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January arrives with the same rush every year: new goals, new routines, new gym memberships, and the pressure to buy a whole load of new stuff to “do it properly.” Gymwear is usually top of the list. We tell ourselves that a new set will be the thing that finally gets us through the gym doors. But we’ve all seen how that story ends: money spent, tags still on, leggings folded neatly in a drawer while the habit never quite sticks how we wanted it to. Here’s the truth: performance doesn’t come from a price tag. Motivation doesn’t magically appear with a new outfit, it comes from changing how you move through your day. And there’s a bigger issue at play. Gymwear is one of the most resource-intensive categories in fashion. Made primarily from synthetic fibres like nylon, polyester and elastane, these materials can take hundreds of years to break down once they reach landfill, long outliving the intentions they were bought with. In the UK, millions of activewear items are thrown away every year, many of them still perfectly wearable. Bodies change. Routines shift. Motivation dips. And the gymwear bought with January optimism often becomes December waste. With over 300,000 tonnes of clothing sent to landfill each year in the UK, and an activewear market worth £23 billion (set to reach nearly £36 billion by 2030), it’s clear that gymwear makes up a significant share of fashion’s waste problem.
This year, we’re changing the narrative.
If your goal is to move more, feel stronger or get back into a routine, the most powerful place to start isn’t buying brand new gear, it’s rethinking what “new” really needs to mean.
Motivation doesn’t come from consumption, it comes from consistency.
Your personal best doesn’t know whether your leggings are brand new or pre-loved. It knows how often you show up, how hard you push, and how committed you are to the routine. The squat still works in second-hand gymwear… but only if you actually do them. The treadmill doesn’t care what you’re wearing, it cares how fast and far you run.
Yes, elite athletes train in highly technical gear. But their performance is built on repetition, discipline and resilience, not novelty. Do you really think a missing brand-new pair of leggings would stop them from going for gold? Yeah, no chance.
The idea that progress requires constant purchasing is one the fitness and fashion industries benefit from, not you.
Pre-loved gymwear delivers the same performance benefits without the inflated cost or environmental impact. You get access to high-quality, well-tested pieces designed for movement, at a lower price point, without fuelling unnecessary production.
Clear Out the Gear That’s Holding You Back
It’s 2026, and maybe this is the year the gym finally becomes part of your routine. But before you convince yourself you need a whole new look just to do your first set of push-ups, take a moment to look at what you already own.
It’s easy to get caught up in perfectly curated Pilates feeds, but your local gym genuinely does not care what you’re wearing. If that’s your dad’s old T-shirt and a pair of well-worn leggings, you’ll fit right in.
What does matter is getting realistic. Start where you are. Check what still fits, what doesn’t, and what you actually need to get going, not what Instagram tells you to buy.
That gym top you never wear? It’s someone else’s January reset.
Activewear is one of the most overlooked categories when it comes to passing things on. Many people assume gymwear can’t be reused, that once it’s been sweated in or worn on repeat, it’s done for.
In reality, well-made gymwear is designed to last. Technical fabrics are built to handle intense movement, frequent washing and long-term wear. Which means the pieces that no longer work for you could be exactly what someone else is looking for.
That’s why we’ve built takeback programmes that make it easy, and rewarding, to do the right thing with your old gym gear.
If you’ve got pieces from TALA, Sweaty Betty or Janji, you can send them back through their dedicated takeback schemes, and you’ll get a discount when you shop with them next.
And if you’ve got gymwear from other brands, or unbranded pieces, you can send them through the Reskinned takeback programme and receive £10 off your next pre-loved gym find.
How to Reset Your Activewear Without Buying New
New goals don’t require a brand-new gym wardrobe. A New Year reset can start with what you already own, and a smarter way of letting go of what you don’t.
Step 1: Start with your existing kit
Before adding anything new, take stock of what’s already in your wardrobe. Keep what you genuinely wear and need. Let go of what doesn’t work anymore. Those hotpants you never reach for might be ready for a new home, while the baggy T-shirt you always train in can stay in rotation for years, it already does the job.
Step 2: Pass on what’s holding you back
Use the Reskinned takeback programmes to send on the pieces you no longer wear. We’ll give them a second life with someone else, and in return, you’ll receive a discount to use with your favourite brands or on the Reskinned site.
Step 3: Replace only what you actually need
You don’t need duplicates, endless variations, or a perfectly matching set to get started. Maybe you do need to replace those leggings that have lost their shape, and that’s fine. But you don’t need to buy everything at once. You can shop gradually, as and when you need to. Contrary to popular belief, your first set of sit-ups doesn’t require a full wardrobe refresh.
What happens when you send your gymwear to us?
- Wearable pieces are hand checked, ozone cleansed and rehomed to stay in use
- Items are diverted from landfill
- Water and CO₂ are saved when someone shops pre-loved instead of new
- Even stained or damaged pieces are responsibly recycled, and nothing is wasted (and we really mean that. We’ve even made Sweaty Betty leggings into the filling for their punchbags, and you can watch the video here if you want to find out exactly how).
A reset isn’t about buying more. It’s about using what already exists, keeping good gear in circulation, and building a system where nothing is wasted.
Pre-Loved Is Built for Sweat
Gymwear is technical for a reason. It’s designed to handle intense workouts, heavy wear and serious sweat.
High-quality activewear is made from performance fabrics like nylon and polyester: materials engineered to be flexible, durable and resistant to breakdown. That’s exactly what makes them such a problem in landfill… and such a strong candidate for re-use.
If a pair of leggings can survive HIIT sessions, spin classes and endless wash cycles, they can absolutely handle a second life… and a third, and probably a fourth too.
When it comes to workout gear, buying well matters more than buying new.
You don’t see much “vintage” gymwear in charity shops, and that’s not because it doesn’t last. Large-scale use of synthetic performance fabrics in everyday clothing is relatively recent. These materials don’t quietly disappear over time, they stay intact for decades.
Which means the most responsible thing we can do is keep them in circulation.
Normalising second-hand performance gear isn’t a compromise, it’s a smarter system.
Everything you’ll find on Reskinned is still in great condition: holding its shape, free from discolouration, and ready to be worn again and again. Whether you train daily, weekly, or (no judgement) every now and then, these pieces are built to perform, just as they always were.
Sweat-tested. Ready for round two.
Pre-Loved Gymwear Myths (Busted)
Myth 1: Pre-loved gymwear smells like someone else’s sweat
Not at Reskinned. Every wearable piece is cleaned using water-free ozone technology, which removes odour and bacteria at a molecular level. No masking scents or lingering smells. Just clean, fresh gymwear that feels exactly like buying new, minus the waste.
Myth 2: Pre-loved gymwear is stained or misshapen
Everything sold on the Reskinned website is hand-selected by our London team. That means no stretched-out waistbands, no mystery marks, no end-of-life pieces. Just gymwear in great condition, ready to be worn on repeat.
Myth 3: Pre-loved gymwear isn’t as good quality
Buying pre-loved means you can access high-quality activewear for up to 60% off RRP through our official brand-approved stores. Better fabrics. Better fit. Better details, like leggings that actually stay up and pockets that are there for a reason. And let’s be honest: a lot of this gymwear has only been worn once last January and quietly retired. Which means it’s often basically new.
Train Again, Not Brand New
New goals don’t need new gear, they need intention. They need consistency. And they need systems that support progress without unnecessary waste.
Choosing pre-loved activewear is a simple way to reduce impact without compromising on performance. Whether you’re starting fresh or picking things back up, it keeps high-quality gymwear in use, exactly where it belongs.
This year, let your reset be about more movement, and not more stuff.
Shop pre-loved womens gymwear and mens gymwear at Reskinned, and make your workout a planet-friendly one.