By now, New Year resolutions about getting fit, if any of you had made them, have been already broken, and most of us should be back to the “status quo” (whatever it was pre-resolution), so it should be a good time to discuss the topic(s).
Saturday Question #100:
Do You Wear Perfume When Working Out?
I realize that nobody would intentionally try to wash away perfume before working out if they happen to wear it earlier (or would you?), but what if for whatever reason before exercising you were “commando” perfume-wise – would you apply anything before going to somewhere to exercise or starting it at home? If yes, do you have any special perfumes or types of perfumes that you choose for that? If no, what’s the reason?
Bonus questions: Are you working out regularly? If yes, what do you do? If no, do you want to? Do you plan to? Do you have any favorite YouTube channels for exercising?
My Answer
While I never really enjoyed exercising, when I used to do it regularly (around the time when I started this blog), I discovered at some point that some perfumes bloomed perfectly in hot environment of Bikram yoga classes (for several years my post about it, Body Heat: Perfumes under Extreme Temperatures, was one of the most visited posts on the blog – of course, not for the content itself but because of the “Kathleen Turner body” search phrase that surprisingly a lot of people used back then).
In the recent years, due to laziness and health issues, my physical activity got to such a level where I wouldn’t call it “exercising” – so, it’s safe to say that I wasn’t working out while wearing my perfumes.
I started trying to get back to exercising before the New Year (just not to make those NY resolutions to break them later). I don’t do much: just some light stretching and a little bit of strength building. And since the only time I can make myself to do at least something is after my work day (when it ends at manageable time), and that is sometimes the first time I can pause, think about perfume and apply it, I again started combining these two activities. As I don’t disturb anyone but Rusty, who objects even more to the activity itself, I am not being mindful of my choices and wear whatever I feel like that day.
I have a quibble about many YouTube exercise videos “for beginners” that I was able to find: as someone who at some point was in a much better shape, now suffers from back issues (and plainly getting older) and tries take it slowly, I can tell that many of those stretches and yoga poses are not even close to be beginner-friendly. Unfortunately, it looks like I’ll have to seek some professional help to figure out what I can do without hurting myself. Meanwhile, it seems like my body reacts the best to the lying flat cat pose (unfortunately, extra pounds on me look not as cute as on Rusty).
Undina's Looking Glass 
We go for a 4 mile walk every morning. You would think that I look like a twig, but genetics still keep me chunky. But that’s another story…since it’s so hot here and I sweat like crazy, I always spritz perfume on before heading out. Usually, it’s a perfume that I don’t mind wasting on being sweaty :)
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4 miles?! I’m in awe :) I should try to resume walking at least a couple of times a week (not that I expect it to reflect on my figure ;) ).
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Oh, and Rusty is cute as ever.
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Yep. And without any exercises :)
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What’s working out?? Lol ;). Decades ago when I was in ballet class as a teenager I always wore perfume and heavy hitters like no 5, Bal a Versailles, Giorgio, etc.
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Yeah, I know… If I could not do anything at all, I would :)
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Interesting about people’s daily rhythms as I need to exercise first thing before breakfast or that would be it. Barring a walk perhaps. Since I then hop in the shower right after that I rarely wear perfume until later in the morning.
Wishing everyone pleasant exercise experiences. It’s a cliche but the best exercise is one you don’t mind doing.
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There’s not much I’m prepared to do in the morning before work, including eating :)
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I’ve had a frozen shoulder since the summer, so I haven’t been able to work out for quite some time, however, before that I did work out (relatively) regularly, also because of back issues. I wouldn’t specifically wear perfume for a workout, but just whatever I had already worn during the day, as I also work out later in the day or even evening.
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Oh I am so sorry about your frozen shoulder!!! I had two, over the course of three years so I know how extraordinaryly painful and debilitating they are. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
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Oh, I’m sorry about your shoulder. I spent 9 months getting over a shoulder trauma, so I sympathize a lot! Hopefully, you’ll be able to recover as quickly as possible.
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i try to do a 45min walk at least three times a week or get on my crosstrainer for half an hour after work. But no strength training or something else. I dont wear a specific scent for this, just what i want.
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Walks are good, I don’t mind this type of activity – when I can persuade myself to go :)
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I have never been good about working out but do a fair amount of walking. Try to do some body weight work here and there. My work was always active (preschool music teaching is full of dancing and movement) but when that ended in March 2020 I fell off quite a bit. Doing my sports photography has helped with being more active, especially football season which required running up and down the sideline. As for perfume, I wouldn’t put it on specifically for a workout but unless it’s first thing, I’m usually wearing some!
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That’s great that you have an activity that requires be active! Exercising while doing something else comes to me more natural (e.g., walking for hours while on a vacation somewhere).
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I do yoga 4x a week and cycle at least 2x week. Since these are solitary activities done at home or on the road, I spritz whatever if I feel like it. But usually I wait until after my exercise & shower to spritz.
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Do you do guided yoga (if yes, who do you follow?), or do you know your routine to do it on your own?
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I take classes through my local studio, which offers in person and on zoom classes. I also occasionally follow some of the youtube videos offered by Adtiene Mishler, Yoga with Adriene.
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I love Rusty working hard at relaxing! He’s such a gorgeous boy.
I usually just wear deodorant when exercising. Sometimes I might spritz on a ‘green’ fragrance like SSS’s Forest Walk before a long walk in the neighborhood. My workouts are mostly hour long walks 4 or 5 times a week and weight lifting in the house.
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When I try to exercise on that mat, Rusty usually comes and tries to show me the proper use of it laying in the middle (sometimes under me doing a plank or some yoga pose :) )
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Ah, working out… not something that comes naturally to me, unfortunately. But I have started going to the gym in my apartment building a few times a week since a rude awakening just before Thanksgiving about the visible weight I’ve put on by sitting around all year. The machine I always go for (if someone else hasn’t beat me to it) is like an elliptical but you step side to side—I cannot find it on the equipment website and don’t know what it’s called. I do that for half an hour and then will do some presses and pulls. I’ve also had lower back problems after pulling a muscle a few times over the last few years. When it first happened, my other half suggested I do planks with him to build core strength, and after trying it once I flatly refused to do it again. Now, I’ve started doing that a few times a week, too—it’s not fun at all but it sure beats the pain of pulled muscles.
As for perfume, I’m usually wearing whatever I put on earlier in the day by the time I get to the gym in the afternoon or evening. I probably wouldn’t put fragrance on just to work out, because I’d be washing it off shortly after. (Or maybe I would spritz something fresh and cheap to feel less self conscious about smelling sweaty.) After showering, I am again a blank canvas for a different perfume… preferably one that I could wear to sleep.
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I also like that “blank canvas” benefit of exercising in the second half of the day :)
For how long can you hold the plank?
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Haha… We try to do 20 seconds on, 20 seconds off for 5 planks total. Sometimes I can do it; other times I’m done after 3 or 4… I haven’t tried 30-second ones yet.
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I’ll try one in your name tomorrow. A 20-seconds one :)
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Good luck! Or should I say by now, how did it go?
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It didn’t! I had to work until late, and then I was hungry.
Second attempt tomorrow! I’ll get there one day! :)
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I always wear perfumes when working out. More often than not, whichever fragrance I happen to be exploring at the time. So while I might look a bit of a slob at the gym, I could be wearing something really special. Now if only I worked out as much as I wear perfumes. Ha! Ha!
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I know! I was also thinking that if wearing perfumes would burn calories, I would have been a super-model :)
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Hi Undina,
While not spritzing especially to go to the gym it is nice to have a fragrance bloom again with some sweat and exertion. So whatever is open me gets a little lease of life.
We have mainly been doing aquarobics and swimming laps this month because Jin hurt his shoulder at the gym early on. While we wait for that top feel better this is a nice option. No perfumes required.
Portia xx
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When I was swimming, I always brought some perfume to apply after – to mask a little the chlorine smell that I couldn’t wash out in the shower after the session.
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I do have a perfume in my wetpack Undina but I love that post swim chlorine smell. Sometimes I just dry off and get dressed so I can smell it better.
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I’ve just started trying to do some actual exercise again, at home, so I just wear whatever fragrance I happen to be wearing that day. I love to walk, but mostly when traveling. My neighborhood is actually great for walking, but after almost 30 years here, the scenery isn’t as interesting any more! And walking our dog Lucy isn’t actually much exercise, as she just HAS to stop every few feet to sniff around. We have a new small machine that I’m liking: you sit on it and do a combination of pulling with arms and pushing with legs. It’s for strength, not burning lots of calories. I’m thinking of getting a small lateral trainer, which I think is what Nose Prose described above. We have a family membership at the local Y, but mostly our kids use that; I’m still wary of group activities and classes. I used to love to take dance classes for exercise; maybe I’ll look into those again when I retire!
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I also love walking while traveling. And I LOVE dancing…
Where we live, there were great trails and routes for walking. Unfortunately, 1.5 years ago, they started a huge project that locked us out of most nearby walking routes. So, 2-3 possible loops that we have left are getting too familiar and boring ;(
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That’s disappointing! When is the project supposed to be finished?
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Next year! :( (though, we don’t believe them)
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I try to go for a walk 3-4x per week. Since I go at the tail end of my day but before my real end of workday, I limit it to however far I can walk in 40 minutes (~ 1.7 to 2.0 miles). When I go out at my true end of workday, I will usually do 3 miles. I stopped going to the one office complex I like because the workers have returned (although the parking lot is still sparsely used) and I really don’t want to talk to the guard, a staunch anti-vaxxer and anti-masker, who somehow finds a way to intercept me when I walk.
Heh, and I almost forgot to answer your question — I wear whatever perfume I am wearing so nothing special. Depending on the temps, some of them bloom, not because I’m hot but the perfume projects better outside.
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Gee, don’t you hate it when people insist on talking to you when they have to know you don’t want to talk to them? Arrgghh, it’s so annoying!
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This is true. I don’t even walk near the building itself so he had to walk aways to reach me. Also, it cuts down on my wall time!
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Can you walk faster – so that he cannot catch up with you? Or tell him that you’re doing a breathing exercise that prevents you from talking?
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I wish! He plants himself at a spot where he knows as long as I am not avoiding him, I wi eventually get to that spot…grrrr
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Very annoying!
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Uh, I almost snorted my coffee after first reading the title. :D As of course I’m not working out. Trying to return to it but not getting much progress on that account. Come to think of, not really wearing perfume much either, only when going out which is rare these days.
As for yoga, I used to have serious back problems and yoga helped but it’s true what you say, it’s quite difficult finding good videos and many I see today do not really take care of the fact that they might cause problems with your back. That said, I also got some really bad advice from doctors so in the end I followed my own path and very gently experimented with what works for my body.
If you want to do yoga for your back, it really would be best to find a good practitioner and work with them for a while to see what can you do and then you can do youtube videos with that in mind (what your body can/should do).
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I’m thinking about getting a professional advice. But for now I’m trying to do baby steps, not trying to change everything at once. We’ll see if I can get any progress with self-guided exercises.
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I am a reluctant exerciser, so I do empathise, but am more active than I was now due to my recent diagnosis of osteoporosis – this has made me realise the critical importance of strength training to build muscle and “challenge” your bones – it is as key as cardio, if not more so. Am not wearing perfume at all at the moment as I have had the most awful bouts of dermatitis on my face lately. I hope to return to it soon, as I don’t think it is the culprit, but for now I need to keep things simple. FWIW, I found that after 50 it is downhill on the health front, and after 60 the pace sadly picks up even more, haha.
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Yeah… I do realize already that I need to do it! Now I just need to make myself to do it :)
You should wear perfumes on your clothes: it doesn’t make any sense to have as many of them as you do and just let them sit there (said she who hadn’t found time today to put anything on – I’ll do it right now!)
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