If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree - Jim Rohn

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Sports Bras

Ladies, if you take one thing from this blog, just one, I want it to be this: every woman needs to wear a sports bra when exercising. Every woman. In every size and shape. For every exercise whether it be running, cycling, yoga, horseback riding, walking etc. Regardless of whether you are fit, lean, overweight, pregnant, tall, short, curvy, pretty much flat chested, whatever, you need to wear one.

It amazes me, every day, that I walk into the gym, whether I'm there for my own workout, or for work, to see women exercising in just an ordinary bra. I know that we, as women, like our pretty, frilly, 'does this make my boobs look better?' bras, and they have their place, but in an exercise setting is not it. Wear them on dates, wear them because they make you feel good about yourself, hell, wear them to work, but DO NOT WEAR THEM EXERCISING!

Sports bras are a little tighter than normal bras, They stop your girls from bouncing around like frisky puppies in a sack (I've seen this, I can definitely say that this is waht some women's chests look like.) They can stop the painful pull you get at the end of an exercise session. However... this is the main reason to wear one:
'Failing to wear a supportive and properly fitting sports bra during exercise can lead to permanent breast damage whether you’ve experienced pain or not, and even if your breasts are very small'.
You might be thinking how?

We've all seen a woman who's breasts flop chaotically from side to side, and up and down, when they're running on the treadmill. Here's why. Women's breasts don't have alot of support. Unlike your arms and legs, your breasts are mostly made up of fatty tissue, not bones and muscle. You can't control how your boobs move. They can seem to go off in their own directions, with minds of their own. This can be embarrassing, and painful.

I don't need to tell you that if youpull a rubber band continually out of shape, it will, at some point, fail to spring back into it's original circular shape. The same thing happens to the skin, tissue and ligaments of your boobs when they're not properly supported during exercise. And once they're stretched, you can't 'unstretch them' unless you want to go the painful, and expensive surgery route. This is true no matter what your cup size. So all you women with small breasts, you can't just sit back and say "I'm ok, because I only have small boobs". Sorry, doesn't work that way.

Prevention is better than a cure

Wearing a sports bra is a great idea. But  you need to find the right one for you. All brands are made differently, and ones that are made for yoga, won't be great for running. So you need to find the ones that are comfortable for you, and are suitable for the type of exercise you are doing.

Your breasts move in three dimensions during physical activity.
They move:
    1) up and down 2) side to side 3) in and out So, finding a bra that limits motion in all directions will provide the most protection from sagging and pain.
There are two basic ways that sports bras reduce breast movement during exercise: compression and encapsulation.

Compression sports bras are the most common. They attempt to reduce the movement of the breasts by pulling them close to the body (compressing them). These stop the 'up and down bounce' movement, but not so much the side to side movement.

The second type of sports bra, Encapsulation bras, surround each breast individually much like an everyday bra. They have individual cups. This helps to limit the side to side motion as well as the up and down motion. A bra that makes use of both compression and encapsulation is the best choice.

Make sure that, whatever bra you decide on, it fits properly under your boobs without being uncomfortably tight. And remember, you're not going to the gym to show off your cleavage. You're in the gym to workout, hopefully, you don't need to look sexy doing push ups or the like. It's a pet peeve of mine to see women completely done up in full hair and make up. It's not a fashion show, it's the gym. Make sure there are no bulges. The shoulder straps should not dig into your shoulders. Like any bra, the primary support comes from the band, not the straps.

When wearing a sports bra, there should be lest bounce than in a regular bra. When trying them on in the fitting room, jump up and down, and check yourself out in the mirror. If your boobs are still flying around, get a new one. And don't be afraid to ask the shop assisstants for help. It's what they're there for after all.

If you feel you need 2 bras, the sports bra you're wearing isn't supportive enough. You should never feel the need to wear more than one.

And remember, it's not a fashion show. (I know I said it just before, but I'm just repeating myself. You don't need to look pretty walking in and out of the gym. You're there to workout. Even celebrities have been snapped coming out of the gym looking completely unglamourous. If you want to feel good about how you feel without your hair and makeup being done, buy some nice workout clothes, and some new workout shoes.

You wouldn't step out onto a sports field without the correct gear, so make sure a propper fitting sports bra is packed in with the rest of your gym gear. Your girls will thank you for it in years to come. Gravity doesn't need a helping hand ladies.

Later.

Dxo

Thursday 1 September 2011

Spring is Here!!!

And I, for one, am glad. I know that the spring equinox isn't until the 23rd but, thanks to the British, who don't know how to handle the Aussie heat, they decided that our seasons will start on the first of the month. So, being the 1st of September, it's finally Spring. And what a day to start. The sun is shining, it's a clear blue sky outside, very little breeze, and the air is warm. I'm loving it.

But, this post isn't about the beauty that is Spring. Unfortunately.

It's the first of September, so that means an update on my stats for my weight loss/exercise health and fitness challenge. But first I have a confession. I did so well that first week, then I hit the weekend. And had a minor (or not so minor if you read my LJ), breakdown. I went on a huge binge eating rotation for about 2 weeks. Chocolate, chips (crisps), lollies (candy), the works. And no exercise. It has only been this last week or so that I've gotten back on track. I'm going to be upfront about this. There's no point in lying to anyone, especially not myself. There's a few things I need to clear up for myself. Reasons why I went on a binge, and the feelings that I had around that. But, until I get that sorted out in my own head, I won't post anything on here.

But, being the first of Spetember, here are my measurements for today:

Weight: 81.3kg or 179.235 lb
Calf: 37.5cm or 14.7637 inches
Thigh: 66.5cm or 26.1811 inches
Hips: 110cm or 43.3070 inches
Abs (belly button): 86cm or 33.8582 inches
Waist: 83cm or 32.6771 inches
Chest: 95cm or 37.4015 inches
Bicep: 32cm or 12.5984 inches.

Overall I've lost 0.6kg or 1.32277 pounds. For someone who really didn't do anything I'm pretty amazed. Ok, so I have been doing something. Once a week (and twice last week) I teach a 50 minute spin class. But that's about the only exercise I've been doing.

I have also lost 9.5cm or 3.74015 inches. So I'm pretty happy about that. I have re-evaluated my original goals though. I said 12kg in about 12 weeks. Clearly that's not going to happen. Not only that, but I won't be able to afford to go to the Gold Coast in November, so I'm not so focused on a specific date. I'd still like to be at or under 70kg or 154.323 lbs by December. That's the start of our summer period.

This coming week I want to get my exercise under control. I don't care too much about my eating at the moment. I find if I focus on too much at the same time, everything goes out the window, so I need to focus my attention on one thing and one thing only. This week it'll be about my exercise. Once I get that under control, I will then turn my focus onto my food, with exercise only needing a little focus.


I love this picture! This is what spring is about for me. New life, new beginnings, and new opportunities, even more so than the New Year.

Enjoy your spring southern hemsiphere. I know I will.