Running is a great way for women to tone their bodies and burn excess fat. If you've got fleshy body parts that you wish were a little more firm, running may help you achieve your goals. Despite the impressive fat-burning capabilities of this exercise, there's a prevalent myth that running can cause a woman's body to become flabby. Don't let this prevent you from lacing up your sneakers, though. The real cause of any "flab" that results from running isn't actually flab at all.
Flab: What it Is
Flab generally describes untoned, soft or sagging areas of the body. Women often complain of belly or underarm flab because these areas tend to hold excess fat. If you engage in a running program to get rid of unwanted fat, running itself will not cause flab. On the contrary, running will help to tone and tighten your muscles while burning body fat. People who lose significant amounts of weight by running may notice an increase in flab, but this is simply loose skin that once was filled out and held firm with fat.
Running and Flab
Even very lean runners can experience sagging skin in their older years, as the culmination of age, gravity and sun damage takes its toll. According to plastic surgeon Dr. Gerald Imber, high-impact activities like running can cause a breakdown in skin collagen over time. However, fast, significant weight loss, age and the sun are usually bigger culprits. You may reduce the impact slightly by running on trails or slowing your pace a bit, but if you love running, the emotional and physical health benefits should far outweigh your fear of developing a little skin sag as you age.
Avoiding Saggy Skin
If you love to run but don't want to look old and weathered before your time, there are a couple things you can do to minimize skin sag. Women should make sure they always wear tight, fitted sports bras that minimize bounce during runs. Sun damage can cause saggy, droopy skin, so slather on the sunscreen if you're training outdoors. If you're running to lose weight, do it at a healthy rate of one to two pounds per week. This will give your skin a chance to bounce back as the weight comes off. Sudden, drastic drops in weight can result in saggy skin.
Skin Tightening
So here's the bad news: There's only so much your body can do to tighten loose skin. As you age, your body naturally loses collagen, the connective protein that holds skin together and gives it the ability to stretch. That's why people who lose a significant amount of weight at a young age are less likely to have saggy skin than those who do it in their later years.
