Do you wear yoga pants or any stretchy, shiny activewear?
Whether for fitness or leisure, many of us own some sort of activewear, and even if you’re not wearing a pair of leggings or technical shirt today, you can likely look around and see someone that is. It is one of the biggest fashion trends of our century, and has kept many of us comfortable over the past years, but…
Not all Yoga Pants Are Created Equal
With activewear becoming more and more fashionable and being worn every day, it’s time to pay more attention. How much time do you spend wearing something that was originally intended to be worn while playing sports, exercising, or spending active time outdoors? I know that I do! Most yoga pants are made with “high-performance” materials that wick away moisture, and allow stretch, mobility, and movement … including that generous waistband!
Workout clothes have changed over the years.
Did you know that the “athletic apparel industry” relies on PFAS and other types of toxic chemicals to make sweat wicking, stain resistant, water resistant, quick-drying fabric, and high-performance claims? What are PFAS? Toxic, persistent, man-made chemicals that are bioaccumulative in the environment .. and in us. They are also known as “forever chemicals”. If you’re looking for something to watch on your next movie night, consider True Cost or Dark Waters.
Why are PFAS so dangerous? “First, the structure of PFAS means they resist breakdown in the environment and in our bodies. Second, they move relatively quickly through the environment, making their contamination hard to contain. Third, for some PFAS, even extremely low levels of exposure can negatively impact our health.” Erik Olson, NRDC’s senior strategic director of health and food,
What’s worse, manufacturers don’t have to disclose to consumers that they’re using them. So our clothing is making us sick and there is no transparency or accountability. Would you make a different purchase if the label on clothing disclosed the ingredients, toxins, labour practices, and true cost? Likely you wouldn’t buy something that was known to be cancer causing to wear to yoga class or to lounge around your house.
Discover more including our favourite Kind Yoga Pants in The Wellness Intelligence Collective.
For more of our lessons in Empathy Economics click here.

