How chafing occurs when running

Chafing: an unpleasant phenomenon that can significantly affect your enjoyment of exercise. It causes inflamed and sore skin.

Chafing is frequently experienced by runners and hikers on the following parts of the body:

• between the legs on the inside of the thighs,
• in the genital area,
• on the chest,
• in the armpits,
• feet and ankles can also become sore when running

Painful chafing makes it almost impossible to continue training as long as the inflammation lasts.

The cause of sore skin in this instance is the often the rubbing of skin against skin, aggravated by heavy sweating and summer heat. Those most affected by chafing are athletes who cover long distances or who train very intensively or people who struggle with obesity.

Another cause is wearing unsuitable sports clothing. Badly fitting t-shirts or running shorts encourage chafing and the risk of irritated skin. Read on for treatment and running tips to prevent painful chafing.

Chafing – what should you do? How to treat sore skin:

If you have chafed skin due to intensive training, heavy sweating or wearing the wrong running clothes, you should react quickly and treat the sore areas.

If possible, take a break from training until these areas have recovered. You can apply suitable creams to protect the affected areas and help them regenerate.

To accelerate the healing of chafed skin, wear breathable clothing that is not too tight, and avoid sport in the short term.

How to protect your skin and prevent chafing:

The best idea is to protect the skin from chafing before engaging in sport.

You can apply Linola Protective Balm on the most affected areas, such as the inside of the thighs, the nipples, the groin and genital area and the armpits, before starting on your run.

The breathable protective film protects your skin from becoming sore due to a build-up of sweat or irritating rubbing.

One of the most important preventive tips is to wear specific functional clothing. Avoid cotton for running clothing.

Tight, elastic and breathable running tights and shirts prevent sweating skin from rubbing against itself and irritation due to the wrong clothing. These tips will help you avoid the risk of chafing and enjoy jogging and hiking once more!

Chafing during cycle is a common issue as well. Read more about it here.