According to Esther Labi, the bra whisperer and founder of online store ‘Storm in a D Cup’, women should always wear a good fitting fitness bra when exercising. Doing otherwise can cause serious long term damage to your boobs.
The Importance of Sports Bras
Esther says, fitness bras provide important structured support and reduce the bounce, the cause of stretch-marks, pain and strain and sagging boobs.
Why You Should Wear a Sports Bra For Sport
In a nutshell, a normal bra has more lycra in it, which means it has more stretch in it and will feel comfortable on your body when you wear it all day. A sports bra has very limited stretch to stop your breasts from moving around, in the cups, the back, and the straps. The more lycra in it, the more stretch and less support.
That’s why if a bra is stretchy, its suitable for low impact sports, like yoga and Pilates (some people like to wear these as an everyday bra). As the stretch gets more limited, you have bras that are suitable for fast walking and small bouts of high impact and then very limited stretch in real high impact sports bras.
Your breasts move in a figure of 8 when you run and up and down for ball sports, side to side for racquet sport. Sports bras are designed for this kind of movement, normal bras aren’t.
A sports bra is twice as effective at reducing bounce than a normal bra. Here’s the research to prove it: A normal bra can reduce breast bounce by up to 38% whilst a sports bra can reduce breast bounce by up 78%*.
Research shows that unsupported breasts can move up and down by as much as 12cm during high impact activities like running. This is because only skin and Cooper’s ligaments support breast tissue, as there are no muscles in your breasts. Therefore, excessive breast movement stretches the ligaments and no amount of chest presses can naturally restore them.
What To Look For in a Sports Bra
Sports bras are made from high performance fabrics, which means they are breathable, and usually made from a moisture-wicking material, moving sweat away from your skin.
There are other features too that you don’t get in a normal bra. Usually, the straps are wide and padded, to soften the impact on your shoulders. The hook and eye section can also be padded, the underwire channel can be padded to minimise chaffing and some even eliminate seams on the inside of the cup so nothing irritates your nipples when running a marathon!
There are different types of bras for different types of activities, make sure you choose the right bra for your sport. You wouldn’t wear a sports bra under a top with a plunging neckline, so why would you wear a plunge bra for sport?
* University of Portsmouth 2005 (Scurr et al): testing against « no bra » conditions.
About STORM in a D CUP:
Australia’s favourite store for a D cup and up! From yoga to running, our range of sports bras means that you don’t have shy away from any activity. Get out there and be active! Visit www.storminadcup.com.au. Article written by Esther Labi for the What’s New in Fitness Magazine – Spring 2018 Edition.
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