Exercise studies tend to be conducted on to year-old elite male runners, and because of this, women should be careful about the advice they take. Not every study can be generalized across genders, says Dr. Fortunately, this is starting to change, and more studies are including women. It will take some time, however, before the new study results trump the institutional backlog of knowledge built on looking at fast, skinny men.

Our weekly email for runners delivers practical tips, expert advice, exclusive content and a bit of motivation to your inbox to help you on your running journey. See sample Privacy Policy Opt out or contact us anytime. For long training runs, bathroom opportunities are under your control. Devise a route on a loop that passes by your home so you can use your own restroom. Another idea? Map your route where there are public park bathrooms or local shops with public restrooms. I have two coffee shops that I use often for this purpose , and I make sure to go back and buy coffee at both spots to thank them.

Planning bathroom stops is crucial during a race. Get to your race early to make sure you have time for a pit stop before you start.

If you have to go mid-course you have a few less-than-ideal options: lose time on the course waiting for a Porta-Potty, learn to pee standing up, like the ultramarathoner Deborah Paquin, or relieve yourself while running and hope no one notices.

This may make them less responsive to messages from the nervous system, theoretically dulling reflexes and raising the risk of injury. A study of A. Much more research needs to be done to understand the connection between menstrual cycles and injury, but it may be a good idea to be a bit gentler on your knees during the first half of your cycle.

Mary Jane Minkin, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the Yale School of Medicine. Running can also help if you suffer from cramps during your period, says Dr. Though studies have shown that overall performance is not affected by your cycle.

There are generally no side effects in doing so, says Dr. Female endurance athletes, especially runners, sometimes stop getting their period, a condition called amenorrhea. Amenorrhea occurs when your body slows down production of estrogen as a result of exercising a lot, low body fat percentage, stress or some combination of the three.

In the short term, bone loss — especially for runners — can lead to low bone density, stress fractures, and later, osteoporosis, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Often, Dr. Minkin will refer women to nutritional counseling. She may also recommend they take a low-dose birth control pill because it will give their body enough estrogen to protect their bones. Food is delicious! Jessica B. Spencer, associate professor in the department of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine and medical director of the Emory Reproductive Center.

For example, someone may undergo a very stressful event and, because of it, lose 15 pounds. Note: Taking birth control pills can mask amenorrhoea, because they regulate your cycle. A long time ago in the s , doctors would tell women that strenuous exercise would make them sterile or cause their uterus to fall out.

This should never happen today. Women not only run and have children, but many run throughout their pregnancy. You can look at the marathoners Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe, who trained throughout their pregnancies and returned to competition soon after, for inspiration.

Whether you choose to keep running during pregnancy is a personal decision based on your health, how the baby is doing and how you are feeling throughout the nine months. If you were running before pregnancy, you can continue to run as you were, says Dr. Joel B. Heller adds that pregnancy might not be a great time to start running or any new strenuous physical activity. Throughout pregnancy, women should listen to what their bodies are telling them. Ask yourself: How do you feel when you run?

How do you feel after you run? As your pregnancy progresses you will gain weight, your center of gravity will shift and your connective tissues will become looser. So running will inherently feel different during pregnancy. The main thing to watch out for? As your ligaments stretch and soften, it can make your joints — particularly your feet and ankles — susceptible to injury, says Dr.

Your feet may also flatten or swell, so if your shoes start to get tight or uncomfortable try a pair one half- or full-size larger. If your lower back begins to feel the strain of your growing body, a pregnancy support band can reduce strain on the back and pelvis, Dr.

Heller says. If your doctor tells you to stop running, just stop. He or she may offer some running alternatives that put less strain on the body, such as swimming or cycling. Bryan Heiderscheit, a professor of orthopedics and rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. In a small study, Dr.

For a few women in the study, their pelvises began to tilt forward as their pregnancies progressed, thereby altering their strides. There was more side-to-side pelvic motion as well — waddling, if you will.

For up to a year later, these changes seemed to remain. Heiderscheit says. Pregnancy and labor stretch the muscles and connective tissues in the abdomen, which allows the slightly unmoored pelvis to tilt and sway. Unless a woman strengthens the affected muscles after pregnancy, the tissues remain stretched. To combat these changes, a woman might want to focus on strengthening the tiny muscles in the abdomen that stabilize the pelvis, said Dr.

Ligaments remain loose up to six weeks after birth, so you may want to wait that long to start running again, says Dr. When you do, start slow. Slow and steady while paying attention your body is the best way to go. Most of what men and women need for running are the same: shirt, shorts, non-cotton socks and a good pair of running shoes.

One extra for the ladies? Sports bras. Age, cup size, breast weight, torso length and back shape are all factors that will affect whether or not a bra works for you. Go to a good athletics store, grab a bunch of styles in varying sizes and head straight to the changing room.

Try them on one by one, jump around, run in place, give them each a good workout. Replace your sports bras every six to 12 months because the spandex in sports bras degrades, making them much less responsive. Also, most manufacturers recommend air-drying your bras.

The heat of the dryer will shorten the life of your bra by degrading its elasticity. While you may be comfortable running in T-shirts and shorts made with cotton, nix that idea with sports bras. Cotton holds onto sweat and will create friction against your skin. Friction leads to chafing — even if the bra fits right — possibly in some very sensitive spots. In some brands, foam in the shoe may be softer or thinner too. More on:.

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Part of what helps women runners stay confident is taking safety precautions. Also, women should avoid running at night. Also, given her expertise in personal injury law, Willis stresses to not forget about another serious threat to all runners: drivers. This includes pepper spray and knives.

I look at it both as a way for me to feel more confident and as a bonus, it [makes] my arm stronger. If things get physical, Cassetta describes tactics you can use to take an attacker down:. Some of us just really like to run at night, but as Dugar pointed out, women are vulnerable to predators, and they are most vulnerable at night when alone.