What do you wear when you run?

yondermountain

Older women, what do you wear when you run outside? I'm about to get off the treadmill and onto the high school track. The top part of me is under control but the bottom...not. What do you wear? I was thinking about running capris and a man's T-shirt long enough to cover my butt. I can't imagine wearing a tank top that doesn't cover up my jello butt. The workout clothes in the stores are tight and they show every defect.

pattesterman

I'm almost 60 and when I run outside I wear T-shirt and shorts.I try not to wear things too tight.(Too much jiggling).That being said the most important thing is to be comfortable.Try your capris if they are too hot go shorter.:flowerforyou:

yondermountain

Thanks for the reply. Do you wear a long T-shirt that covers your butt? I have a man's XL shirt that I sleep in but it's huge; however, long enough to cover my bottom. I never wear shorts due to tree trunk legs.

Flixie00

Depends on the weather. In the winter running leggings and fitted tracksuit top. In the summer cycling shorts and vest top.

I always make sure my vest tops are loose and long. Leggings or shorts have to be well fitting, as I hate having to hike up whatever I am wearing if it decides to drift downwards. I also cannot stand anything which restricts my arm movements or neck, so I cannot wear a standard t-shirt.

I am 45, and I dress for comfort when working out.

JankaLee

Honestly, it's all personal preference regardless of age in my opinion. I don't like my belly but i still wear tight workout pants and a quick dry top. Because I'd rather be dry vs soaking wet in a large cotton tee. Wear what makes your body the most comfortable and can give you the best run, and who cares what anyone else thinks

yondermountain

Wow, you look great! I don't know what a vest top is, though. Tank top? I need to shop around for a long one. I've never seen long ones in the stores.

boatsie77

Tight exercise Capri pants (Walmart Danskin "PERFORMANCE FITTED (NOT basic)" capri $12) to cut down on jiggle and loose skin resistance:-) , exercise bra under men's sleeveless sta-dri t-shirt which covers my butt; and, most important, GOOD QUALITY running socks--like Thorlo.

HollisGrant

I'm doing C25K in the nearby national park at the crack of dawn. Nobody else is out there then except one or two runners and a park service worker (the tourists and the serial killers are all still asleep). I wear whatever... my jeans that are almost falling off now (yay!), Walmart shorts, a lime green t-shirt. I haven't bought any running gear yet that takes sweating into account. I usually wear long pants because I end up hiking through long grass on the way home.

DancingMoosie

I wear bike/compression shorts and a dri-fit type fabric tank top or tank dress. I ordered my shorts online from Walmart. their smallest size(Danskin) is small 4-6 and they are now big on me. Who makes smaller sizes? In most pants/shorts (like old navy or Khol's) I'm a 2.

yondermountain

Tight exercise Capri pants (Walmart Danskin "PERFORMANCE FITTED (NOT basic)" capri $12) to cut down on jiggle and loose skin resistance:-) , exercise bra under men's sleeveless sta-dri t-shirt which covers my butt; and, most important, GOOD QUALITY running socks--like Thorlo.

I am on a Walmart budget so I appreciate this! Will go check it out today.

yondermountain

I wear bike/compression shorts and a dri-fit type fabric tank top or tank dress. I ordered my shorts online from Walmart. their smallest size(Danskin) is small 4-6 and they are now big on me. Who makes smaller sizes? In most pants/shorts (like old navy or Khol's) I'm a 2.

Congratulations on your weight loss! Could you fit into a girls' extra large (not being snarky)? My daughter is tiny and she is still able to fit into some girls' sizes at age 30. I will never have your problem. I am short, old, stocky, stumpy. Even when I weighed 106 I could never get into pants less than a size 8.

yondermountain

I'm doing C25K in the nearby national park at the crack of dawn. Nobody else is out there then except one or two runners and a park service worker (the tourists and the serial killers are all still asleep). I wear whatever... my jeans that are almost falling off now (yay!), Walmart shorts, a lime green t-shirt. I haven't bought any running gear yet that takes sweating into account. I usually wear long pants because I end up hiking through long grass on the way home.

Hahaha...serial killers....I know what you mean. I'm planning to take my pepper spray but would rather have a 9mm.

ZenInTexas

Comfort is far more important than appearance when you run however, you can find cute running skirts and shorts that have compression/spandex shorts underneath and then a loose skirt or shorts attached. Cute and comfy and may hide some of the problem areas you're concerned about. They sell them at Target and are very reasonably priced. I've even seen longer capri length spandex with a skirt over it. And then they have cute tops to match!

holothuroidea

I wear compression pants. I don't have much of a jiggle anymore (hooray for squats!) but back when the jiggle was still there the compression pants helped my confidence a bit.

I think there are some you can buy that have a skirt attached for increased modesty, or you could just get a separate athletic skirt. That's what I'd do. I would definitely avoid the giant cotton shirt.

Annerk1

I'm 52. I wear running shorts, a jog bra, and a tech tank. Wright socks and professionally fitted running shoes with insoles, a headband so I don't get sweat in my eyes, sunglasses if it's not dark, and my iPhone with Yurbuds.

Annerk1

By the way, wearing cotton anything is an invitation to chafe or blister. Respect your body, wear clothing made of a tech material (brand doesn't matter--under Armor. Nike, Asics, whatever.) That goes for sports bras, socks, shorts/pants, shirts, everything.

mnwelch

I can't stand running in baggy clothes. I hate when my t-shirt goes over my butt. I hate when I have to constantly roll up my sleeves. I hate when my thighs rub together in shorts. I tend to wear tight running capris and a tight t-shirt.

Duck_Puddle

I wear compression shorts and running shorts over that. The compression shorts help with the loose skin jiggle and cover 1/2 my thighs and the shorts cover my butt. Both are lightweight enough that even in the heat, it's not bad. But that way, I don't have to worry about my thighs or my butt being on display, and I can wear a tank top or whatever top because that's what seems to really impact my sense of being too hot (or too cold).

majope

I wear compression shorts that are long enough so my thighs don't chafe (7" work well for me) or capris if it's cooler, tights if it's cold. I don't think anyone cares about my butt jiggle enough for me to try to hide it, but I do sometimes wear running skirts with built-in compression shorts or an athletic dress over compression shorts just because they're cute--they would add some coverage.

I used to borrow my husband's running singlets when I didn't have many of my own sleeveless tops--some of those are long enough to cover the butt, and the big armholes let more air circulate (if you're wearing a sports bra, you'll still be covered enough). Turned out to be very handy once when I ran in a pair of new capris for the first time...and they kept falling down. If you go for capris, make sure they have a drawstring, or at least a good waistband!

LilRedRooster

I always wear capris and a larger t-shirt, because they're just more comfortable to run in. I can't have just shorts because my thighs rub and chafe (always have, even back when I was a size 2), and I don't like tighter tops, because they feel constricting. So I just wear some running capris and an x-large t-shirt to keep air circulating. Not very sexy, I'll admit, but I like that set-up a lot.

binglebandit

When I first started jogging at my heaviest I bought some of those men's $6 sweatpants from Walmart and cut them off at the knee so they were capris. Then I just wore a baggy shirt on top. That way I didn't have to worry about jiggle or anything riding up my legs.

Now I jog in running shorts or those tighter fitting capris with a sleeveless hoodie on top.

sunglasses_and_ocean_waves

I guess I'm classified as an older woman, but I've worked hard not to have jello butt & stomach (still working in the abs). I went out in the rain yesterday in a black tee and shorts. I'll generally wear a racerback tank. I'm considering just a sports bra and shorts in the heat of summer.

I took this for another thread yesterday, but I just want you to see that older woman doesn't have to mean dowdy.

DancingMoosie

I wear bike/compression shorts and a dri-fit type fabric tank top or tank dress. I ordered my shorts online from Walmart. their smallest size(Danskin) is small 4-6 and they are now big on me. Who makes smaller sizes? In most pants/shorts (like old navy or Khol's) I'm a 2.

Congratulations on your weight loss! Could you fit into a girls' extra large (not being snarky)? My daughter is tiny and she is still able to fit into some girls' sizes at age 30. I will never have your problem. I am short, old, stocky, stumpy. Even when I weighed 106 I could never get into pants less than a size 8.

This is a good idea. Why don't they have workout gear in junior sizes? Maybe more expensive brands run smaller or come in size XS?

AllonsYtotheTardis

Running clothes is one of those things that really comes down to personal preference. Wear anything that is comfortable for you and doesn't chafe you.

I wear running capris and love them. I started out in loose, oversize t-shirts when I started running. As I got more fit, I developed a preference for clothing that was more fitted. Some people prefer more loose. Wear what works for you, and go have fun!

epie2098

My butt, hips, and thighs are the widest parts of my body. I love workout capris. I really super love Under Armour compression capris. They're like workout Spanx, so everything gets smoothed out (which is not the point of them - they're designed to support muscles so you can run longer/faster) AND your muscles get support while you run! Win win win! Pair them with a longer tank top and you're good to go!

Try not to be afraid of closely fitting clothes. I find that looser clothing for running just chafes and is very uncomfortable.

epie2098

I wear bike/compression shorts and a dri-fit type fabric tank top or tank dress. I ordered my shorts online from Walmart. their smallest size(Danskin) is small 4-6 and they are now big on me. Who makes smaller sizes? In most pants/shorts (like old navy or Khol's) I'm a 2.

This is a good idea. Why don't they have workout gear in junior sizes? Maybe more expensive brands run smaller or come in size XS?

If tiny people can afford it, try lululemon. Most of their items are only made in the size 2-6 range. Look for them on eBay to save some money.

lisaabenjamin

Whatever you wear on your body, make sure you have good running shoes on your feet - they're your best investment! If you're switching from treadmill to track running, you might find your existing shoes don't give enough support. You might not, but the minute you start getting any kinds of pains in your feet or legs, go get yourself assessed for running shoes. Track or road running is a lot less 'bouncy' than treadmill running so you might find you need better shock absorption and support.

For the record, I wear 3/4 length workout trousers (is that what you Americans mean by 'capris'?) and a Karrimor racer back vest. For night running I have a pink hi-vis long sleeved shirt.

anne2605

I'm 49 and I like to wear Skapri a combination of capri pants plus skirt.

sunshinestater

Tank top, good sports bra, and running shorts here. At nearly 50 years old, and running in the FL heat, I don't give a rat's butt if someone sees something jiggling. Heck, if the temp goes much higher, I might ditch the top for just the sport bra, but that's currently a whole separate thread. Just make sure you pick quick drying, non chafing clothing. I also wear a sweatband, which makes life a lot easier in the FL summer.

RunnerElizabeth

So when I had jiggling loose bits (butt, thighs, stomach), I wore a body shaper I got at the pharmacy under my regular running shorts, kept everything in place (I had been having cramping from everything moving when I was running due to excessive weight gain during pregnancy) so I didn't worry about wearing regular shorts.

But after loosing 15lbs and 2 pants sizes I don't wear it any more. I wear cute little running shorts and a tank. In any case, if you are having physical discomfort with running, I would recomend a base layer to give you support. It won't be forever but may help as you get started.

If pulling and pain isn't your problem, I recommend the running skirt. It's got tight shorts underneath and the skirt on top for modesty, so the benefits of small tight shorts without having to be so self conscious.

california_peach

I wear compression capris or shorts, with a performance fabric top. I can't see my butt when I run, so I don't really care what it looks like.