Your breasts are very precious, but you knew that! Your breasts are made up of fatty tissue, and supported mainly by skin & fragile ligaments called Coopers’ Ligaments. These ligaments are not elastic, so during repetitive or high impact sports your breasts bounce and pull the ligaments causing them to stretch. THIS is what causes your breasts to sag, nothing else!
Running without any bra at all causes the average woman’s breasts to move up and down by 8.5cm. Wearing an ordinary bra reduces this by 32 per cent. A sports bra reduces this by at least another 20 per cent.
You also know that an ill-fitting, or poor supporting bra may give you breast pain, shoulder/neck ache, or even back ache. All these health problems, just because you’re not wearing the right bra!
OK, so now you KNOW it’s important to stop your breasts moving around whilst exercising. But how? What’s the best type of sports bra?
A COMPRESSION sports bra, is generally a cropped top which holds the breasts against the chest wall to stop them moving around. This type of sports bra is only suitable for breasts up to a B cup.
“A B cup? But I’m so small I don’t need a special bra surely?” Yes, you do! Scientists have proven that even women with very small breasts need that extra support that a sports bra gives. A small breasted lady who is running will need a firmer support sports bra, than a medium breasted lady who is doing pilates or yoga.
Most sports bras use the same structure as your usual everyday bra, but with firmer fabric, more structure, and generally, more fabric and better overall coverage for your whole breast. These sports bras are band and cup sized as usual, so you can get a sports bra to fit you correctly, in the same way you can get a fashion bra, or soft cup bra.
All brands of sports bras have won awards at different times. So, you need to choose a sports bra according to the sport you do and your bra size. Where do the straps sit on your shoulder? Do the cups support your whole breast tissue?
This is a rough guide:
|
Pilates/Yoga |
Cycling |
Step/Netball |
Running/Horseriding |
|
|
A-B Cup |
Light |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
|
C-D |
Light |
Medium |
Medium |
Firm |
|
DD-E |
Medium |
Medium |
Firm |
Extra Firm |
|
F+ |
Firm |
Extra Firm |
Extra Firm |
Extra Firm |
As with all bras, the style or brand you select must be comfortable to wear, with no wires or seams pressing on your breast tissue. You also need to remember that during your monthly cycle your breasts will get heavier, and fuller, so make sure your sports bra is suitable for the whole month!
Sports bras are available in all bra sizes – A – K, 28 – 48.
If you need help or advice, speak to your Bra Lady. Try different bras, and also try to mimic your exercise. If you run, then jog on the spot, or around the room. If you do pilates or yoga, do one of your exercises. Check that your breasts aren’t moving around much & that you’re comfortable.
And enjoy your exercise – pain free!
