Do pregnant runners need leggings

Finding clothes that fit in all the right places is always the growing problem pregnant women face as their bellies keep growing. And for women looking to keep running and working out, they soon find that they outgrow their favorite activewear. What they need to invest in is the great pair of goodbody goodmommy leggings.

Goodbody goodmommy leggings are the piece of athleisure wear that every pregnant runner needs. These leggings solve the comfort, size and support issues many other options are lacking.

Created by Erin Howard and Melissa Peard, goodbody goodmommy brings fashion and function to the activewear maternity market.

The Idea

A runner since she was 12-years-old, Howard ran five marathons before having her four children—and getting pregnant (each time) wasn’t going to slow her down. Even though she was running regularly, she began to gain the baby weight. She couldn’t find the right maternity pants that were breathable and moisture-wicking that compared to products she would wear like Nike, Lululemon, and other high-end brands.

“Everything I found in the maternity section was made from a material that didn’t breathe. It wasn’t comfortable. I just felt that it wasn’t made for running,” Howard told RunnerClick.

Howard tried larger sizes of the products she loved, but her growing problem was the fit. It might make room for the belly, but not in other places like the legs.

Another problem was the lack of support. She tried the Medela support belt, only to find that she wasn’t big enough and didn’t carry the way where she would need one.

A Good Team

After meeting thanks to a mutual friend, Peard, a midwife, told Howard that the most common complaints she heard from women were the quality of maternity clothes and their back pain. However, supports belts were just too hot when cooking a tiny human.

“We needed something that just wasn’t in the marketplace,” Howard said.

And so the idea was born to make a better maternity workout product that solved both of these issues.

The Leggings

Manufacturered in Bronx, NY, the patented goodbody goodmommy maternity leggings is made of an Italian performance fabric that is often used in J. Crew clothing. It has moisture-wicking properties, is breathable, and provides UV protection.

Best of all is the black leggings for pregnant runners is non-see through, which comes in handy when squatting or wearing them outside of the gym. The high-performance fabric has a matte finish that doesn’t give that glossy, shiny look. As a result, these a great for running, shopping at the mall, or wearing to work.

These leggings are extremely soft. “It feels like butter,” Howard said.

The fabric is “brushed” on the inside, where they take the fabric and rub a brush on it to give it a feel like is almost like suede.

But at the same time, it has light compression to feel like a workout pant.

Support

What makes the goodbody goodmommy leggings unique is its integrated support belt that completes the seamless design.

“Coming from the midwife’s point of view, she really saw the women needed more support and they weren’t opting to buy the extra belt,” Howard said.

Howard became pregnant with baby number three, taking out the prototype for a spin. “I was comfortable in the pants when I was running, but I didn’t necessarily notice all the help it gave me until I tried running with a different prototype without the belt,” Howard said. “The pair with the belt made such a difference in my comfort when I was running, but it’s such a subtle comfort that is so helpful.”

Design wise, the support belt comes from the middle of the back and goes around the waist, with a wing on both sides that goes under the belly. It has velcro to fasten and is adjustable to be very supportive or more relaxed. This means the leggings grow with the belly, and shrinks postpartum. “It adjusts with the changing body,” Howard said.

The support aspect doesn’t go all around the body like a belt. The support itself is described as being “light,” just enough to take some pressure off the back when on the feet all day or when going for a run. It is made from the same material of the pants, so it is comfortable to wear.

With Pregnant Runners In Mind

Healthy expecting mothers are no longer expected to just lay around and eat for two.

“I think more and more doctors are telling women that it is totally okay to maintain your same lifestyle when pregnant and just listen to your body. As where are 10 years ago, everybody immediately stopped working out the minute they got pregnant,” Howard said. “Today that is not the case.”

And it’s not just doctors who are prescribing light exercise while pregnant—many women actually want to keep working out. Women are running through their pregnancies, going to the gym and continuing their favorite classes. “They are maintaining their active lifestyle, especially is that is what they use as stress relief. And they are paying attention to being healthy in that way during their pregnancy,” Howard said. “I think because of that, more women are looking for clothes that accommodate their body.”

The truth is there aren’t lots of activewear options offered in maternity sizes. And going up a size—or few—in favorite workout brands results in poor fits that include baggy legs to comprise for fitting around those hips. This is even more true for seasoned athletes who are used to high-performance options.

“When you are pregnant, you become sensitive to fabrics,” Howard said. “You want clothes that keep you cool and comfortable when you’re working out. And the fact that you can wear these leggings normally, you really get double for your money.

A pair of goodbody goodmommy leggings retail for $89. They are available on the company’s website, as well as Amazon (and often are available for a discount!).