Running Gear For Women – Steph’s Top Tips

There is so much variety in running gear for women today. Women now have their own gender specific designs in running tops, trousers, socks and trainers. It is very easy for women to pick out their favourite brands and designs for the exact purpose for which they require them. For example, if you like running in closely fitted tights but don’t like full length, you have an immense choice of brands, styles and materials with which to find your favourites that you can buy time and time again. You will probably be looking for a capri tight or shorts that fit your body perfectly but leave your legs bare which wick away moisture to keep you cool. After you have chosen a couple of pairs you will probably then find that you have a favourite brand and style that fits your requirements exactly and from then on will pick that specific design. Every year you will be able to choose from new styles and designs in your chosen range or you may decide to stick with what you know.

You may decide a particular material doesn’t suit you. You will then be able to choose from a different material but still choose essentially the same style of garment. Stretchy tights are usually made from polyester, Lycra and/or spandex. Most tights are shower resistant but at the same time allow you to breathe, controlling sweat, heat and cold. Full tights, however are mostly used for the winter months as they keep you warm and dry. You may want to choose capri pants or shorts for the milder months.
If you decide you would like to wear non-Lycra running shorts you will have a huge range to choose from. In the winter months some runners like to wear them over very tight tights to preserve their modesty! In the summer time a lot of runners find that they are the coolest type of shorts. Be careful picking lined shorts to wear during the summer months, they may prove to retain too much heat and make you uncomfortable. Shorts come in all sorts of designs from hot pants to more modest lengths; you need to pick the ones that are most comfortable for you. Be careful of picking Lycra hot pants, they won’t stay put and will ride right up your inner thighs. If you are very skinny then this may not bother you but if you are curvier it just might! Most do ride up, but they do still feel comfortable on the body once they have ridden up and will allow you to keep very cool.

Compression tights are the ultimate in tights. They range from the cheap to the scandalously expensive! They can be worn in the winter or summer and some have a sunscreen built in as high as factor 50. These tights support your muscles, keep the circulation flowing preventing build up in the legs, reduce the effects of lactic acid and keep your muscles warm to prevent injury. You can buy them to wear whilst running or to wear afterwards to aid recovery. Some marathoners even sleep in them to aid muscle recovery. If you don’t like showing your legs in the summer they may be ideal. Look around before you buy and do some research, as ‘skins’ tights can be as much as £100.
Any womens fitness clothing can be worn whilst running as long as you make sure it is breathable. To help you choose, brands may describe their garments breathability differently. For example, Adidas garments are made in Clima cool material, sometimes Clima cool 365, which means the garment can be worn all year round. Nike may market their fitness clothing as ‘dri-fit’, which means the garments will keep you dry by wicking away sweat.
During the summer months you may want to invest in a vest style running top. You can get these in every conceivable colour and style. Some come with bra support inside but, as most women wear sports bras, these can often be impractical as they add extra bulk and can make you hotter as you run. If you don’t wear a sports bra when you run then they may prove very practical for your needs.
Running T-shirts can either be extremely lightweight with air vents or of slightly heavier construction. T-shirts are invaluable in the summer to be worn alone or in winter to layer against the cold. Again, there is evey design under the sun to choose from. If you can, fit them on in the changing room when buying, as some can sit really high up your neck and can feel very uncomfortable. You will soon be aware of how you like your T-shirts to fit and won’t need to try them on every time you buy. Be careful of winter long sleeved garments too for this reason, especially the half zipped variety. They can sit very high on the front of the neck and quite low at the back making for a very uncomfortable fit. Some women never buy any winter running gear and will run in short sleeves and shorts all year round.

It can be quite difficult to find running trousers to fit short women. Usually the sweatpant variety come in a regular size, which is 32” and these can even rule out women who are of average height. Shop around for the brand and style that fit you and choose your favourites. Capri pants or often baggy sweats come in ¾ leg length that may fit you really well. Also long knee length shorts can look good too. Shorter shorts may also fit you really well and preserve modesty if they look longer on you!
New Balance women specific fitness clothing is a very good brand although it can be hard to find in the U.K as it is an American company. Searching online can probably get you the most results, in particular for trainers. New Balance trainers are especially good as they come in a number of different width fittings from very narrow to very wide. These can be a good trainer for women with bunions as the wider toe box allows the bunions more room as they start to swell whilst running. There are some sports shops that sell a decent range of New Balance trainers whilst others hardly stock any. You may have to suck it and see if you can only find them online.
Choose running gear for women specifically when looking for garments and trainers and you can’t go far wrong. Sweatshop and He Runs She Runs are specialist running shops and always have male and female assistants that have been specially trained to advise on everything running and most of them are runners themselves.