Yoga pants are truly my second skin and ever so constant lifeline. As a yoga instructor who swears by these heavenly, spandex-clad creations, I personally like to refer to jeans as "leg prison." But since I literally eat, sleep, and breathe in my leggings, I couldn't help but begin to wonder, are yoga pants bad for you, especially if you wear them all the time?
A simple Google search immediately validated my casual concern, revealing the potential drawbacks to wearing yoga pants all day every day. I low-key panicked and began to wonder if I would have to subject my poor legs to the confines of a denim-clad jail cell for the rest of my life. Dramatic? Honestly, I don't think so — at all.
On the real though, I'm not saying that if you slap on a luxuriously comfortable pair of yoga pants once in a while, you're going to need to keep 911 on speed dial or something. But if you religiously sport them on the reg, there are definitely precautions you're going to want to take. If you're not careful, you could be dealing with some yucky side effects, including butt acne, "tights pants syndrome" (yes, it's a thing), and potentially even *gag* fungal infections.
So, if you're like me and yoga pants are basically a way of life, here are six surprising and totally weird things they could be doing to your body, and how to prevent these travesties.
Yes, yoga pants are tight AF, but that's what makes them so incredibly snug and comfortable, right? Well, yeah, but if you wear those bad boys all day every day, your legs might start to feel weirdly numb because of a condition called "tight pants syndrome."
OK, it's not really called that; the medical term is "meralgia paresthetica," which basically means that the nerves in your thighs are mildly constricted, leading to a tingly, numb sensation.
The solution? Wear your beloved leggings to yoga, brunch, and while running errands, but when you're in the comfort of your own home, try ditching the pants situation completely. Now that's some ultimate form of leg freedom.
Having acne is literally the worst and most uncomfortable thing in the world, and if you've ever had it pop up on your ass, you know that that situation is next-level annoying.
Apparently, the sweat and bacteria that often gets trapped in your yoga pants can rub up against your butt and lead to a serious pimple situation on your cheeks — and not the cheeks on your face, unfortunately.
You can avoid the dreaded butt-ne by showering immediately after workouts, and keeping both your skin and leggings squeaky clean. You've got this, fam.
Yeast infections thrive on sweat and moisture, so those tight yoga pants you slip into before your cycling class could potentially be a recipe for disaster. Plus, it's worth noting that this risk is increased if you're on a course of antibiotics.
However, you can tell the yeast to peace the f*ck out by wearing looser clothing that allows your vag to breathe from time to time. #FreeTheLabia, y'all.
Folliculitis is another annoying skin condition that your fav pair of yoga pants could be plaguing you with. In case you didn't know, that's the fancy medical term for ingrown hair hell, my friends.
To make sure you avoid this as much as you can, be sure to change into free-flowing athletic shorts after your vinyasa flow or cardio sesh.
Some yoga pants are a little too snug, and this can result in gassy heartburn. Seriously, according to CBS news, the top of your pants could be hindering your digestion, simply because they're too damn tight. Can we ever have nice things in this world?
Thankfully though, this is a pretty easy problem to solve: Invest in a pair of those super comfy, luxurious fold-over yoga pants so your tummy's not constricted all day long.
While you're simply trying to be the embodiment of #health and sipping your green juice post-downward dog, fungi friends could be lurking in places they should not be lurking. Seriously, GTFO fungi, no one invited you.
Lingering in your yoga pants for too long post-workout can lead to a fungal infection called jock itch, which will be a seriously annoying situation for pretty much your entire lower body.
Try opting for pants with built-in underwear, or even going commando to let your lady parts breathe and make the environment for fungus a lot less appealing.
