of leg exposed.

It would be good to have a choice.

I'm a flabby size 18 and took up running last year. I have a pair of teal green Nike running tights which I love. Other than that, most of my running gear is cheap, boring black Karrimor stuff because nothing else fits/is true to size. If I could afford more Nike I would buy it- it's all bright, stylish and good quality so if you can afford it you could try that.

YANBU, surely overweight people need appropriate clothing to exercise in in order to lose it, so why is it so hard to find?!

"Wow, Chandler's attitude had amazed me! It is people like her/him that put larger people off exercising due to that sneering attitude of if you can't run fast, don't bother running at all! "

This isn't at all what she said? She said that she didn't think a 20 minute 5 k was that fast, which doesn't surprise me if she's a serious club runner. But there was no value judgement other than that in her post - in fact she specifically did say that it doesn't matter what size you are, etc, it's getting out there that's important. I can't imagine ever being able to run 5 k in 20 minutes without tiny rockets on my shoes but that's fine by me. However fast you run, unless you're Mo Farah, there's always going to be people faster. The thing to do is concentrate on your own progress.

PS I like short shorts too - I have some ones with integral pants. I only get them out for about 3 months of the year though, but they're so much more comfortable than capris once I've got over worrying about blinding people with my hi-vis blue legs.

I think a lot of these things are just fashion phases as well- I mean those short running shorts would have been social death a few years ago- it was all lycra. Then suddenly, the silky shorts were back.

Hopefully by the time those bootleg exercise leggings come back into fashion I'll be dead .

Decathlon! Can't believe nobody has mentioned Decathlon yet. Massive range of choice across all sports (running/cycling/gym specific etc) and goes up to XXXL .
I also imagine that their XXXL does tally with size 22 or 20 - I'm a 10 and wear a small, so it seems pretty true to size.

The Kalenji running stuff is good quality and cheap. I tend to do all my training in their baggy racer back vests, and capris .

But perhaps I shouldn't bother eh, given that my 5k time is only 23 mins...?!