Everything to know about sports bra – A guide to make the right choice

Sports bra is the most important accessory in the fitness gear arsenal. The biggest advantage of sports bra is that it helps to avoid nasty stares while exercising. A good sports bra snugs around the chest, holds and supports the breasts from all sides and above all it prevents the breasts from bouncing. Here is a complete detailed guide to know everything about sports bra.

Why is it important to wear a sports bra?

They are designed to handle the movement and motion. Therefore, while working out, it provides maximum support by holding the breasts firmly.

What happens if a person wears sports bra all the time?

Wire free sports bra can be worn for longer duration. As long as the sports bra is dry and does not dig into the skin, one can wear them for longer duration.

Does sports bra make the breasts look smaller?

The purpose of sports bra is to hold the chest muscles in places. They do not affect the size of the breast muscles. They neither make them look smaller nor make them look bigger. They simply hold them tight. This flattens the chest.

There are other shaping bras in the market that solve these purposes. There are minimizer bras to make the breast look smaller. Click to read more about the other types of bras that help in shaping, minimizing, maximizing the breasts. None of such solvation is provided by sports bra.

Portrait of healthy young woman in sports bra with a skipping rope around her neck. Female athlete taking a break from fitness training at the park.

How are sports bra beneficial?

  1. Protects Cooper ligaments

Cooper ligaments are present under the breast muscles. The breast muscles begin to sag down or droop if these ligaments tear away. Tearing of the ligaments can happen while playing rough games and doing intensive work outs. As the sports bra holds the muscles it prevents the ligaments from tearing away.

  1. Prevents tension and strain in neck and upper back

Women with larger breasts tend to develop stress on the back muscles. This is because in such cases the back muscles have to work hard to keep the shoulder in position. Sports bra bear the weight by halving the work of back muscles. Therefore, the strain on the muscles is reduced.

  1. Prevents pain in the breasts

As it provides support and holds the muscles, their movement is arrested. This way the complaint of pain in the breasts while exercising is solved

  1. Encourages the performance

It is women nature to become conscious about her clothing protecting her parts. Apart from this, swinging breasts can cause pain. This in turn increases the stress in the body and leads to decreased performance

Does sports bra prevent sagging of breasts?

No. Sagging is a medical condition that occurs because of age or other biological factors like reproduction. Sports bra only supports the breast muscles. They are only a solution to sagging muscles. They do not prevent or solve medical conditions like sagging or drooping of breast muscles

Can one wear sports bra for sleeping?

Some girls complain that they get better sleep if their breasts are held at position. However, it is not a healthy habit. Not only sports bra, it is not advisable to wear any bra to bed. This is because they hold the muscles tightly. This reduces the respiring capabilities of the skin underneath. Wearing too tight clothes can even cause cancer

What are the key differences between normal bra and sports bra?

The style of brazier is a personal choice and comfort. However, to make the right choice it is necessary to learn the differences. Here are some of the differences between sports bra and ordinary bra.

  1. Regular bras do not provide enough support. They cause tension in the shoulders. Stretching and pulling exercises cannot be comfortably done wearing regular bras. They also tend to accumulate sweat patches
  2. Regular bras are designed to provide shape to the breast muscles. On the other hand, the sports bra flattens the chest providing no shape to the breasts.
  3. As sports bra do not have straps, they are easy to take off unlike normal bra.
  4. There are no wires in sports bra. The wires in normal bra helps to lift, shape and separate the breasts.
  5. A normal bra seldom leaves marks. Sports bra do not leave skin marks.
  6. Unlike normal bras, sports bra can be worn after surgery. Especially they are recommended by doctors after augmentation procedures. Click to read more about the breast implantation surgeries, their benefits, how they are performed, what is the healing period, etc.

What are impact levels of sports bra?

Impact level is the effect an activity can have on the breast muscles. If the impact level is higher, then the breast movement is greater. In such cases impact level of sports bra should be greater.

What are the types of sports bra based on their impact levels?

There are 3 types of sports bra namely:

  1. Low impact sports bra – It is suitable for ladies with small breasts. It can also be used for gentle activities irrespective of the size of the breast muscles. They are designed for sports activities that have less impact level on the muscles.
    1. It is ideal for women whose cup sizes are in the range from A to D.
    2. It can be worn inside the house for lunging purposes
    3. They are generally light weight and unpadded.
    4. They have narrow shoulder straps
  2. Medium impact sports bra – It is suitable for women of all cup sizes. It is suitable for activities such as golf, martial arts, hiking. One should go for moisture wicking bras in this type. This is because the purpose of these bras is to support intense activities. Many of the medium impact sports bra contain wires, a wider under band to separate the breasts.
  3. High impact sports bra – It is the right choice for women whose cup sizes are D or E. They are suitable for dancers, tennis players, runners.