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five february runfessions

5 ways to know it’s time to retire your fitness gear

January 22, 2021      15 Comments

It can be tough to figure out when to retire your fitness gear, simply because we get so attached to our things, and also, active wear gets EXPENSIVE! But these things don’t last forever, and sometimes, we have to say goodbye.

So, when is it time?

When your shoes look like this:

retire your fitness gear

Shoes have a life of about 400 miles. Maybe you can get away with six months if you’re not putting tons of miles on them, but that’s about it. Yes, it seems like a short period of time, especially when you consider the price, but when the rubber, gel, or other cushioning starts to break down, your shoes no longer benefit you. In fact, old shoes can lead to aches, pains, and even injury, so don’t let them linger in your collection too long.

When your sports bra pads do this:

retire your fitness gear

I don’t even know what you would call this condition, but it’s definitely time to retire your fitness gear when it happens. Sports bras are another item with a shelf life of about six months: the saying is that they should never celebrate a birthday with you. Again, solid, supportive bras can be pricey, so it stings when they wear out, but new bras are much more comfortable for working out.

When you can’t get the stink out.

After a certain point, no amount of cleaning hacks can neutralize the odor in workout gear. Stripping, special detergents, vinegar, and other techniques do their job for a while, but when you can smell your fitness gear even after a good wash, you should consider kissing it goodbye.

retire your fitness gear

When your spandex gives up the fight.

Ever go for a run or workout session and spend the entire time pulling your tights back into place? Just me? Spandex quits in its own time, and when it does, there’s no refreshing it. It’s a pain in the butt to keep adjusting your clothes when it happens, so just let those pieces of fitness gear go, literally.

retire your fitness gear

When things get hole-y.

Even your favorite socks have to go sometimes. There isn’t necessarily an expiration date on socks, but over time, they will get saggy, baggy, and, yes, hole-y. It’s always disappointing to say goodbye to your socks, but once your toe starts sticking through, or your shoes start eating them during runs, it’s time to retire them from duty.

retire your fitness gear

Other signs you’re ready to retire your fitness gear?

  • Chafing in places that never chafed before
  • Blisters from slipping socks and shoes
  • Compression no longer doing it’s job
  • Electronics that keep glitching or no longer hold a charge

When do you decide to retire your fitness gear?

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Comments

  1. Coco says

    January 22, 2021 at 4:36 am

    OMG, the spandex one made me LOL. I hold on to sports bras longer than I should. I demote my running bras to yoga/cycling bras which don’t need to work as hard. 😉

    Reply
  2. Lisa @ Mile by Mile says

    January 22, 2021 at 9:54 am

    I’m really bad about retiring my gear- especially sports bras! I do replace my shoes regularly since I can really feel when those get worn out.

    Reply
  3. Zenaida Arroyo says

    January 22, 2021 at 11:59 am

    6 months for a sports bra? Wow, I’ve had mine for YEARS. For my clothes I swear by SportSuds. It is truly the best to keep my clothes smelling nice and clean.

    Reply
  4. Renée @runlaugheatpie says

    January 22, 2021 at 12:04 pm

    omgosh all of these!!! reminds me that I really need to retire a few items… my compression tanks have *nothing* left in them yet it’s such a habit to just put one on!!

    Reply
  5. Deborah Brooks says

    January 22, 2021 at 1:02 pm

    Ha cute! I don’t think most people replace their sports bras often enough! Sometimes I see ladies out there running and well, it just looks painful to watch!

    Reply
  6. Debbie says

    January 22, 2021 at 1:12 pm

    The worst thing about old fitness clothing isn’t that it stinks after washing. It’s that it makes me stink when I sweat in it!

    I track my shoe mileage in my Garmin app so I know when it’s time to retire them.

    Reply
  7. Chocolaterunsjudy says

    January 22, 2021 at 2:36 pm

    Electronics glitching yes! That I’ve had to do.

    Most of my running tights, thankfully, hold up for years. Although one of my fav pairs ripped & I was so sad.

    I guess I’m blessed with socks, too, I’ve never worn a hole in the toe box. Everyday socks tend to wear out at the herl, though!

    Reply
  8. Marcia says

    January 22, 2021 at 3:23 pm

    I’m good about all of these EXCEPT the bra. I throw those pads away so there’s no indication of how old my bra is. That said, the last time I purged bras I tossed some that were around during the O’Bama administration. Maybe that should be a runfession….

    Reply
  9. Darlene S Cardillo says

    January 22, 2021 at 5:06 pm

    thanks for the reminders. I’m very good about the shoes. I wear them out often.

    The other stuff not so much because basically I have too much!!!!

    Reply
  10. Erica @ Erica Finds says

    January 22, 2021 at 10:27 pm

    The smell is usually the thing that gets me! I’ve had some elastic give up the ghost and stretchy spandex. Those shoes! Yikes! I rotate mine a lot so I don’t have any that look like that!

    Reply
  11. Kimberly Hatting says

    January 22, 2021 at 11:49 pm

    I have a pair of capris that are too cute to toss, but they are ill-fitted. The youngest daughter bought them, and didn’t like their fit, so I inherited them. I think the waist is not “tight” enough (and not because they’re worn out), and they always feel like they’re on the verge of falling. I wear them on the bike, problem solved LOL

    Reply
  12. Wendy says

    January 23, 2021 at 1:52 pm

    We spend so much money on our fitness gear that it’s hard to let it go! But can I say how much I loathe those bra pads? Why can’t they just sew them in place?

    Reply
  13. Beckett @ Birchwood Pie says

    January 23, 2021 at 2:57 pm

    I must runfess that my favorite sports bra has started chaffing me, so I’m slowly weaning myself away from it. My sports bras have birthdays, but generally don’t start kindergarten. A few years ago I got some replacement pads on Amazon and that’s helped a lot to get extra life out of them.
    Beckett @ Birchwood Pie recently posted…Weekly Eats: Pie EditionMy Profile

    Reply
  14. Michelle D. says

    January 23, 2021 at 9:52 pm

    I have definitely been guilty of holding on to an item too long – especially if there’s a sentimental reason.

    Reply
  15. Liz Dexter says

    January 24, 2021 at 12:47 pm

    Great photos and good points!! I need to retire my walking trainers, after discovering they have no tread at all now!

    Reply

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Welcome to Runs With Pugs. My name is Jenn and this is the story of my love affair with running and finding myself through fitness. From C25K to marathon, from triathlon to SUP, from broken leg to the recovery journey... I'm sharing it all. I'm a wife and mother of one, living in NE Florida, in love with travel, adventure, and food. Oh. We have pugs and a hedgehog, too. Thank you for joining us! We're glad to have you along for the ride!
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