Hot Pants

Way back in November I posted about something new I was going to try, Hot Pants. Basically, Hot Pants are exercise shorts that look like bike shorts. They are engineered to help you lose weight by increasing your perspiration up to 80%. In theory they can be worn to maximize a workout, and even aid in reducing the appearance of cellulite. Notice I said appearance - the cellulite is actually not going anywhere, sorry to say.

Like with so many things in my life, I had fabulous intentions. I was going to wear those Hot Pants every day for 2 weeks and work out every one of those days for best results. I started strong, and then...I got sick. I was sicker than I've been since childhood, with a hacking, suffocating cough. This kind of put a damper on my exercising. And my kids took turns being sick, and the holidays happened, and pretty soon I completely forgot about my Hot Pants. So I never completed my 2 weeks. However, I've started over at the beginning of this week. I'm trying again.

In the meantime, this is what I can tell you about my experience with Hot Pants. The material is synthetic, but pliable and comfortable. They have a snug, but not binding, fit. I ordered a size Medium, and I generally wear a size 6 or 8 in jeans. The instructions say to hand wash, but let's be real here. I don't hand wash a single solitary thing I own, no matter how delicate. That's what the hand wash setting is for on my washing machine. I've washed my Hot Pants in cold water, on the delicate cycle, and hung them to dry. They wash very nicely and retain their shape. My Hot Pants keep me warm! I only wish they were ankle length! And what's great about them is that they do indeed increase perspiration, but I haven't found the extra sweating to be uncomfortable in the least. In fact, I don't even notice it until I peel my Hot Pants off. The directions suggest wearing them for 30 minutes a day, but I often wear them for as long as a couple hours.

I've been wearing my Hot Pants when I exercise, but even on days when I find I'm just not going to be able to squeeze in the workout, I still put them on for a bit. I'm typically not a very heavy-duty exerciser. Right now I'm aiming for about 30 minutes of exercise a minimum of 4 times per week. I've been playing games on the Xbox Kinect (does get me sweating, for real!), using my weighted hula hoop, and going up and down the basement stairs repeatedly. Doesn't sound like much, but it's better than nothing. Excuse me while I get defensive about my rather weak exercise routine. I'm pretty sure the Hot Pants would have better results if I were training for the Olympics or something, but for now this is what I can do.

I've taken measurements of my waist, hips, and thighs (I checked and they're all the same as when I measured back in November. At least I didn't gain inches during the holidays, right?). In a couple weeks I'll measure again and see if there's been a difference. Unfortunately, I'm not quite brave enough to take a close up snapshot of my cellulite. I like to pretend it doesn't exist and that works for me. Just as I never peak at the scale when I'm being weighed at a doctor's appointment.

At this point I can happily affirm that Hot Pants are comfortable exercise shorts that do indeed increase perspiration. Stay tuned to see if I lose any inches in the coming weeks!

I received a pair of Hot Pants free of charge for review purposes. All opinions are my own.