Comments on: Does Running Cause Saggy Skin?

By: melissa

melissa — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:01:11 +0000

My mother is 68 and has been a runner for 30 years. She runs 3 times a week for 30 – 40 minutes. She is in GREAT shape and looks great in clothes…toned with a great figure…she looks like a teenager (in clothes). But in a bathing suit, her skin is VERY saggy from head to toe. Compared to her sister, who is plump, she is much more saggy, but will no doubt live longer. I guess it’s all about what is most important to you.

By: Suzy

Suzy — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:38:18 +0000

I, for one, found that swimming was very aging to my skin. The harsh chemicals such as chlorine in the water really dulled and dried out my skin. Jogging on the other hand gives me a healthy glow and keeps my weight steady (and, as you know, weight flucuation is one of the most aging things there is!) I do wear suncreen and a hat and run early in the morning before the sun is strongest. Honestly, though, I think we worry about things like this far too much – beyond taking sensible steps such as wearing sunscreen and not smoking (which I heartily endorse!) there is only so much you can do to prevent the signs of age despite what the magazines say (who have a vested interest in keeping us paranoid!) At some point, you ARE going to age and get wrinkles – much of it has to do with hormonal changes that you can’t do anything about so I personally think we should just do what we can within reason and then forget it and enjoy our life. A woman with wrinkles who is ‘comfortable in her own skin’ as the French say, is far sexier and more attractive than a wrinkle-free neurotic woman who is terrified to live!

By: Alita

Alita — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 05:19:15 +0000

I’m just wondering, all these women who say running caused their breasts etc to sag… were they slim before? I can imagine running with extra fat hanging off one’s bones might cause some sagging. I’ve never seen an elite marathon runner with sagging breast skin… they have NO boobs! Yet I can’t believe that they all started out flat. There must have been some real curvies who lost the fat (and the excess skin) through running.

By: Anna

Anna — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:30:58 +0000

I’m sort of afraid to continue running now! Whenever I go long spurts without jogging then start it up again my skin, breasts, butt and thighs always perk up, noticeably. I hope more research comes out about this! There has to be a bazillion factors to consider….

By: collegeathlete

collegeathlete — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:24:36 +0000

SWIM!

Like me, you’ll need to use an inhaler if you have asthma, but it’s worth it. The low impact means you’ll burn lots of fat without looking a day older.

And your boobs won’t sag.

For whatever reason, power walks and ellipticals don’t get you nearly as good results as swimming and running. I find it endlessly frustrating to put effort into things that don’t give you results.

By: Leenzback

Leenzback — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:08:59 +0000

Oh I wanted to add– is avoiding a bit of elasticity in the skin really worth giving up running and the natural euphoria it gives? I feel like women, once again, are becoming prisoners of patriarchal definitions of beauty. It would sound ludicrous of men were to give up playing football (for instance), because it made their skin sag–so why are we?….

By: Leenzback

Leenzback — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:03:35 +0000

Robin– I’m sad to hear you look so harshly at yourself: I highly doubt that your aging is anywhere near as bad as you think. While I’m sure running does cause a bit of gravity-provoked wear and tear on the skin– I’m sure that you just have imbalanced hormones, a clogged up digestive system and accumulated sun damage. There are a number of books “the hormone diet” which detail how common hormonal imbalances within women are and how it causes aging. There are many things you can do (mainly ceneterd around diet: eliminate dairy (milk, cheese etc) and wheat/gluten. Stick to veggies, brown rice, sweet potatoes and rice & goat milk (for example). Keep in mind all of these factors, start wearing a GOOD natural sunscreen (Soleo Organics Sunscreen SPF 30 or Badger SPF 30) and get colon hydrotherapy/irrigation–a messed up digestive system is a key cause of aging. GOOD LUCK

By: sandrar

sandrar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:19:50 +0000

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By: Michelle C

Michelle C — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:08:31 +0000

If you are wondering about or concerned if running causes wrinkles or any other subject with fitness and skin care you should contact the owner of Fitness Botanical Skin Care.com i think the name says it all. the website has a good informative page too. I would disagree that running causes one to age. any one who spends toomuch time outdoors with no sunscreen can look older. I love the way running makes me feel and look and my skin! And with a good quality sports bra no sagging boobs.

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:26:19 +0000

At 44, this could be happening naturally with age as opposed to a relatively recent exercise regiment. Running has actually been shown to reverse the aging process.