Every woman knows that there’s nothing better than ripping off our slacks/jeans/skirts/dresses after a long day of work and switching into our leggings and yoga pants. Truth be told, we wish we could wear yoga pants everywhere, and not just at home, at the gym, or running around town shopping and doing errands. While we all know how comfortable leggings from good brands can be, we also know as ladies that they show every little detail in our behind. They’re tight, and they’re revealing—for sure.
Some ladies, for this reason, don’t like wearing regular underwear with leggings, in the fear that their underwear lines will show. I remember vividly wearing a pair of leggings with my “regular panties” my freshman year of high school and getting mocked until the end of the day for having “granny pantie lines.” It scared me into sticking with thongs for good. But, there are women who choose to go completely pantie-less when rocking their yoga pants—even at the gym. I, truthfully, have one question—is it safe?
As a woman, there’s nothing more important to me than my heath—including my vaginal health. It’s so easy to develop UTIs and yeast infections from wearing the wrong type of underwear, wearing clothing that’s too tight, or even wearing pants too many times before washing (let’s face it, we always wear out jeans a few times before finally calling them “dirty”). While everyone is entitled to rocking what they find the most comfortable in terms of underwear or going commando, you should be informed on how losing the panties will affect your overall health.
Due to the overwhelming trend in women going underwear free with their yoga pants—even at the gym—top OBGYNs and doctors have weighed in on the issue.
Dr. Scott Osmun, a board-certified OB-GYN physician at BloomOB-GYN in Washington, D.C., told HuffPost:
“Bacteria and yeast tend to grow in warm, moist places. I hate to use that word because I don’t like it, but it’s true
Any extra moisture in the vaginal area can definitely promote yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis.”
Essentially, bacteria breed and grow in extra moist places—which is why many women get UTIs when they wear a wet bathing suit for too long or stay in their sweaty gym clothes hours after working out. Dr. Osmun added that there’s no harm in going commando with your yoga pants, but, if you decide to, you should be careful about the material of your pants.
Cotton and spandex/Lycra have been known to be safe materials to keep away bacteria, but, additionally, there are some companies that use silver in their clothing—such as Lululemon—because silver works as an antibacterial agent. On top of the material, doctors say you should make sure that your yoga pants are thick enough to ensure you won’t pick up any bacteria left on gym seats from others—which would totally be my #1 worry in terms of going commando and working out at a public gym.
But, if you’re someone who wears thongs during a workout, the doctor strictly advises against doing so. Dr. Osmun adds:
“The material causes more friction and irritation, and any friction or irritation can make little cuts or microabrasions in your skin, and those cuts can lead to bacterial infections, which can cause discomfort, itching, redness, pain.
I think thongs are definitely something to avoid when you’re exercising. It’s actually probably safer to go commando than to wear thongs.”
Wow, so, if you’re in the predicament where you can’t decide if you want to opt for a thong or go commando to avoid those underwear lines—it may be best to avoid the panties altogether!