How To Prevent Chafing When Exercising
You’ve finally gotten yourself into a great exercise routine. The last few weeks have been great and you’re feeling better than you have in years. You’ve taken up running and you’ve joined a group fitness class. It’s all going well.
One hot summer day you’re really feeling a burn. Unfortunately, it’s not the burn from getting your muscles working. It’s the dreaded burn of chafing. You peel off your workout or compression shorts, ever so carefully and reveal a red hot mess. Sure, you can rub on some anti-bacterial ointment and hope this problem won’t interfere with your fitness program, but prevention is better than cure so have a look at these 10 ways to prevent chafing when exercising.
1. Rub Some Anti-Chafing Products To Chafe Prone Areas
Your inner thighs and underarms are often the biggest victims of chafing when you exercises. Fortunately, you don’t have to suffer and deal with red raw limbs after a CrossFit session or a long run. Simply apply a thin layer of an over the counter anti-chafing product. The best ones have wax or polyethylene. This thin layer of cream or ointment reduces the friction of your limbs rubbing against each other and thus prevents chafing. In a pinch, you could also use Vaseline or a good quality stick-deodorant. Vaseline is also good for treating chafing if it has already gotten out of hand. It gives the raw skin a layer of protection and aids the healing process.
2. Change Your Pants
Those workout pants or gym shorts may look good, but are they really comfortable in hot conditions? Loose clothing soaks up moisture and becomes a source of irritation. That irritation will result in chafing. It’s much better to wear form fitting clothing that has been especially designed for exercising. These include things like tracksuits, shorts or yoga pants and with the new technologies, many of the materials used in the production of sporting apparel wick moisture away from the body which further eliminates the source of chafing.
3. Baby Get The Powder
The main culprit of chafing is the moisture from your sweating limbs. If you are a profuse sweater, you need to take action at the start of your exercise routine. Get some baby powder and dust lightly around your inner thigh area and any other place where chafing could be a problem.
4. Anti-Chafe Bands
That assault fitness class is doing wonders for sculpting your body, but the chafing is undoing all of your hard work. You’re in so much pain that you can’t bear the thought of working out. Invest in a pair of anti-chafe bands. All you need to do is slip them on over the parts of your upper thighs that suffer from frequent chafing. These bands are made from silky materials that reduce the friction that cause chafing. At the same time, as the thighs can’t come into direct contact with each other, the chances of chafing are greatly reduced. You can slip them on under your regular workout clothes so they’re completely unnoticeable.
5. A Cycle Of Terror
Cyclists often suffer from chafing in the entire groin area, including the buttocks. They not only have to deal with skin against skin chafing, but skin again bike seats as well. Fortunately, bike manufacturers are aware of this and have come up with bike seats that prevent saddle soreness. Find one that you’re comfortable with and replace the seat and say goodbye to chafing.
6. Anti-Chafe Bike Shorts
If you are an avid cyclist then you probably already know about anti-chafe bike shorts. They are simply ordinary bike shorts with built in rash guards that prevent your thighs rubbing against each other or the seat. You can wear them under other workout clothes as well so it may be worth getting a few pairs.
7. Protect The Entire Seated Area
Before you put on your cycling gear, apply a thin layer of Vaseline or any other anti-chafing product to your thighs, buttocks and your entire groin area. You want that layer covering any area that you experience the friction.
8. Shower And Dry
In the summer months you are probably showering everyday anyway, but it really is a hygiene ritual you don’t want to skip. Sweat contains microbes that contribute to chafing and you want to get rid of them on a daily basis. Shower in the morning if you must, but shower again after any type of physical activity, and certainly after exercise. Use a mild soap, specifically designed for those delicate areas and rinse thoroughly. Pat the area dry completely afterwards, because leaving behind any moisture will send you back to the beginning of the problem.
9. Talk To Your Doctor
If excessive sweating and chafing is a big problem for you, there could be an underlying medical reason that you are suffering. Have a chat with your doctor and see if there is a reason for your discomfort. Sometimes you can be given medication to lessen the extent of your sweating which will also lessen the severity of your chafing problem or eliminate it completely.
10. Change Your Routine
Those fitness apps and fitness trackers have converted you from a couch potato to a fitness addict, but all that hard work in the heat of the day is causing your thighs to chafe. Change your routine around so that you are doing lighter exercises during the day, and the more strenuous ones in the early morning or evenings when it’s cooler. You’ll still get your daily dose of exercise, without exposing yourself to the chafe burn.
If your thighs, underarms or any other area has become chafed, take care of the affected areas immediately. Don’t try to push through the pain and continue exercising because you’ll only make it worse. Wash the area with a mild body wash because you need to get rid of any bacteria or fungus left behind from sweat and let the area air dry completely. Use an anti-bacterial ointment and wait for the burning to pass.
