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Fitness is a daily pursuit for people who seek to be fit, trim, fabulous and firm. Fittingly, sports clothing has become a billion-dollar fashion industry as the demand for active-wear rises. The term sports clothing includes a variety of active and casual garments such as sweat outfits (a.k.a. track suits), short pants, shirts, jackets, hats, gloves, socks and shoes. Sports accessories cover even broader items and may include body sprays, deodorant, tote bags, vitamins, equipment and more. And, fittingly, a gym membership completes this list.

As part of the overall, sports-industry, marketing machine, many professional athletes and popular entertainers receive handsome endorsement contracts to promote all types of clothing and products. These promotions -- for the latest tennis shoe, vitamin supplement, workout equipment or sports drink -- are all around us, and can be heard on the radio, or seen in commercials and on billboards. At times, this whirlwind of advertising seems unavoidable.

But being healthy isn't something that becomes a good idea simply because a professional athlete or entertainer peddles a particular product. There's no mistaking the rewards that comes from being at an appropriate weight, eating nutritiously and living longer. And a healthy physical condition makes for a healthy attitude.

Enough with all the talk about healthy living -- if you are going to exercise anywhere, you need to have the proper clothing. Recent sports clothing designs are fashionable, trendy and designed with many people in mind. For example, women use specialty products such as sports bras and men use specialty gear such as groin protectors. For the jogger, footwear is of special interest and concern because improper footwear can cause painful injury to the feet, knee joints, neck and lower back. A mouth guard is typical gear for those who participate in sports such as football, basketball and soccer. And for the baseball player, the hockey player or the bowler? No matter the type of fitness buff, each uses specific sports gear to achieve optimal performance.

So, however you accomplish your goal of physical fitness, pursue the active lifestyle passionately; the health benefits are tremendous. When pursuing your fitness goals, make sure your attire fits comfortably and that your footwear is designed for a given activity. After all, an injury would do nothing to help your pursuit of physical fitness. And for those who need to make a New Year's resolution to get healthy? For now, several outfits of stylish sports clothing will do.