Why Having More Than One Sports Bra is Vital
It’s the January of a brand-new year. You’ve survived the past two years and want to ensure you’re being as healthy as you can by exercising, whether it’s a new resolution or a long-standing commitment to yourself. The last thing you need is for your undergarments to be tripping you up at every hurdle or make you not even want to start.
When you look good, you feel good and there’s nothing better than having the weight of a heavy bust being lifted off your shoulders and properly supported by a snug fitting underband that distributes, for example, the 4lb+ weight from a 36F bust around the ribs and not on the thin-ish straps on the shoulders causing large valleys and divots in your flesh.
It would be like wearing a badly balanced weight vest on your front, causing you to tip forward and exerting undue pressure on the musculature of your back. Add any kind of weight to that mix and it’s a recipe for disaster. The yoga style crop top you slip on overhead might be really cute, but the damage it does to your breasts isn’t.
Bra~vo intimates – freeing women from badly fitting bras
If you’ve ever stepped in through our doors as a Bra~vo customer, have followed our socials, read our blogs or have ever met one of our fitters, you’ll know we are passionate about ensuring women are in the right size, shape and style of bra.
We will educate you on how essential it is to have the band supporting you firmly around the body and the breasts fully contained within a cup to ensure optimal comfort, lift, hold and breast health. This holds true especially when doing sports, with the added bouncing of movement and even more so if you’re the lucky owner of a fuller bust (more than 14cms/5.5 inches for a G cup according to a Shock Absorber study).
Once the Cooper’s ligaments (the connective tissue within the breast that maintain structural integrity) are damaged (through weight loss/gain, pregnancy/breast feeding, age or poor support) the breast sags under its own weight due to the lack of internal structure within. This in turn can put further pressure on the neck, shoulders and back, especially on those with a heavier or fuller bust. This is why we preach about ensuring you’re in the right bra for the right activity as we don’t want our Bra~vo Beauties to suffer with poor breast health.
One of our very first blog posts went into the details of why you need a proper sports bra. Just as you wouldn’t run a marathon in heels (unless you were hoping for a world of pain!) making sure you have the right tools for the job is essential in ensuring you can get on with the job in hand. The workout might be tricky enough – your bra shouldn’t be making things harder for you or your bust!
Your Sports Bra Checklist…
Hopefully, you’ll have already come into our Royal Oak, Metro Detroit store to get properly fitted for your sports bra and have your Sports Bra Checklist in mind every time you wear it:
- Firm fitting underband that doesn’t move when you lift your arms or move - on the loosest hook so you can tighten as the elastic stretches
- Shoulder straps that are sturdy and in line with your frame – two fingers width tight, not holding the entire weight of your bust or falling off your shoulders
- Fully contained bust – no overspill, quad boob or cleavage; do the bounce test before heading out to class.
Bear in mind if you have a fuller, heavier bust and are exercising regularly you may soon realize your sports bra is losing its magical hold quite quickly.
Imagine if you only had one pair of running shoes, one t-shirt and one pair of leggings to do all your exercising in. You would expect the colors to fade and the stitching to fail after all the washing and wearing. Your sports kit would age much quicker than if you had two or more of the same. Now imagine that kit has to do an extra job of keeping everything in place.
Unfortunately the elastics in sports bras aren’t made of vibranium and can stretch, and therefore lose their structure, support and hold around the body, if subjected to a lot of wear and tear including heat, biological detergents or simply by being used for a prolonged time.
One to wear, one to wash, one in the drawer
This is why we always suggest buying more than one sports bra. It’s not a sales ploy – you genuinely get much more wear out of your garments if you’re able to rotate using them on a regular basis. This is because the elastics within the bras are able to rest in between uses, springing back to their original shape.
If you regularly do high impact activities – running/jogging, horse riding, mini trampoline – basically anything that has you jumping or moving in an up, down or side to side manner, then your bra, your bust and even your bank account will thank you for having more than one sports bra in the drawer.
If not, you can expect to go through your sports bras within weeks rather than months! This is even more true if you have a heavier bust – the precious elastic within the components will be fraying even if you take great care of it, because it can only take a limited amount of weight and force in keeping your bust safely controlled during activities before giving up.
Mono-no boob!
You may have always used a sports bra that squishes you down into a mono-boob sausage across your chest (known as compression) but today’s modern tech advances mean that encapsulation bras (where the cups fit each breast individually) allows for much more control with lighter, moisture wicking fabrics that can still stop the bounce. If you’re still having to rely on being strapped down, then it’s worthwhile coming in for a sports bra check-up and trying on a few different styles available.
Our Bra~vo fitters have put together a list of some of their favorite sports bra styles for a variety of activities, shapes and sizes to add to your sportswear wardrobe:
Anita Extreme Control Plus
This firm fitting but extremely comfortable non-wired, high impact style from Anita has a five section cup to give encapsulating support from all sides. The lining is microfiber to wick away any moisture and the non-bulky, cushioned strap won’t dig in on floor exercises.
Anita Air control Delta pad 5544
Another maximum support, non-wired encapsulation style from Anita that manages to feel light an airy in comparison to some sports bras on the market thanks to the terry lined delta pad in the center and breathable mesh for maximum airflow. We particularly love this style for the center set straps, perfect for those with narrower shoulders.
Bra~vo Intimates #1 best selling sports bra! An underwired sports bra especially suited for the full busted and full figured, this bra has excellent separation and top cup encapsulation for high impact workouts. It’s very generous in the cup to ensure no overspill and a J hook to suit all your workout gear or a great addition for those with narrow shoulders.
A silicone encased and lightly padded underwire ensures maximum comfort and support in this classic encapsulation style by Panache, helping to reduce bounce by up to 83%. Wide, comfy straps and a J hook ensure they stay in place or can convert to a racerback. The firm powermesh sides and underband can fit a little more snug than other brands, your fitter will advise whether to up a size in the band.
Fit Fully Yours Pauline UW Sports Bra B9660
This youthful Canadian brand specializes in bras that disappear under clothes and achieves that with their sports bra by offering flat seamed cups, full coverage and a deep underband to minimize a fleshy back. Whilst very similar in looks to the Panache 5021, we find that the fit of this underwired sports bra is quite different and tend to recommend it for ladies who are longer in the upper torso as the center wires are a little shorter, allowing for a closer fit against the chest. Many of our ladies love that their lightly padded straps can be adjusted even when in racerback by using the sliding J hook.
If you’d like to get your Sports Bra wardrobe started or have any questions about sports bras in general, feel free to contact us. Call the store directly on 248-582-7286 or to book an appointment for your Bra~vo Experience simply click here.
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