DO BOOBS GET IN THE WAY RUNNING? WE PUT IT TO THE TEST!
MALE RUNNERS PUT THEIR ‘BREAST’ FOOT FORWARD TO EXPERIENCE FEMALE-FOCUSSED EXERCISE PAIN
Anyone can be reluctant to try a new sport - the fear of the unknown is what makes us human. But for women, taking up a relatively simple sport like running may have a few more hindrances.
More often than not, people take up running with a very basic ‘kit’. This could mean ill-fitting shoes, old clothing that’s been in the back of the cupboard for months (or years!) and a lack of confidence to hit the ground running - quite literally!
A UK study found that nearly one in five women say that factors related to their breasts—including excessive movement and being unable to find the right sports bra—have kept them from exercising.
The downside to not having the correct kit is discomfort post-run, which can result in those leggings being put back in the cupboard for another few years. Women, unlike men, need to consider their breasts when running. Not only will women’s chests hurt if they aren’t wearing the right kit, but a whole host of other problems can be caused as a result. For example, in a recent study, one third of female marathon runners said they experienced breast pain when running!
Health issues include,but aren’t limited to:
- Lower back pain
- Shoulder pain
- Knee and ankle pain
- Bad posture during and after running
To say ‘boobs get in the way’ would be an understatement - research has found that when unsupported, boobs can move not only up and down, but also side to side and forward and backward. This can allow movement of up to 14cm, causing irreversible damage to the breast tissue. Add this movement to the 200 muscles used when running, the impact on joints as a result of striking the ground - the long-term effects of this will be damaging to a woman’s physical and mental health if not addressed early on.
Of course, searching for the right kit comes with a price tag. Investing in the correct footwear is common knowledge, but did you know that you should shop for your sports bra in the same way? Although men are just as likely to splurge on running shoes and kit, adding a sports bra to the mix can sometimes make the price tag for running too high and unattainable for some.
Though the cheapest option might look nice and feel OK for the first run, it might not be the right one for you, especially for women with larger busts who need a much more specialist, higher impact bra. A well-supported run may well result in less pain, meaning that giving up is less likely. It’s a win-win!
Hannah Williams, registered osteopath (M.Ost) at Burton Joyce Osteopathy warned:
“A good sports bra will help to counteract the centre of gravity dragging the body forward which would place an extra strain on the back muscles to stay upright. It also supports the breast tissue against repetitive high impact created by the rhythm of running.
“Correct sports bras for women are important, especially those with a larger bust size.If left unsupported over time this could cause damage, sagging or irritation to the connective tissues of the chest.”
In our latest campaign, we wanted to test just how much ‘boobs really do get in the way’ when running - so, armed with some realistic prosthetic breasts, we sent four male runners of differing ability out on a run to see what happened.
Here’s what they said:
Stuart T (novice runner)
- “I haven’t even set off yet and I can already feel it pulling, it’s already heavy.”
- “As soon as I went up hill, all the weight on my back - I sort of think it made me lean forwards.”
- “I leant forwards too much, which obviously isn’t good for me.”
- “It took me nine minutes, which is much slower than I am used to.”
Martin S (novice runner)
- “Even just standing here, it’s starting to pull me forwards, so I think this is going to have quite an impact on my running.”
- “So that was a really weird experience, it added about two minutes [to my time].”
- “I could really feel it on my shoulders… It felt like my posture was really pulled forwards”
- “Halfway through, I found myself naturally trying to lift them up a little bit.”
- “It was a very odd experience… I’ve got massive newfound respect for female runners.”
Michael M (experienced runner)
- “I think I pushed myself a little bit wearing the prosthetics - to understand the impact it would have on my body - and the impact was pretty high.”
- “My lower back feels a little bit tender right now, I got stitch early on and I don’t normally stitch.”
- “It’s an eye opener… It’s the pendulum effect, and then the weakness around my knees - I had to slow down, I didn’t feel comfortable going faster as I don’t want to injure myself.”
- “I can only imagine that a well-supported bra would give you that extra support and help you.”
- “Overall, if you don’t have a good sports bra, you’re doing yourself an injustice.”
Martin H (experienced runner)
- [In the rain] “It’s starting to chafe a lot more, which is something I didn’t necessarily expect.”
- “Very happy with that [time] - it’s about a minute and twenty slower than a couple of weeks ago, which is effectively the result of that [prosthetics].”
- “I’m glad I did it, it was quite enlightening - it was a good session as much as it hurt my shoulders”
- “It’s something that, to be honest, men take for granted - we don’t even think about it [not having breasts].”
Average= 11.82596382
Methodology:
Four male runners of varying ability wore realistic prosthetic breasts during a run to experience what women may feel. The prosthetics were equivalent to UK cup size D, weighing 500g each, adding an extra kilo to their chests. Distances varied from one mile to five kilometers, depending on ability.
The experiment runs were compared to similar runs done previously to compare comfort, time and the overall feeling afterward.
Each runner recorded a slower time, complaining of a selection of aches and pains as a result.