| Does Running Make Your Breasts Sag? |
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| by Diet Detective Editorial Staff | |
| Tuesday, 04 July 2006 | |
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This age-old fear needlessly keeps many women from a great form of
exercise. Here’s what you need to know about things going south and
what running has (and has not) to do with it. Listen up, ladies. We all know running is a great way to get fit, lose weight and improve our energy, but even the added benefit of stress relief is not enough to get some of us in a pair of running shoes. We are held back by an age-old fear that the bouncing motion of running will take away our perky breasts and lead to total deflation. Now is the time to ditch the fear and hit the road because this is a myth.
Breasts are largely made of fat and, unfortunately, they will naturally start to travel south over time. Genetics also plays a role in the shape and appearance of your breasts. "The breasts are filled with Astley-Cooper ligaments, and when these stretch, the breast loses its elasticity," says Laurence Kirwan, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon with a private practice in Connecticut and England.
Loss of elasticity can be blamed on breast growth during puberty, weight loss and gain, pregnancy and breast-feeding. "Running does not help breasts and can in fact stretch the ligaments supporting them," says Kirwan.
It's all a lie, according to Mindy Solkin, owner and head coach of The Running Center in New York City. "Running does not make your breasts sag. When you run, you are moving forward through space, with your arms pumping back and forth and your legs going forward. Running involves a slight forward lean, with the shoulders relaxed and down, not rolled forward." She coaches her clients that proper running form should never involve a hopping motion. "If you hop, you are wasting energy."
"Running does not take away the elasticity," says exercise physiologist Amy Brummerloh, but "I would not go jogging without the proper sports bra." She suggests performing back-strengthening and chest-stretching exercises to improve your running stance. Strengthening the back and shoulder muscles in particular will improve your form and help you run more efficiently.
No amount of exercise can correct an already sagging set of breasts, but taking certain steps can help maintain firmness and prevent damage:
Wear a fitted sports bra
Never exercise braless
Avoid yo-yo dieting
Strength-train to improve your running posture
Avoid bouncing when you run
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Comments (5)
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written by venetia, October 04, 2007
I was one of the first in my year at school to get breasts and they weren't small either. I was so embarra*sed - because I was at a mostly boys' school - that people could see my bra through my shirt that I used to take it OFF for sports and athletics. I was aged around 12. I now regret that so much and, at 26, wear well-fitting bras and sports bras but I wish I could undo those early days.
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written by Carrie, July 17, 2007
If you're running outside and don't use sunscreen, that may cause sagging and aging, but as for simply running, I doubt that.
Use a sweatproof sunscreen. ...
written by Nadine, November 05, 2006
I really need the truth about running and sagging of the breasts. I used to be an avid runner and have completely stopped recently after noticing some changes. What's the deal and can anything be done to prevent this?
... written by Angelica, October 16, 2006
I just started to run (at 39) I recently completed my first half marathon and looking forward to a full marathon however, I am being told that running will make my facial skin sag. I am told that running makes you look old and that it will cause your face to droop. Obviously, I don't want this to happen. Is it true?
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