By: Nickey Robare
Humorous truth about preventing thigh chafing.
Like perhaps 80% of human beings, my thighs rub together when I walk. Despite the fact that there is a weird craze for “thigh gap” among fitness bloggers, I have never cared about it one way or another. Honestly, it’s just another lovely piece of body diversity. Plus, the more I bike, the bigger my thighs get as I pack on the muscle.
Unfortunately, though, my thighs are the bane of my existence in the summer. It wasn’t so bad when I lived in the Pacific Northwest and the temperature rarely went above 80 with little to no humidity- I just wore pants or leggings and had no problems. But last summer, my first in the Midwest in over a decade, I quickly realized that summer pants were unbearable but when it was hot, my thighs would rub together and create a small, raw, painful fire in my nether regions, whether riding my bike or walking. In the past I used Lanacain or Monistat Anti-Chafe Cream (femme sidenote: these products also work great as makeup primer!). Those were ok, but they needed to be reapplied regularly and didn’t work very well in the humidity. Then I discovered… BODYGLIDE.
BodyGlide changed my damn life. I bought a package of it at the Runners Room in St. Paul after reading about it in a comment (!) on The Hairpin. It’s shocking to me that the wonders of this product are not better known to non-runners, but this stuff is made of goddam magic. It was about $12, which sort of seemed like a lot (it comes in a deodorant sized stick), but it’s a year later and I still have a ton left. A little goes a long way.
The “glide” in the name is a bit of a misnomer, as glide implies, like, some sort of slickness. No, BodyGlide forms a waxy protective barrier that stops your skin from getting too sweaty or sticky or friction-y so you don’t get chafed. You will not be slip-sliding around as I feared. I’ve only ever used it on my thighs, but I hear it’s also great for shoes that pinch, bras that rub, etc.
Using BodyGlide means I can spend the summer wearing clothes that feel good without unwanted pain. It means I can be a proud chubby lady wearing whatever the heck I please while I show off my glorious (un-chafed) thighs. Even if you don’t have a lot of chub rub when you walk, maybe your thighs rub on your bike saddle when you wear short shorts and it doesn’t feel good- well, now your problems are solved!
So, friends, go forth and enjoy a summer of mini-skirts. You can thank me later.