Today we're looking at a vital piece of sports equipment - sports bras.
It's surprising just how many women don't wear a proper sports bra when taking part in exercise, any exercise. Some wear their ordinary daytime bra, then dress again in it afterwards for work/daytime wear...yeeeeuk!
Others wear the sports tops with 'hidden' support. Well ladies, I've got news for you, it's called hidden for a very good reason. If you are anything other than flat as a board on the chest area it won't contribute hardly any support at all.
If you are happy to have your breasts bouncing down to your belly button when you exercise then don't read any further, if not, read on.
First, as proof of what I'm saying I want you to do a test. Put on your normal bra that you wear for exercise and then stand in front of a mirror, full length is best. Jog up and down looking carefully at what happens to your breasts. Then turn sideways and continue jogging up and down while looking at yourself in the mirror. Better still get a friend to watch too, they will be able to see even better than you just how low your nipples get in relation to your waist. Believe me it's not a pretty sight, and when they've stopped laughing they'll confirm this to you.
A worn out sports bra is just as bad as wearing an ordinary bra or relying on the 'hidden' version. So all of you out there wearing saggy old sports bras have no reason to be smug either.
Sports bras are very readily available, most stores selling bras sell them, and the choice to buy online is staggering. You can get them in just about every colour and size imaginable so there is no excuse that they "
won't go with my workout outfit".
There are 2 main types of sports bra to choose from:
1 ~ Encapsulated, these separate and support each breast in it's own cup, and some have underwiring.
2 ~ Compression, these compress your breasts to your body.
Whichever you go for is down to personal choice and comfort fit, but generally encapsulated bras are thought to be better for bigger breasts, however some larger women find the compression ones suit them better. It's really up to you, try them on and have a bit of a jog on the spot in front of a mirror to see what happens and how it feels.
Make sure you get the correct fit, either go to a shop that will measure you, or follow the measuring instructions that many online shops provide. A poorly fitting sports bra is as bad as not wearing one.
In relation to how much you probably spend on exercise classes, gym membership, gym clothes, trendy trainers, a sports bra is a small investment, but a big investment in keeping your breasts a lot higher up your chest than your Grandmothers.
Look about you when you're next out, a lot of old woman have their nipples permanently situated about waist level, you'll see I'm right.
So as a final thought for the day ask yourself this, if I'm exercising to keep young and healthy do I really want to be able to prop up my breasts on my waistband at 50? I think you already know the answer.
Caution: As with all exercise, if you haven't exercised for some time, or if you have any medical conditions, you should see your physician first for a checkup. Tell them what you are planning to do so they can advise based on any medical history you might have.
