Sports Bras 101 Part Deux: Types of Sports Bras

Are you considering becoming more physically active? Alternatively, are you a female sports enthusiast or gym junkie who simply hasn’t discovered the right sports bra for yourself yet? In the contemporary world there is an almost unlimited variety of sports bra designs to choose from. Even better, these often feature different fabrics and support systems. Which designs, though, are ultimately best for you in regard to your cup size and your chief sports requirements?

Sports Bra Buying 101

Firstly, it doesn’t matter what your chosen form of physical activity is. In every case, a great sports bra is a bra which is guaranteed to give optimum support to your breasts when either dancing, jogging, playing with children, or even cleaning up around the house. However, there are three main sports bra designs which every woman should familiarise themselves with.

Compression Bras

Known more casually as crop-tops, compression orientated sports bras are composed of strong elastic fibers which compress breasts together against the chest. Perfect for medium to high impact sports, crop-tops feature a crossed strap backing and are designed to prevent any and all breast movements. The only problem is that compression sports bras are only practical for women with C-cup or smaller breasts. This is due to the fact that crop-tops themselves don’t feature individual cups. In turn, the otherwise superb elastic support which crop-tops provide will often struggle to provide support for larger breast sizes.

Encapsulation Bras

Are you of a breast size higher than a C-cup? Because of the size limitations of compression bras, women with C-cup or larger sized breasts will often choose to support their chest area using encapsulation sports bras. These are bras which support breasts separately in two carefully structured cups. Benefiting from reinforced straps and backings, encapsulation bras seek to support breasts individually, are suitable for high impact sports and will usually be closed using a dedicated zipper or hook system, in order to provide maximum support and comfort.  

Combination Bras

Are you still struggling to choose which sports bra design might me right for you? If so, combination bras which have cups but which also keep breasts held firmly against the body might be the right choice for you. These offer the best of both designs and are particularly suited to women with larger breasts who have struggled with support issues previously.

Other Factors to Consider

All that said, there are more factors than just cup sizes to consider when choosing a sports bra. Exercises such as running and jumping for example, require the maximum level of breast support possible. In this case, you might find that a combination bra is most suitable given the combination of breast support features. In like manner, skin elasticity decreases with both age and pregnancy. Meanwhile, larger breasts will usually be heavier and subsequently also best served by a combination or encapsulation sports bra.

Of course, all that any of the aforementioned factors mean is that when choosing a sports bra, you should always choose a design which feels comfortable and supportive of you individually. Once you’ve figured this out, there will be nothing to stop you taking to the gym or the running track as comfortably and as confidently as possible.  

Interested in finding out more? Don't miss our next blog post...

To know more about the history of sports bras check out our previous post :

SPORTS BRAS 101: THEIR USES, HISTORY & IMPORTANCE

Sports Bras 101: Their Uses, History & Importance

As every woman knows, a normal day bra isn’t suited at all for working out, nor even any kind of remotely strenuous day to day activity. Of course, we all make that mistake anyway from time to time. We hit the gym or the running track as part of a self-inspiring new fitness regimen, and we pay just a few hours (sometimes even minutes) later in the form of unabridged physical discomfort and soreness.    

Why Women Need Better Bra Support

 The reason why we experience physical discomfort when wearing a regular bra is simple. When we exercise, our breasts move with our body. The only problem is that in many contexts, our breasts simply aren’t designed to be subjected to the mercy of things like different running moves or shunting vertical movements. Worse, when our breasts move in a way which isn’t synchronous with the rest of our body, we can suffer rather serious stress related injuries.

 Embarrassment, immediate discomfort, and lasting pain after exercise, are subsequently the bane of any active woman who doesn’t have the right kind of breast support. However, what’s also important for women to understand, is that by not benefiting from the right bra support during exercise, they can also stand to incur significant long-term health problems.

You & Your Coopers Ligament

 Are you familiar with the female anatomy in regard to how your breasts are actually attached to your body? Like any appendage, our breasts are attached to our bodies by ligaments, namely a ligament referred to as the Coopers ligament. Moreover, this ligament defines not just how our breasts move when we’re in motion, but also how they appear and are supported during resting periods.

 Do you wear a bra which doesn’t provide adequate support during exercise? If so, it’s highly likely that you will damage your Coopers ligament. After being overstretched and overstressed after periods of physical exertion, the Coopers ligament can lose its elasticity. This, in turn, can lead to breasts sagging, not to mention exercise itself becoming more difficult due to women subconsciously adopting more defensive postures in order to compensate for this lack of support.     

 The choice, in this case, is simple. Do you risk long-term damage to the connective tissues in your chest, back and shoulders by wearing a bra not fit for purpose? Or if you are going to exercise, do you decide to exercise while wearing a bra which does provide adequate support?

A Little Sports Bra History

Of course, the need for better breast support during exercise isn’t anything new. In fact, the much feared Grecian female warrior group the Amazons, are believed to have actually removed their breasts in order to benefit from better physical agility on the battlefield. 

Thankfully, ever since 1975, there hasn’t been any need for such drastic measures. Rather, in 1975, the “Free Swing Tennis Bra” was brought to the female sportswear market, closely followed in 1977 by the more all-purpose “Jockbra.”

 Both of the above bras were born out of research into the natural movement of different women's breasts during exercise. Even better, that research has been expanded upon in recent years, in order to provide women the world over with the support they are in need of, regardless of their chosen sports activity. 

Interested in finding out more? In our next post, we will explain the differences between different kinds of sports bras today and how you can choose the right bra for you. In this case, make sure not to miss our next post, and in the meantime, make sure not to hit the gym just yet until you’re sure that you have the support you need. 

Image sources:

http://cdn2.gurl.com/wp-content/gallery/the-history-of-bras/free-swing-tennis-bra.jpg

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