The importance of proper athletic clothing > Believe me, it’s worth the money Rebecca Peterson Assistant Editor ne of the biggest obstacles between myself and fitness—aside from a love of cheese, white bread, and lying down for long periods of time—is a lack of athletic gear. The outfit, the undergarments, the footwear, it all adds up, and like many students I’m pretty strapped for cash. For a while I thought that I could get by with cheap stuff: Sports bras from Old Navy, old runners from high school gym class, cotton capris from Garage that I’ve had for an embarrassing amount of time that are basically falling apart. Last kickboxing class, as I kept hauling my capris up and readjusting my ill-fitting bra (with no support for my G-cup tatas), my sparring partner looked me up and down and told me what already knew: “You really need new workout clothes.” Working out without proper gear can seriously injure you—I know this because my body has been screaming this at me for the past few years. Running without proper shoes with sufficient arch support can cause injuries to basically everything below your torso; Hell, it can knock your spine out of whack. Proper athletic co Sess clothing is meant to breathe and allow unrestrained movement (hint: Staying away from polyester is a good idea, as the fabric tends to trap sweat and can cause skin irritation and odour issues). A good sports bra will keep everything in place and will prevent back problems and the pain caused by free-swinging body parts. I know how important this is, but it’s hard to convince myself to shell out what can amount to hundreds of dollars for things that I realistically will only wear once or twice a week. Good running shoes generally run between $90-140, sports bras (especially good ones that can fit someone of my size) can be $50-90. It’s easy to convince myself that what I own already can probably last me just a little longer, that when worst comes to worst I can probably just do naked yoga in my room to keep healthy. Still, in the interest of giving advice that I should really follow myself: If you're able to, I highly recommend vproperly gearing up for working out. Good workout gear can last a long time, and will keep you from hurting yourself in ways that might be hard to fix. Maybe on my next paycheque, I'll force myself out to SportChek and bite the monetary bullet. In the meantime, I just hope my decades-old capris don’t fall down during my next kickboxing class... again. ae Vancouver's Dynamic Duo > The Sedin twins and why we love them Greg Waldock Staff Writer ancouver’s favourite twins are back for their 16th year with the Canucks. Daniel and Henrik Sedin are a staple of the team throughout its many changes over the last decade and a half, and have been active members of Vancouver's community since they arrived. The Sedin twins are two of the most well-known, well-loved, and successful players in the NHL today, so here’s a quick look at their professional and personal lives in our city. The Sedins arrived in Vancouver in 2000, after both of them went as top picks during the 1999 draft. They were picked up by talent scouts from the Swedish Hockey League and did not expect to be able to play together as they had in their entire previous hockey careers. However, complex draft negotiations allowed then-General Manager Brian Burke to bring them both into the Canucks fold with the second and third pick of the draft. The duo quickly established themselves as valuable assets for the team on and off the ice, winning games and the respect of players across the NHL. Daniel and Henrik have since fully moved to Vancouver and have no intention of leaving. Both of them have started and raised their families here in the city, and they famously express their love for Vancouver through a large amount of charity work both with official NHL-affiliated charities and through local charities around the city. For , example, Daniel and Henrik both pitched Why in together and donated $1.5 million to the BC Children’s Hospital in 2010, helping the construction of an entirely new building for the hospital. Both Sedins are record-setting hockey players. Henrik, who became team captain in 2010, is the Canucks’ top all-time leading scorer and holds the Canucks’ record for most assists. He earned his 1,000th point earlier this year against none other than former Canucks goalkeeper Roberto Luongo. Meanwhile, Daniel is Vancouver's all- time top goalscorer and was one of the NHL's premier goal scoring talents. The Sedins are also gold medal Olympians. They won gold in 2006 and silver in 2014, just barely losing to Team Canada and a few of their NHL teammates. The Sedins are well-loved as important parts of Vancouver's hockey identity. Their raw talent on ice, compounded by their ability to work together perfectly, has made them legends in the history of the Canucks, and their charitable work and positive attitude about Vancouver have made them staples of the community. They have no intention of leaving for another team, and we couldn't be happier about that. Photo of Henrik and Daniel Sedin by Mike Cassese via ‘Globe and Mail’