One of the healthiest habits is running regularly in the morning or evening. Running improves the tone of the body, improves mood and fitness. In order for jogging to bring maximum benefit and pleasure, you need not only to correctly calculate the load, but also to choose the right gear for your runs.
Full disclosure, all research I have done on this has been asking my fellow runners who are women. I asked about what makes it comfortable for them to run and what advice they would give to women looking to run for the first time.
How To Choose Running Gear For Women
Always wear seasonal clothing for your runs. In the warm season, it is worth choosing clothes that wick moisture away and cool you down. In cold weather, you need to select clothes that provide not only moisture wicking, but also help regulate your body temperature as you run.
What To Look Out For In Your Running Gear
Your running gear, regardless of sex, should be flexible, waterproof, and light. It is also characterized by the presence of flat seams, which rub less and do not cause irritation on the skin.
I recommend to choose models for outdoor training with reflective inserts. This will keep you safe while running in bad weather with low visibility or in low light. Especially important as we come into winter months.
Materials & Fabrics For Women & Running
Clothes made from natural materials are not suitable for sports. Wet clothes stick to the body, cause discomfort, and in the cold season, this can lead to body chills which can lower your immune system and make it easier for you to get sick. Sportswear is made of special synthetic fabrics that remove moisture away in summer and keep warm in the cold season.
Natural Fabrics & Running For Women
They absorb moisture well. Too well. With intense sweating, the material becomes wet, which causes discomfort and friction, and in cold weather it can lead to hypothermia.
In an indoor setting you could potentially look at this as you don’t have to worry about heat. However, as your natural fabric gets heavier, this can not only add weight, but can also increase friction between your skin and your natural fabric. This can cause a rash at best or at worst, blisters.
Synthetic Fabrics & Running For Women
The high-tech breathable materials used in running garments are specially designed for high-intensity activities. Clothes made from such fabrics create a micro-climate: it promotes the evaporation of sweat and at the same time retains heat in cold weather, and in hot weather – does not allow overheating.
This would be advantageous for both sexes but where it differs here would be that men and women generally have different shapes. If you’re running for the first time and are a woman, you need to make sure that there is amble space in the chest region. No matter how good your sports bra is, there will be some movement, allowing for some movement will reduce any friction.
Spandex For Women
- Absorb and remove moisture, provide comfort
- Do not disturb natural heat exchange
- Keep their shape
- Resistant to light and heat
Compression Clothing For Woman
While jogging or running, a lot of stress is placed on the muscles and joints. In order to reduce the risk of edema and vegetative vascular dystonia, I had a few women recommend using compression clothing (“compression” – compression, pressure). The idea of these clothes is based on the fact that it compresses the limbs to varying degrees of pressure, depending on the group.
There are some advantages of compression clothing;
- Reduces limb pain
- Promotes rapid recovery
- Prevention of vascular diseases
- Removes moisture
- Promotes thermoregulation
Compression enhances metabolic processes in muscles:
- Oxygen exchange increases
- Gets more nutrients
- Carbon dioxide and decay products are removed many times faster
As a result, muscle fatigue occurs much later.
The pressure of the compression garment also reduces vibration from impact while running and, as a result, reduces the risk of injury. Additional support for muscles, ligaments and tendons reduces the risk of micro-tears that can lead to more serious injury. This is especially important during prolonged exertion.
Some brands of compression underwear have a special recovery line. The high degree of compression of this equipment promotes the removal of waste products and the supply of nutrients to the muscles. This allows the muscles to recover faster without reducing the intensity of the load.
Macy University in Auckland has done research on runners. Athletes had to run a distance of 10 km. The subjects were divided into two groups: one of them ran in compression socks. The results showed the effectiveness of using such underwear for physical activity:
- 93% of participants who ran without compression socks experienced pain in the lower leg the next day
- In the second group, delayed muscle pain was observed only in 14%
The pressure provided by the compression garment improves proprioception – the sense of the body in space. This makes it easier to control your body and follow your running technique, especially your foot placement.
Summer Running Clothes For Women
In summer, jogging clothing for woman should be lightweight, breathable, and help to reduce sweating.
Optimal summer set:
- T-shirt / T-shirt
- Shorts / Tights
- Socks / knee-highs
- Baseball cap (in sunny weather)
In the summer, it is better to choose sets of fabrics with moisture management technologies and mesh inserts. Such clothing is good for air flow, wicks moisture away, and promotes better ventilation. For protection from ultraviolet radiation, sportswear is treated with a special protection against UV radiation.
Tights are tight workout pants. The summer option allows you to practice even in the hottest weather. The special cut and material enhances aerodynamic properties. You can choose from ankle, mid-calf or knee length.
When jogging in sunny weather, wear a light baseball cap that will protect you from direct rays and sunstroke.
Spring & Autumn Running Gear For Women
In spring and autumn, the weather changes very quickly. At this time, it is often difficult to understand: it will be hot or cold while jogging, what to wear to be comfortable and not get a body chill.
At this time of the year, you need to use the three-layer principle (or the multi-layer principle). One jumper or jacket won’t protect you from the cold wind, but several layers of high-tech material can do it. At the same time, clothes should wick away moisture and not hinder movement.
The optimal set for spring and autumn:
- T-shirt (long or short sleeves)
- Shorts / Tights
- Windbreaker (for rainy and windy weather)
- Socks / knee-highs
First Layer
Thermal underwear – the bottom layer. Do not wear cotton underwear, as it absorbs moisture well, but does not drain it well, which will cause you to freeze faster. In thermal underwear made of high-tech material, even with the most intense loads, it will be dry and warm.
T-shirt. In early fall, a loose, short-sleeved T-shirt is sufficient. In the weather from + 5˚C to + 10˚C, it is better to choose a T-shirt with a long sleeve (long sleeve). The shirt should be elastic with flat seams that won’t chafe when moving. It can either fit snugly to the body or be straight cut.
Shorts, leggings. You can run in shorts until the air temperature drops to + 15˚С. This piece of advice is of course personal, 15˚С in Ireland is a pleasant Spring day but in other parts of the world, that is quite cool. A good gauge would be whether or not you’d wear just a t-shirt normally in the outdoor weather. If yes, then you’re good to go with shorts.
An alternative option for this weather is lightweight tights. At temperatures below 0 ° C, it is better to wear insulated versions of tights or jogging trousers. Most leggings have a snug fit to keep your muscles toned during your workouts.
Second Layer
Jumper, sweatshirt. The second layer should have good thermoregulation. A sports jumper is a convenient element for outdoor workouts. For cold weather, you can choose models from several layers with insulation.
Third Layer
Windbreaker. A lightweight sports jacket that protects against rain and wind. Usually windbreakers are made of membrane materials that allow the body to “breathe”. In the chest area the windbreaker is equipped with windproof inserts. On the back and underarms, special inserts provide extra ventilation and prevent the body from overheating.
In late autumn and winter it gets dark quickly, so the presence of reflective elements on the jacket is desirable.
Hat, gloves and socks. Be sure to wear gloves, hat and warm socks in cold weather. Keeping your arms and legs warm will make you feel more comfortable. For the first frost, use lightweight synthetic running gloves and gaiters that cover the ankle and lower leg.
Winter Running Gear
In winter, a running kit should consist of all three layers and thermal underwear. Clothing should be warm in cold weather and comfortable for running.
Optimal winter set:
- Autumn set
- Hat, scarf \(buff)
- Gloves
- Jumper under the jacket (at a temperature of – 5 ° C)
It is more comfortable to practice in insulated tights, the inner layer of which is made of soft and warm material a, which protects from wind and frost.
Additional inserts make these garments both windproof and breathable. A few women also recommended to wear shorts over the tights for additional thermal protection.
Severe frosts (below -25 ° C) should be done only by trained athletes. It is better to wear a sports sweater or insulated long-sleeved jacket, a T-shirt and thermal underwear under the insulated jacket. And even then, I would caution extreme care for this sort of training. If I were your coach, I would probably freak out if I heard you were training in this sort of weather.
Socks and gloves will protect your hands from frostbite, and be sure to wear a scarf, hat or balaclava to protect your head and neck. I personally find gloves to be immensely helpful as my hands tend to get real cold, real fast.
Features Of Women’s Running Gear
The main element of running equipment for women and girls is the sports bra. It should be elastic, while fixing the chest and not hindering movements, not pinching your blood vessels.
Sports bras come in three levels of support: light, medium and high. For running, choose a bra with medium to high support. Usually these models are equipped with wide straps.
Running underwear is made with no seams or flat seams, so it does not chafe or pressure when moving.
One of the healthiest habits is running regularly in the morning or evening. Running improves the tone of the body, improves mood and fitness. In order for jogging to bring maximum benefit and pleasure, you need not only to correctly calculate the load, but also to choose the right equipment.
If you’re looking to improve your running speed, why not check out my article on how to use hurdles to speed up your running?