Find out the reason for rubbing your feet while running and what preventive actions are needed to prevent such a nuisance. Not only sports fans, but also ordinary people complain of chafing between their legs. This happens most often during the warm season. Probably, you have experienced discomfort from this condition at least once in your life. Today we will talk about the reasons for rubbing between the legs while running and how to combat this phenomenon.
Causes of rubbing between the legs while running
Scuffs are mechanical damage (irritation) of the body that occurs with constant contact of the skin. There can be many reasons for their appearance, but three should be distinguished among the most common.
Quite often, chafing between the legs is found in obese people. This is due to the fact that sweating processes in their bodies proceed at a high speed. They have a small enough gap between their legs and the skin cannot breathe normally. Under the influence of physical exertion, the amount of moisture released increases significantly and it does not have time to erode from the skin. Since during running or walking, the inner surfaces of the thighs are constantly in contact, rubbing appears on the skin.
An equally common cause of this problem is improperly fitted clothing. First of all, this applies to clothing made of materials that are not able to quickly remove moisture from the skin. As a result, the body melts, and the moist skin is very easy to deform. Also, chafing between the legs while running can appear due to rough seams on the clothes. If you are actively involved in sports, then be careful when choosing clothes.
The third reason lies in the physiological characteristics of people and lies in the close position of the legs relative to each other. This is characteristic not only of ordinary people, but also of athletes. Even if they have not experienced such problems before, they can arise due to the increase in muscle volume. As a result of this process, the gap between the legs decreases, and the risk of chafing between the legs while running increases.
Can you avoid chafing between your legs while running?
When an athlete is moving quickly, he is not able to immediately notice the first symptoms of chafing between the legs. Therefore, you must take care of the prevention even before the start of the training.
clothing
First of all, you should devote enough time to choosing sportswear. In this situation, you need to pay attention to the following points:
- Clothing should be loose, not restrict movement, but not dangle.
- You shouldn't feel any discomfort when wearing it.
- The seams should be flat and inconspicuous.
- There should be special inserts on the buttocks and between the legs, designed to improve ventilation.
- In order to prevent overheating of the body, in the summer it is worth using shorts or short leggings, and in the cold season, tight insulated pants are perfect.
Materials (edit)
Various materials are used to create running apparel today. They can be synthetic or natural. Among the second group, we note the most preferable for most athletes:
- Cotton - perfectly absorbs moisture and has strong antistatic properties. With a high level of air permeability, cotton retains its original shape extremely poorly. Most often, the material is used for the production of suits used in the summer.
- Wool - a good natural material used in the manufacture of warm clothing.
Among the synthetic materials, the following should be highlighted:
- Polyester - lightweight material, absorbs liquid well, retains its shape and dries quickly. Among other things, it is able to reliably protect the skin from exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
- Lycra - thanks to her, things become elastic and can keep their shape for a long time.
- Elastin - stretches well and retains its original shape, without hindering the movements of the athlete.
Today, manufacturers rarely use this or that material in its pure form. To ensure maximum comfort for the athlete, natural fibers are mixed with synthetic fibers. This is the kind of clothing we can recommend to you for sports.
Running clothes
If you decide to get serious about jogging, then you should pay attention to special clothing. All leading manufacturers produce kits for both cold and warm seasons. When choosing it, be guided by personal preference. We will highlight the two most popular types of clothing among athletes:
- Compression - in fact, it is a second skin and perfectly fits the body. Among its main advantages, we note the ability to maintain muscles, protect the body from vibration during movement, and maintain optimal body temperature. When using it, rubbing between the legs while running is simply impossible.
- Smart clothes - is devoid of seams and has special inserts that accelerate the processes of removing moisture from the skin, and also improves ventilation of the body. Thanks to its elasticity, it helps to maintain correct posture, and special inserts on the knee joints are designed to improve their protection.
It is these types of jogging clothing that are most popular today among sports amateurs and professionals. If you want to prevent chafing between your legs while running, then get it.
Rubbing between the legs while running: prevention
To avoid this nuisance, you should follow a few tips:
- Wear underwear that covers areas of possible chafing. Of course, it must be made of high quality material.
- Follow the rules of personal hygiene and use personal products. When you visit public places, such as a sauna or swimming pool, then minimize contact of problem body parts with common items.
- If your legs are close, then pay special attention to exercises that accelerate the processes of lipolysis on the inner thigh. These can be side swings, squats, and stretching movements.
- Use body powder or talcum powder before jogging to speed up the absorption of moisture.
- Use clothing that effectively repels moisture, is highly insulated and breathable.
It is also worth remembering about a very effective folk remedy for preventing chafing between the legs while running - starch. It is not necessary to use the powder itself, you can treat problem areas of the skin with cut potatoes. If the irritation hasn't started yet, an antiperspirant will do. Before exercising, you can wash the skin between your legs with laundry soap, which will kill all bacteria.
Rubbing between your legs while running - what to do?
We just learned how you can avoid chafing between your legs while running. However, if irritation has already appeared on the skin, then this problem must be eliminated. First of all, you should take a shower and gently wash the damaged areas of the skin with soap and a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This will remove sweat and kill bacteria.
Allow time for the skin to dry and ventilate, only after that you should proceed to the second stage of the fight against abrasions. The simplest and most effective method in this case is a compress with ice. However, this may not always help and you may have to use more effective methods.
Use decoctions of herbs with bactericidal activity - chamomile, St. John's wort, oak bark, etc. A very effective way to combat rubbing after running is an aloe leaf, which must first be cut into two parts and applied to the damaged area.
There are also medicinal solutions to the problem. These are drugs such as bepanten or panthenol. To soothe irritated skin and speed up the healing process, Desitin ointment is excellent. When applied to the skin, it forms a thin, water-repellent, protective film. Already after 12 hours you will feel the results of the work of this ointment.
Zinc ointment is extremely popular among athletes. This remedy is able to quickly eliminate inflammation, dry the skin and is a good antiseptic. Naftedarm also has similar properties. This remedy will not only relieve inflammation and disinfect the damaged area of the skin, but even quickly eliminate pain.
All of the above medications should include a skin-cap. Using levomekol, you can forget about the problem in one night. If the chafes are crusty, use a greasy ointment, such as a lifeguard. In the most advanced cases, it is worth using Advantan ointment. In this case, you should remember that this medication is hormonal and should be used in consultation with your doctor.
Quite often, the usual "Baby cream" is very effective. A cortisone ointment can also be a great remedy for you. This drug has a sedative effect, accelerates wound healing and suppresses inflammation.
Ordinary petroleum jelly is also quite popular. Recall that this tool is of two types:
- Natural - made from paraffin resins secreted by plant leaves.
- Synthetic - contains a mixture of paraffin, ceresin and perfume oil.
Vaseline should be used as a prophylactic agent by applying it to the skin. It is also used by athletes to protect scuffs from further damage. Just apply petroleum jelly to the damaged area of the skin before training. This will retain moisture and protect wounds from pathogens.
Most often, scuffs are quickly removed by the athlete himself, but in rare situations, it may be necessary to pay a visit to a medical facility. This should be done in the event that the scuffs could not be eliminated on their own. Go see a dermatologist and tell him what happened.
If similar damage to the skin cannot heal for a long time, then there is a high probability of bacteria or fungal infection entering the wounds. Do not underestimate the danger of what is happening, because the risks of blood poisoning increase significantly. That is why you should visit a doctor in difficult situations. Now you know how to avoid rubbing between your legs while running and what to do if they appear.
What to do if rubbing between your legs while running:
