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.
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
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