Women with large breasts often experience difficulty and pain while running or engaging in other high-intensity exercises. Breast reduction can help make running more doable, comfortable, and enjoyable.
How Breast Reduction Can Improve Running and Exercise
Running and other high-intensity exercises are notoriously difficult for women with large breasts. Some well-endowed women experience intense breast pain when running even a quarter of a mile. Others can run but are uncomfortable, encumbered, and slowed down because of their oversized breasts. Even if oversized breasts do not seem to directly affect the exercise, they can cause back pain, shoulder pain, headaches, and other health concerns that in turn affect your running. Many women avoid exercise or limit their routines because of difficulties associated with large breasts. Limiting or avoiding exercise can reduce your quality of life and even affect your health, happiness levels, and overall well-being.
Breast reduction surgery is a solution that removes excess breast tissue so that these burdens and difficulties are no longer an issue. Women who long to run or who wish to participate in healthy exercise activities should not feel they are unable to because of their bust size. Undergoing breast reduction surgery can relieve a physical and emotional burden by making your breasts a more manageable and comfortable size. Running after breast reduction could become a much easier and much more enjoyable experience than it ever was beforehand. The vast majority of women who get a breast reduction agree that once you’ve done it, you’ll wonder why it took you so long to do it in the first place.
When Can I Run After Breast Reduction?
Now comes an important question: when can you run again after your breast reduction? Every runner who has ever been on a forced hiatus from running due to injury, health issues, or surgery knows the frustration of biding time until it’s finally safe to lace up again. Because running is a strenuous activity and causes the breasts to bounce significantly, running too soon after breast reduction surgery could put you at risk of serious complications, including tearing your incisions, bad scarring, jarring pain, and other unwanted circumstances. You could also risk compromising your results.
Even though it will be hard to resist, you should avoid running or other strenuous exercise after breast reduction for at least four to six weeks or however long your surgeon has personally recommended for you. When you do begin running again, build back up gradually, and make sure you are fitted for a sports bra that matches your new smaller bust size and minimizes bounce. In the meantime, enjoy walking as you recover and keep your chin up. You’ll be back to running in no time.
Dr. Oliver and Dr. Jack are board-certified plastic surgeons who would be more than happy to perform your breast reduction and help you on your journey as a runner. To request your consultation, please call (205) 298-8660 or complete our online contact form today.