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Yoga pant makers are increasingly making pants for women who wear larger sizes.

Yoga is a weapon in the war on obesity, but it's also a fast-growing, $10 billion business. As its popularity expands in tandem with our collective waistline, analysts say there's a potentially lucrative market for clothing companies to outfit curvier bodies. 

In a country where roughly two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, medical experts and a growing community of health bloggers are suggesting that the answer might lie on a yoga mat. The number of yoga practitioners, which skews more than 80 percent female, jumped 29 percent in the past four years, according to a Yoga Journal study. It's become so mainstream that the White House even added yoga classes to its annual Easter egg roll last month. 

“There’s a huge target market” for plus-size activewear, said Jaime Katz, an analyst at Morningstar. “It’s significant and it shouldn’t really be ignored because it’s getting bigger as a percentage of the total population.” 

Yoga Journal found that spending on classes, clothes and other items grew from $5.7 billion in 2008 to $10.3 billion last year. Research company IBISWorld estimates that consumers will spend $332 million on fitness apparel sold in specialty plus-size women’s clothing stores this year — which doesn't include purchases of plus-size clothes at brands that also sell standard sizes, like Gap Inc.'s Athleta brand. 

Analysts say it’s short-sighted for clothing companies to accept the stereotype that overweight people aren’t interested in fitness or exercise. A 2010 Gallup poll found that 53 percent of overweight people and 41 percent of obese people say these exercise three or more days per week. 

“I think there is something that can be found there... for people who want to be healthier,” Katz said. 

Despite the number of overweight people in the United States, though, plus-sized clothing in general has been what Alison Jatlow Levy, a retail strategist at consulting firm Kurt Salmon, calls an “underserved” market. When it comes to stretchy tank tops and yoga pants, that’s even more the case, she said. “Historically, that’s not where activewear has focused,” she said. 

It’s a chicken-or-egg conundrum for both brands and customers. Manufacturers don’t want to make a big bet on an unproven market, especially because are production challenges and higher costs that come with making larger sizes. 

But overweight women do want to be active — they just don’t have anything to wear, according to Deborah Christel, an assistant professor of design and merchandising at West Virginia University who wrote her doctoral dissertation on the women’s plus-size athletic clothing market. 

"There’s no clothing available for their figure they feel comfortable in,” she said. “I think plus size women aren’t engaging in exercise or going to the yoga studio because they don’t have the right clothes.” 

Athleta was a 10-year-old company when it was bought by Gap Inc. in 2008. At first an online-only outlet, Gap began opening Athleta brick-and-mortar stores two years ago — often within close proximity to stores of its top competitor, Lululemon Athletica. Although a small part of Gap’s empire, its size belies its potential impact on customer loyalty and sales, analysts say. 

Selling yoga wear in larger sizes can generate repeat business, if larger customers subsequently lose weight, as well as customer loyalty that might cross over to its growing stable of other brands. On its investor conference call in February, CEO Glenn Murphy indicated that Athleta was a gateway brand. “We're bringing new customers into the Gap Inc. portfolio and family of brands with Athleta,” he said. 

The Athleta brand includes yoga clothing in sizes up to 20. By contrast, Lululemon’s sizes top out at 12. 

“I think Lululemon needs to be concerned about Athleta,” said Jahnia Sandford, an analyst at Kantar Retail. “Activewear and yogawear is definitely an area for growth,” she said. Offering larger sizes show that a brand is “catering to that shopper’s specific needs and making it known you have these specific styles available to her."

Lululemon already faced a heightened threat from Athleta because of a manufacturing defect that affected 17 percent of its black bottoms. The pants, which cost roughly $100, were too sheer when customers put them on. 

“The lack of Lulu's core product in its stores and online could drive some customers to try competing brands,” CLSA analyst Barbara Wyckoff warned in a recent research note.

“Recent quality blunders and poor performance of new capsule collections have affected the company’s earnings results and hurt LULU’s brand equity,” she said. 

Although Athleta is considered Lululemon’s biggest competitor, there are a growing number of other brands where consumers can buy larger yoga gear. Gap’s Old Navy brand, for instance, sells moisture-wicking tank tops and stretchy yoga pants up through size 30. Nordstrom’s Zella brand offers some styles through size 24. Specialty plus-size stores Lane Bryant and Avenue also cater to the downward-dog crowd, along with boutique brands bolstered by word-of-mouth endorsements in the blogosphere. 

“I think it’s happening and it’s a trend but it will happen slowly and it’s still new,” Levy said.

Courtesy Old Navy

Old Navy fold-over yoga pants and capris start at $15.

By Kara Reinhardt, Cheapism.com

As yoga has stretched American consumers’ muscles, the apparel industry has stretched their budgets. Yogis and wannabes stock up on everything from figure-hugging jackets to socks with grips on the bottom and individual pockets for each toe. Lululemon, the maker of high-end yoga clothing, expects revenue to top $1.3 billion this year and charges nearly $100 for its popular pants. For less than $20, mass-market retailers sell workout gear that’s still a far cry from gym shorts and a free T-shirt from your alma mater.

Below are Cheapism’s top picks for affordable yoga clothes.

• Old Navy fold-over yoga pants and capris (starting at $15) win fans both inside and outside the yoga studio for their supremely comfortable fit and fabric. Together the two styles claim more than 2,000 reviews on the Old Navy website, and an overwhelming majority award them high ratings. Many reviewers appreciate that they’re available in petite and tall sizes. The fold-over waistband flatters without constricting the midsection and may reveal a flash of pink, violet, or aqua, although buyers can also choose monochromatic black or gray. Online shoppers should note that a few color options include the brand name emblazoned on the back of the waistband. (Where to buy)
• The Champion Double Dry women's training tank (starting at $12) may not be labeled as a yoga top but it fills the bill, fitting close to the body without restricting movement, according to online reviews. The lightweight, “mock-mesh” fabric should appeal particularly to practitioners of Bikram or “hot” yoga for its moisture-wicking ability. Flat seams are designed to prevent chafing. This tank is also cut high and long enough to keep wearers from having to worry about inadvertent exposure. (Where to buy)

Of course, the cheapest place to find something to wear to yoga is your own closet. While comfort is paramount, clothing that’s too loose may get in the way as you try to get into a pose. A baggy T-shirt or shorts can slide up and reveal your midriff (or more) in a pose such as downward-facing dog or provide an unwitting sight line in a wide-legged pose. Ironically, tighter apparel can prove more modest and allow greater freedom of movement. Clothing that fits closer to the body also makes it easier for a teacher to monitor your form and ensure you’re practicing safely.

Pay attention to the length of the pants you choose. Yoga pants often flare at the bottom, so if they’re too long, it’s easy to get the hem caught underfoot and difficult to see whether your feet are in the proper alignment. That helps explain the appeal of capris and leggings, as well as Old Navy’s fold-over yoga pants. With their three different inseam lengths, they attract many consumers unwilling to spend time and money on alterations.

Consider not only fit but fabric as well. A pair of leggings that works fine underneath dresses and tunics may not breathe very well and stick when you sweat. Cheapism found that one bargain pair proved practically see-through. Quick-drying fabric, like the material of the Champion Double Dry training tank, promises to keep wearers more comfortable than heavy cotton.

More from Cheapism:

• Cheap yoga clothes
• Washing machine reviews
• Blender reviews
• Espresso machine reviews

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No chatting, ladies. Fitness instructors say it can be tough to get help people get their money's worth.

Every small business owner knows the mantra that the customer is always right.  But when it’s your business to get people to exercise, many say that, frankly, the customers don’t always know what’s good for them.

The news last week that a yoga instructor was fired after glaring at a student who used her cell phone during class struck a nerve with fitness professionals who say it can be a constant – and complex – struggle to keep their customers happy, but also in line.

Alice Van Ness, who teaches yoga in Northern California, told The Associated Press she was dismissed from her job teaching yoga at Facebook’s Menlo Park, Calif., campus because she glared at a Facebook employee who sent a text during class.

“That’s ridiculous. It’s stupid. I would be shocked,” yoga instructor Joy Keller said after reading about the student’s attempt at multi-tasking.

Keller, who teaches yoga in San Diego, Calif., said her first thought was that student could have hurt herself, or someone nearby, while focused on the phone instead of the pose.

Then there’s the fact that texting isn’t exactly conducive to a good yoga session.

“Yoga is all about connecting your body with your mind, and it’s hard enough to do that without a cell phone with your hand,” Keller said.

Keller has never actually had someone take a call from the yoga mat, although she has seen students get up and go to the side of the classroom to answer their phone.

But even with phones tucked safely away, she said she has trouble keeping her students focused.

“I can’t even get people to breathe. I say breathe and they don’t do that. They’re thinking about a zillion things,” she said. “They’re probably thinking about who they’re going to text.”

Fitness instructor Linda Taix has seen people text during workouts, chat through instruction or even slip on headphones while she’s leading group activities.

“I’ll watch people on the treadmill and they’re talking on the phone,” said Taix, who is mystified at how someone can get a good workout if they are focused on their conversation rather than getting their heart rate up.

But Taix, who runs a fitness studio as well as a series of Extreme Boot Camp fitness classes in Southern California, said that as a business owner it can be tough to get people to follow the rules without alienating them.

In her Extreme Boot Camp classes, she said she can get a little tougher because people are paying you to be their fitness drill sergeant. The instructors might give students “rewards” such as extra pushups or laps if they slip up in their fitness or diet regime.

But still, she said there are limits.

“We want to be friendly about it because obviously they are civilians, and they do pay you,” she said.

Still, at the gym she said she does sometimes feels insulted by people’s behavior, especially if they are carting their cell phone around during a personal training session or chatting with friends instead of paying attention.

“I’ll say, ‘Hey ladies, I’m sorry, this isn’t a tea party,’” she said.

Taix isn’t aware of losing a student over such a reprimand, but she said that’s partly because she is sensitive that not everyone can take the criticism.

“You have to know their personalities,” she said.

Anthony Wall, director of professional education for the American Council on Exercise, said that for fitness instructors, working with people’s personalities can be just as hard as working on their bodies.

“It’s definitely an area where our trainers trip up,” he said. “The exercise side is relatively easy.”

He said a common complaint is the person who shows up for a group class and then proceeds to do their own exercises, often while standing in the middle of the class distracting people who are trying to follow the instructor.

Gym instructors can lay ground rules at the beginning of class, and even talk to the offenders individually. But sometimes, he said, you have to consider whether it’s worth losing the bad player in order to keep everyone else.

“There are times when you have to fire the participant,” he said.

Keller, the yoga instructor in San Diego, said she has learned over the years that despite her best efforts, not all her clients are going to do what’s best for themselves.

“I had to learn to let go. I can’t be co-dependent,” she said. “I tell them what I tell them. I try to guide them and give them the best instruction, but I have to let go at some point.”

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