Best Breast Augmentation Choices for Runners
Are your healthy habits getting in the way of full and feminine breasts? Running is an excellent way to stay in shape. It boosts metabolism, burns calories, and leads to lower body fat. Unfortunately, the breasts are largely comprised of fat, and patients with low body fat often have small breasts.
Don’t give up your favorite exercise. You can have a lean, toned body and full breasts too. Breast augmentation can provide the feminine curves you’re seeking.
If you’re a runner, special care must be taken during breast augmentation to ensure your new breasts don’t interfere with your ability to exercise. Our surgeons have worked with many athletic women and will work with you to create a customized breast augmentation plan that complements your aesthetic goals and love of running.
What breast augmentation choices are best for runners? Keep reading for some of our top recommendations.
Choose a Moderately Sized Implant- Don’t Go Too Big
Many of our breast reduction patients choose surgery because exercise is impossible. Big breasts are heavy breasts. They weigh you down and make running uncomfortable. Don’t weigh yourself down with implants that are too large. For our athletic patients, we recommend choosing a small to moderately sized implant. You don’t need a lot of breast implant to make a big impact on a lean athletic body.
We’ll carefully measure your chest wall when choosing implants. Your surgeon will help you select an implant size that creates the curves you desire without compromising your ability to freely move your arms when running.
Place the Breast Implant Over the Pectoral Muscle
Breast implants are traditionally placed over or under the pectoral muscle. For runners, we often recommend a sub-glandular placement, where the breast is placed over the pectoral muscle and underneath the breast tissue.
The benefits of sub-glandular placement include:
- Less Distortion- Pectoral muscle contractions can distort the shape of your breast implants. If you’re using the chest muscles frequently, your implants may occasionally appear misshapen.
- Return to Physical Activity Sooner- When you’re a runner, exercise is life. Many of our patients are anxious to return to physical activity after treatment. With a sub-glandular placement, you can return to running and other activities sooner, often in three to four weeks after treatment, compared with six to eight weeks for a sub-muscular placement.
For some women, a sub-muscular placement will offer extensive benefits. We may recommend placing your breast implants under the muscle if you lack sufficient breast tissue to cover your implant.
Don’t Run Right Back to Exercise- Take it Slowly
Returning to physical activity after plastic surgery must happen slowly. If you regularly run 10-15 miles before surgery, don’t think that you can immediately resume this same schedule. Start with a gentle walk. Walking is encouraged as soon as you’re able after surgery. Slowly increase your pace and your mileage. When walking quickly is comfortable and you’re cleared by your surgeon, add in a gentle jog. Slowly build back up to your pre-surgery mileage and speeds.
Returning to full physical activity before you’re ready can lead to complications with your breast implants and permanent damage. Work with your surgeon to determine when you can safely resume exercise.
Breast augmentation for runners can provide feminine curves to women with minimal breast tissue. Call us to learn more or schedule a consultation.
