Kit & Gear

How to Choose the Right Gym Sports Bra

You might have been wearing sports bras for years (extra brownie points for you if so!) or perhaps you’re of the opinion that they’re nothing but another piece of hyped up kit to waste your money on.  Either way, the fact is that if you participate in sport – ANY sport – you really should be wearing proper running clothing, which includes a good sports bra.

No matter how small or large they are, the breast is a fragile organ. It is essential for women to wear a correctly fitting sports bra that provides enough horizontal and vertical support for their chosen sporting activity. After all, playing sports is all about making us look and feel better, not worse!

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Here are ten things you should know about sports bras:

Not wearing a sports bra can cause saggy boobs. You may have already figured this one out! The reason for this is that during high-energy and high-impact sports, women’s breasts can move up to ten or more centimetres, which in turn can cause your Cooper’s Ligaments (thin interwoven bands that provide the primary support to breasts) to stretch permanently.

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Not wearing a sports bra can lead to tension and strain in the upper back and neck. This is particularly the case for women with larger breasts and is caused by the fact that the excess weight at the front means the back muscles have to work harder to keep the shoulders in the correct position. Failing to support your breasts properly can cause these muscles to eventually become weak and stretched, leading to chronic pain in the back and neck.

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Not wearing a sports bra can cause painful breasts. Yep, more pain! A 2007 study by the University of Portsmouth found that one in two women complain of breast pain during exercise. Breast size made no difference to these findings, with the impact being the same for everyone regardless of cup size or intensity of work out.

Not wearing a sports bra can actually decrease athletic performance. It’s common sense of course, but another recent study by the University of Portsmouth has indeed found that running strides are affected by swinging breasts, which in turn increases stress on the body and can lead to decreased performance and even injuries.

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You should measure your bust every six months. Wearing a sports bra that doesn’t fit properly can be as bad as not wearing one at all. Throughout your life your breast size can change due to fluctuations in your weight or hormonal factors. It’s important you measure yourself regularly to determine your bra size every six months; an ill-fitting bra or sports bra just won’t provide you with the support you need.

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Sports bras should be replaced every 30 to 40 washes. The all-important, boob-hugging elasticity of your sports bra gets damaged during the washing cycle, which means its support decreases. Depending on how often you wash your sports bra, this means you’ll probably need to replace it every six to ten months. If you find your boobs are bouncing more than before, check to see if the bra’s elastic bands are obviously stretched. If the bra no longer fits snugly you’re ready for a new one.

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Sports bras with complete cups (aka encapsulation bras) give more support. While some sports bra models feature a crop-top style design without distinguishable cups (compression bras), research has shown encapsulation bras are better at preventing up and down, and side to side movement of the breasts during exercise. Large-breasted ladies and people taking part in high impact exercise will be better off with complete cups.

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Different levels of impact require a different type of sports bra. For high impact sports (like running or aerobics), you’ll need a high impact sports bra that’s designed to minimise breasts swinging up and down as well as from side to side. While high impact sports bras can be used for low impact sports (such as yoga or Pilates), you may find a specially designed low impact sports bra less restrictive for these kind of activities.

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Wearing a sports bra can prevent joggers’ nipple. If you’ve never had this condition, lucky you! Joggers’ nipple is a friction burn caused by a T-shirt continually rubbing against the nipples during running or other repetitive exercise. A well-fitting sports bra reduces the chance of this happening.

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Sports bras don’t need to cost the earth! Check out our affordable range here.

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