Skin care for runners (moisturizing) PDF Print E-mail
Written by Marathon Guru   
Thursday, 16 February 2012 06:36
mmoistureFor runners who are out in the elements day in and day out, we need to take care of our bodies as thoroughly as possible. Our skin is not one of those muscles that we often think of as being super important to running. We don’t need to stretch our skin or give our skin a massage, but it is important to take care of it.
One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to avoid blisters. The key word in that sentence is "avoid" and like any injury, once it is completely broken there is a much longer healing time. The same is true for blisters. Once it forms, it takes considerably longer to heal, so rather than playing catch up with a blister, take the initiative to moisturize and care for the affected area.
Blisters are not the only form of skin irritation in running. There is of course the issue of chaffing. Whether it is from skin rubbing on other skin or rubbing against the seams of your clothes, chafing can really hurt. When regular lotions don’t work, vaseline will often do the trick. Putting vaseline between your thighs so they don’t rub together when you run or on your armpits can prevent a lot of discomfort. It is a very odd thing to have to worry about but as a runner, making sure these types of small things do not get in your way of completing the training is important.
Your skin can take a battering out in the weather. With extreme cold weather, your skin and lips can crack if it is exposed just like in warmer weather where your skin can become very dry/ flakey and peel. It is important to realise that your skin is a cover to your body and it is losing moisture/ nutrients. There are a number of soaps such as "Dove" and moisturizes such as "Palmolive" and "Olay" that you can apply at night or after your runs, to help keep your skin looking and feeling better. This also helps you feel better about your appearance which leads to self confidence and as athletes, we all need that. There are a number of products of the market for runners needing moisturizes and take a look here: