How to find your perfect sports bra
I don't like exercise for many reasons: it's hard, it hurts (sometimes), it's boring, it's embarrassing, I don't like sweating, sportswear only ever looks good on the sporty, and I have to wear three sports bras just to keep my big jugs from hitting me in the face when I exercise. But the bottom line is that I want to be a little fitter and to do that I need to move and moving means ditching the three-bras-as-one-badass-sports-bra and finding one that actually fits me and protects my best assests.
Why we all need a sports bra
The fact of the matter is, even if you have small breasts, boobs need support. Recent research from the Breast Health Research unit at the University of Portsmouth has found that 50% of us experience breast pain (even women with small boobs), and that a well-fitted sports bra can greatly reduce this. The research also found that only 42% of us wear a sports bra at all, and that out of that 42% most of us are wearing the wrong size and type for the activity.It might not be as exciting as buying sexy lingerie but it is really important for breast health and to prevent droopy boobs. During the research it was discovered that women with the right sports bra alter their running style, which in turn helps their performance. And that wearing a supportive sports bra limits stretching of the ligaments and tissues that support the breasts, so over time sagging will be prevented.
Why can't I just wear a regular bra for the gym?
This is a question I asked and the answer is that we all move differently, we're different shapes and a good sports bra is just as important to your workout as your trainers - would jogging in wellies be as easy as jogging in trainers? No. Plus, we need a different sports bra for different activities, a sports bra for yoga will need to give a different type of support than a sports bra for an activity like running because, to be frank, there's more jiggling about. I also think that if you're going to invest time in keeping fit or losing weight then why not do it properly?How to find your perfect sports bra
Like a lot of things, it's best to shop around. I went to Sweatshop which actually made shopping for a sports bra a whole load of fun! OK, maybe not 'fun' fun but the shop staff are so knowledgable that I actually learnt something about my body, which is always a good thing.All the staff are trained by Dr Joanna Scurr from the University of Portsmouth's Department of Sport and Exercise Science. Dr Scurr is a world-leading researcher in the biomechanics of breast movement; what she knows about breasts is mind boggling!
Sweatshop have what's known as a bra bar, in short the widest selection of sports bras you'll probably ever see. And they stock sizes beyond a G cup. Once you've found a few bras to choose from you can use the Sweatshop running machine to properly road test your bra; perhaps Jimmy Choo should have a 'running for the bus' machine in their shops, right? I found this so useful; the bra that I loved and thought was perfect was rubbish at holding me where it was supposed to when I started running.
Sweatshop will also recycle your old sports bra. If you hand in your old bra at your local Sweatshop they'll recycle it, give you £5 off your next sports bra and donate £1 to the MicroLoan foundation which helps women in Africa get business education and start their own small businesses.
You can buy online at sweatshop.co.uk or you can visit one of the 34 Sweatshops across the country.
Post Your Comment