Wear what you are comfortable working out in. I am young but sill wouldn't wear a sports bra without a top over it. My step mom wears bikinis and sports bras out all the time, and she is in her fifties. Personal comfort with skin and exercise preferences are what is important and if you don't mind, do it.
I agree completely. I've always been a more modest dresser than my older sister. My husband always encourages me to wear more revealing clothes; he says I dress like an old lady. But it's all about what WE feel comfortable wearing. At 48, my sister feels comfortable in clothes that would feel too young to me, and I'm 44. But you know what? She looks great in them (and she weighs more than I do).
Freelance, at your height & weight, if you feel comfortable in that sports bra top, I say "go for it!" I wouldn't think twice if I saw someone 55 or even older jogging in a sports bra. In fact, there are a few women at my gym who seem about that age that wear a sports bra, and they look good.
Even if you DON'T "have the body for it". How many people get out there and make the effort at all? Far too few these days. I say wear a muumuu, spandex booty shorts or anything in between whether you weigh 100 pounds or 700 pounds.
This is exactly how I feel! I wear "form fitting" shorts to the gym. If I wear looser shorts, my legs will rub together and will chafe and I will not be able to exercise the next day. It's not a fashion statement. It's functional. I do wear looser shirts, however, to hide the tightness of the shorts.
Fashion or function - your body, your comfort, your choice. I, too, have teenage children, and am firm in my belief that my very existence embarrasses them. It's them who are being unreasonable.
My feeling is this: inappropriate workout clothes are ones that you feel uncomfortable in or do not facilitate working out. I know there are some women who actively look sexy while they work out, I'm not one of them and I don't feel that I need to be.
Alternatively, step in front of the mirror in your prospective workout clothes and jump up and down vigorously. If nothing bounces that you feel shouldn't bounce, jog on!
LaurieDawn I'm so glad I'm not the only one who has the thigh-rubbing issue. I've found that yoga pants, when bought in the right size, are a good middle of the road compromise between super tight shorts and ones that leave me feeling physically uncomfortable due to friction.
When my mother was around 45 she lost a bunch of weight and went through a clothing style change herself. I remember being semi-mortified when she went outside to wash our car in a bikini haha. As I got older I realized what the weight loss had meant to her and now I'm proud of her for wanting to wear what she wanted to wear, regardless of what the rest of us felt.
First - be comfortable. Second - no one who sees you run by knows your age! The type of sports bra you described is appropriate to be worn without anything over it. Go for it. Congratulations.
Well, I did it! Went for my morning run wearing the outfit below. (Thanks to everyone for your "go for it" feedback.) I felt a WEE bit uncomfortable, mixed in with some feelings of empowerment. And I figure a little discomfort can be good for psychological growth. Or maybe I'm getting nuttier than I think...
Last edited by freelancemomma; 07-16-2012 at 09:06 AM.
Freelancemama - Congratulations on stepped a bit out of your comfort zone! You look great, and I would not think twice if we passed each other jogging on the trail...although I might be thinking how awesome you look!
That looks perfectly appropriate for going out for a run. I wish I could find tops like that in my bra size. What's inappropriate is wearing an extra layer and over heating just to appease teens, who seem to find everything you do embarrassing anyway. You'd fit right in at any summer race I've ever gone to; if anything, your shorts aren't short enough for running.
Oh, I think that top is cute; too bad it didn't come with some matching tights! Boy, your DD would have a fit, for sure! BTW, you look awesome and very trim!
Hungry ~ wow, she IS amazing; I wouldn't mine looking like her at all!
BTW, you look awesome and very trim! 
