Last Updated on December 3, 2022 by TreadmillGuides Team
It’s not about women’s safety only, it’s also about men’s when we discuss precautions for road running. But, seeing the growing interest of women towards running and then looking at the statistics of attacks on female runners, running safety for women needs to be discussed on a primary basis.
Moreover, the same safety measures which we will be talking about here can also be taken by men on road runs.
Coming to the women runner’s safety, the fear is very real. I myself being a woman know this very well. Even if you Google, you can find such questions:
What’s the solution then? Well, today’s post is dedicated to this topic only; running safety for women.
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Growing Concerns Over Running Safety for Women
If there were a list of ranking of favourite exercises, in my opinion, running would top all the lists. It is super convenient and easy; it is affordable since it requires less investment and does not involve any extra equipment as other fitness exercises require.
Even though running is beneficial for people of all genders and age groups, it is particularly beneficial for women. Running helps women to increase their endurance, strength, and stamina, and even reduces the risk of developing various cancers (1) (2).
It also helps women to maintain a good balance between mind, body, and soul by improving their physical as well as mental health.
Due to all these factors, women have expressed their sheer love for running in recent times all across the globe, there has been a sudden spike in women runners as well.
Women runners have actively started taking running more and more seriously. But along with that, women all over the world have expressed various safety and security concerns while running.
How Much A Woman Runner is Safe on Road Running?
Though home treadmills have also played an important role to make your runs more safe, effective, running in an open environment twice or thrice a week is also necessary. You get a chance to take fresh air and change your mood.
However, if you’re a woman, you will have to face much more besides the chances of injury and of road accidents. Though I myself have had my scary moments to tell, I am mentioning the reports & news about this.
In a shocking survey of 2021 performed by Runner’s world, about 60% of women were recorded to face harassment while running.
It’s very devastating to say, not only in Asia and India but all over the world, women runners are facing this. In my experience too, I always had my mother say “carry pepper spray with you.”
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Running Safety for Women: Tips, Precautions, & Checklist
Well, we can not bring revolution in a day where women aren’t getting filthy comments but we women can still continue to do safe running outside along with these safety tips.
Today in this article, I will share 5 safety tips to ensure running safety for women. You can follow them while running, and make your running experience safe and secure.
1. Are you taking your mobile phone with you?
You might find it a hassle to carry a technological device with you, but carrying a mobile phone is always a good idea for your safety.
Mobile phones are always a live saver in case of any emergency situation. You can easily contact your dear ones. With GPS facility, you can even let your family track your GPS location while road running.
And most importantly, you can avail of nearby emergency services, like contacting police and hospitals. An armband or running pouch makes it easier to carry a phone while running.
2. I am afraid you listen to music while running.
Even though it is a proven fact that your favourite music enhances the workout experience but you better not wear earphones on your ears to avoid any mishappening.
Many times, runners get indulged in the music deeply and start neglecting their surroundings. This leads you to not be able to hear the voices of animals, traffic, sirens, etc.
However, if you habitually cannot avoid listening to music, you should use one earbud to listen to music to make it act as a middle ground and serves both needs.
3. Have you invested in a good smartwatch?
Don’t tell me, you haven’t yet invested in a good smartwatch even after hearing those stories about how a smartwatch can save the lives of people. Especially when we’re talking about running safety for women.
And I am not talking about purchasing an expensive watch. In India, nowadays, the smartwatch market is hot you can get a good smartwatch even under 2000 and 3,000 with good safety features.
You can also invest in a good fitness band. These trackers would help you in tracking your workouts & runs as well.
4. Do you pay attention to the direction of traffic?
Even though the best place for running is in parks or close surroundings but many runners prefer running on the roadside or trails with sharp bends and curves.
If you are someone who does that you should always keep in mind to always run against the direction of traffic. This measure of running safety for women ensures that the drivers see you from far away and reduces the chance of any mishappenings significantly.
5. You should wear reflective clothing during night runs
Women who love running outdoors can wear reflective clothes to make themselves visible to other people, especially to vehicle drivers. This is a pretty noticeable thing that the number of road accidents while running has significantly fallen down since reflective clothing has introduced to the market.
You might think that wearing reflective apparel while running is only a style statement, well to your surprise, it is not. The neon apparel industry was introduced in the fitness apparel range because many fitness enthusiasts love running outdoors at odd times to avoid rush hours.
Even though reflective clothing is a fashion-forward range of clothing but if women do not like wearing them, they should wear them in early mornings or late-night running sessions at least. Nothing comes above safety.
These were a few safety tips to ensure running safety for women, we hope that you found our article useful!
Enjoy your runs & stay safe! 🙂
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