We’re always looking for ways to improve our game; tweaking our diet, or supercharging our training regimen. But what if there was a simple and inexpensive way you could boost your sporting prowess, with no extra effort required?
There is an easy way you can give yourself an edge for your next big match, race or event, and all the pros know the secret.
We’re talking about arm sleeves. Arm sleeves offer a range of benefits that can help athletes improve their performance and protect against the sun’s harmful UV rays. Here’s how they work, and how you can use them to improve your athletic performance.
- Arm sleeves keep you cool
Whether you’re playing a summer sport like cricket or sliding through the mud in winter to score a try in rugby, you’re going to work up a sweat.
Arm sleeves help to keep you cool, calm and collected as you play, by wicking moisture away from your skin. This helps to reduce your overall body temperature, and allows your body to conserve more energy for the task at hand – beating your opponent!
Arm sleeves can also save you money, as you won’t need to purchase both long- and short-sleeve versions of your club gear. Simply wear your arm sleeves with your short-sleeve top, for year-round protection.
- Arm sleeves offer all-day UV protection
Unlike sunscreen, which needs to be reapplied frequently to be effective, arm sleeves give you constant protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Arm sleeves provide both UVA and UVB protection – in fact, our arm sleeves are certified UVP50+ by ARPANSA as preventing 98% of UV rays hitting your skin, making them perfect for those all-day golf and cricket tournaments.
Sunscreen can also make your hands and body slippery and sticky, which can make running, catching, and holding a bat or racquet difficult. Not only do SParms arm sleeves solve that problem for athletes, they’re also available in a longer style with added thumb holes, to help them stay in place during even the roughest of activities.
If you’re playing a particularly physical sport, you might prefer our shoulder wraps, which are guaranteed to stay put no matter how hard you play.
- Arm sleeves cover up tattoos
Tattoos may have become more mainstream these days, but that doesn’t mean you have to have them out on display during a match. Take your cue from former NBA star Alan Iverson, who is credited with popularising the arm sleeve in the early 2000s, and slide on an arm sleeve to cover that ink.
If you’ve recently had a new tattoo done, an arm sleeve will help protect it from the elements and prevent infection, so it heals well and looks great.
- Arm sleeves protect the skin
Athletes who play a contact sport will tell you that cuts, grazes and grass burns can be as painful as serious injuries like sprains and strains. Arm sleeves create a protective barrier between your skin and the playing surface – if you’ve ever scraped yourself on artificial turf, you’ll know what we’re talking about!
They’re great for sports such as cricket, where you’re frequently diving for balls in the field, and for basketball or netball matches played on rough courts.
Knowing you’ve got that extra layer of protection on your arms may even boost your performance, as you won’t hesitate to put your body on the line for that winning catch.
Arm sleeves can also help prevent injuries, and rehabilitate existing aches and pains. If you’re wearing a brace or taping, arm sleeves can help hold it in place, so your muscles and joints remain supported throughout the match. They can also prevent you from overextending or making unnatural movements, which may prevent further injuries.
- Arm sleeves create a cohesive team look
You might all be wearing the same uniform, but the array of tattoos and fitness trackers that people seem to be sporting these days can sometimes get in the way of the team aesthetic. If everyone is wearing the same arm sleeves under their shirt or jersey you can instantly create a cohesive look that tells your opponents you mean business. Sure, we’re all individuals, but there’s no “I” in team – pop on your coordinated arm sleeves and you’ll instantly become the rock-sold team nobody wants to come up against.
SParms come in sizes to suit athletes of all body shapes, and in a range of colours to match your team gear. With arm sleeves, sun sleeves with thumb holes and shoulder wraps for both men and women available, it’s easy to give yourself an edge and improve your performance this season.
