Whenever you watch professional athletes in their respective sports, you’ll notice most of them wearing compression gear. Sometimes it looks cool, while other times, it may look out of place. But rather than being a stylish accessory, they wear it to help their performance.

Now, you don’t need to be a professional athlete to wear compression gear; anyone with a regular exercise routine can use it. Furthermore, wearing compression gear may help you crush your workouts even more. Here are a few benefits of using these pieces while exercising.

1. Temporarily Alleviates Muscle Soreness

Working out is a catch-22; you feel great, and it positively impacts your mood throughout the day. But the following morning, you may not be able to move much because of the discomfort in your muscles. You may even utter the words “I’ll never work out again,” which we all know is usually false.

Usually, you’ll give yourself a day or two off and then exercise again, but you’ll still feel slight discomfort that affects your energy levels. As a result, your workout won’t be at the standard you’re used to. Rather than remaining puzzled at your lack of intensity, wear some compression gear. Providing your muscles with extra support temporarily alleviates any muscle soreness you’ll feel during and after your workout.

For example, let’s say you were planning on running a 10K. The last one left you with discomfort in your knees, but if you wore compression knee sleeves, you wouldn’t need to worry too much about the soreness. Your body would feel great, and you could focus on enjoying the run.

2. Aids Recovery Efforts

No one wants to experience soreness after a workout, but unfortunately, it’s bound to happen. You may stretch, take a bath, or even use a foam roller to reduce discomfort. While these are great, they may not provide what you’re looking for if you plan to exercise again the next day.

However, if you wear compression gear, it may provide the help you need. These pieces have more elasticity than other garments, leading to increased blood circulation. As a result, it aids your muscles’ recovery efforts, allowing you to exercise with minor soreness the following day. So if your knees were sore after leg day at the gym, wearing compression knee sleeves will reduce the discomfort and support your surrounding joints.

3. Supports Perceived Exertion

Exercise is tiring no matter what you do. But when you’re doing intense workouts—like training for a marathon or powerlifting—it’s even more taxing on the body. Furthermore, pushing your body to its limits can be challenging and painful, especially if you aren’t properly caring for it.

To get better results, it would be in your best interest to wear compression gear. According to a recent study, wearing compression clothing during a workout supports your body’s ability to exercise with minor discomfort. The next time you want to ramp up your training regime, throw on some compression gear and watch your results skyrocket.

4. Maintains Flexibility

Frequently performing strenuous workouts typically equates to sore muscles the next day and will likely result in you walking like Frankenstein. Each step you take will be slower, and you may even groan because of the discomfort; you want to move your muscles, but it’s just not happening.

However, if you wear compression gear during your workout, you wouldn’t feel like that the following day. These garments support your body’s ability to move freely while still restricting movement, so there won’t be wasted actions throughout your workout. That’s why you’ll always see Olympic power lifters wearing compression knee sleeves—it provides additional support for their knees while ensuring there’s still enough flexibility for their complex movements.

5. Keeps a Comfortable Body Temperature

Have you ever worked out without warming up? It probably felt like your body was shouting obscenities because you didn’t prepare it for exercise. You felt as though your bones were creaking, which is why a quick stretch or dynamic warmup is essential. On the other hand, there are instances when you’ve done a warmup, but the external temperatures still affect areas of your body.

If you wear compression gear while exercising, it could help keep your body at a comfortable temperature. Instead of having creaky knees during your workout, compression knee sleeves will keep them at the optimal temperature and aid your performance. Plus, the material removes moisture from your sweat, so you won’t overheat as the workout progresses.

Do Your Body a Favor by Wearing Compression Gear

Wear compression gear if you’re ready to take your workouts to the next level. It’ll temporarily alleviate muscle soreness, aid your body’s recovery from intense workouts, and help you have an overall better exercise experience. As a result, you’ll be able to workout more efficiently, and your body will be grateful in return.