My Experience with Compression Leggings

Just check out a couple sporting good retailers, or big brand name web sites, and you will quickly learn about the latest athletic "fad". They claim to offer a lot of benefits to the wearer, but come at a hefty price tag. How can you get in on the goods while saving some cash?

While I am no full time runner, yet, I have had some experiencing walking, jogging and running in compression capris. I even took them for a spin on my mountain bike. Regardless of how you may feel squeezing yourself into a pair of spandex pants, you may not want to write them off completely.

www.belk.com

I found my first pair of Calvin Klein compression leggings at a Bealle's Outlet store. Originally $50, I snagged them for $14.99 with an additional savings due to their Friday member card discounts. While I was hoping to find full length pants, I was really excited to get home and try them out. And my first experiences did not disappoint!

These Calvin's offered support I didn't know I wanted, or needed. My thighs are not very "thick" but they do touch at the top, and the compression cropped leggings kept them from creating friction. Without getting too graphic, my butt didn't bounce around too much or throw off my balance. I didn't find them to be too tight, but they did stay tight enough to keep my blood flowing.

The next day the proof was in the pudding. My husband and I have been avoiding exercise for about 5 years, so, I expected some soreness after walking and jogging, and biking. Although I did notice some muscle tightness I did not have fatigue or more obvious soreness like I was expecting. The following day I did not wear any compression pants, and I noticed definite pain. To really test the theory, I wore compression the day after that, and had much less soreness in my leg muscles. They truly made a difference for me!

Shopping for Mountain Bikes

Mountain biking is just another activity we thought we may enjoy as family. Though the idea originated from a friend, my husband and I are attempting to roll with it. After a few weeks of researching and shopping, we have learned a few valuable lessons.

Bike shops are pretty valuable, whether you purchase your wheels there, or somewhere else. The local bike shop here in Chattanooga offered great suggestions when we broke a derailleur on a cheaper bike we had. Although their models were pricey for our taste, we wouldn't think twice about buying one there, funds willing.

Walmart is not your friend. Neither is Kmart, Target or Sears. These stores include brands such as Genesis and Schwinn. While these brands may be acceptable for a kid, they are assembled and "tested" by contractors. On both bikes we bought from Walmart we found different assembly mistakes. Screws were tightened too tight and wheels were crooked. Not to mention the handle bars that had been put on upside down.

Per the bike shop, we began looking into Dick's Sporting Goods and Academy Sports. These stores offer various models of Diamondback, Schwinn, Trek and Nishiki to mention a few. After reading tons of reviews off of different web sites, we came to the conclusion that Diamondback may be our best option. Dick's bike department even had a specialist to check out the bike before it left the store.

In conclusion, we learned that shopping the cheaper bikes is not always the best option. While I try to be as budget friendly as possible, sometimes you just have to invest a little bit more money. We want our bikes to last longer than one season. Whether that means you upgrade a few components or not, I would hate to see it break after one good trail ride.