Fashion
How modest dressers can keep cool while working out this summer
Choose from a number of modest active wear brands or your own light and loose clothing, and make hydration a priority
Freelance reporter
28 July 2026
Keeping cool and staying active in the exceptionally hot summer we’re having is a challenge to all, but especially for modest dressers. Fortunately, appropriate adjustments are fairly easy to make.
Here, experts share their tips for modest dressers on how to exercise comfortably in rising temperatures
Light and loose clothing
The right apparel can make all the difference.
“Loose clothing doesn’t just help from a modesty perspective — it also allows better airflow, helping you stay cooler during exercise,” says Dr Aminah Amer, who specialises in sport and exercise medicine, and is team doctor for Burnley FC Women. “The key is choosing lightweight, breathable materials that allow heat to escape and sweat to evaporate.”
Amer recommends moisture-wicking technical fabrics. This, she says, “basically means the material’s ability to pull sweat away from the skin. Materials such as nylon or polyester blends, often combined with a small amount of elastane for stretch, work best for this. These fabrics move sweat away from the skin, dry quickly, and stay much lighter during exercise.”
Some brands use cooling technologies in their clothing. The Puma Modest Oversized Tee, for example, is made with dryCELL, a proprietary fabric that, according to the brand, wicks sweat away from the body faster than regular polyester. Kuwaiti modest activewear brand QYNDA recently partnered with fabric technology company brrr°, whose patented fabric is said to combine natural cooling minerals, active wicking, and rapid drying with its Arma Long Sleeve T-Shirt
While most activewear brands will stock modest workout tops, bottoms for the gym that are as functional as leggings can be trickier to find. Haya’s training joggers are baggier than leggings, but with cuffs that can be tucked into socks to eliminate the nuisance loose fabric can pose around gym equipment
For those averse to synthetic fibres such as nylon and polyester, users of Lyra’s jersey bamboo cap say it works well to keep you cool in the park, at the gym, or even in the pool under a swim hijab. For more intrepid exercisers, Imaan Active’s trail hiking top is long-sleeved and has a temperature-responsive fabric to keep you cool or cosy as needed.
Sophia Hassan, personal trainer who runs 4 the Girls gym in Glasgow, says she swears by Gymshark’s sports hijabs, which are made from a lightweight polyester-elastane blend.
“All my hijabs that I work out in are Gymshark. They’re so breathable and they stay on your head when you’re moving — even when I’m upside down, they stay there,” she says. Hassan also recommends workout apparel by modest activewear brand Haya for its lightness and breathability. “Those two brands are my bread and butter.”
Amer, however, says that a regular hijab performs well enough for her workouts: “Personally, I still wear a lightweight everyday hijab because that’s what I find most comfortable. It is definitely not as breathable as a sports hijab, but it works well for me,” she says.
The hefty price tags on some modest activewear should certainly not dissuade you from exercising, because the clothing you own already but might already be perfectly suited to your workout
“You don’t need to spend lots of money on specialist clothing before you can start exercising,” Amer says. “If your normal hijab works for you, that’s absolutely fine. If you prefer a sports hijab, there are now plenty of excellent options available, and different styles suit different body shapes and different types of exercise, so I often encourage women to try a few options from all the different brands and find what feels most comfortable for them.”
Adapt your workout and adjust your expectations
Outdoor physical activity is best done early in the morning or in the evening.
Before you even start exercising, ask yourself some simple questions, says Amer. “Have I had enough to drink today? Am I wearing lightweight, breathable clothing? Am I exercising at the coolest time of day? And, if I started feeling unwell, would someone know where I am?”
With your body having to work harder to keep itself cool in the hot weather, you might be struggling to meet your workout goals. Adjust your expectations and cut yourself some slack
“Don’t expect yourself to perform in the same way you would when it’s not as hot,” Hassan says. “The fact is, heat can make you feel extra fatigued and it can make you sweat more. These factors will affect your ability to train at the same intensity. So, don’t expect the same level of intensity with your sessions.”
“You may simply need to reduce the intensity, shorten your session, take more frequent breaks, and make hydration a priority,” Amer adds. “Exercise should be for everybody, regardless of what they wear. Women all over the world exercise while dressing modestly every day.”
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