Athletic Bras – Supporting Your Active Lifestyle
It’s only been 20 years since the Athletic bra, or Sports Bra, came on the scene. Since then there have been many advancements in design and fabrics providing much needed athletic support for active women.
If you’re going to engage in any kind of strenuous activity, you’ll certainly need the support of an athletic bra. But it’s important that the sport bra fits properly. Active lifestyle bras are basically available in two styles: compression and encapsulation.
Compression sports bras hold the breasts tight and are made to restrict movement. Depending on the type of exercise your involved with, the compression type might be the best choice of styles, especially for strenuous activity. Some users rely on two bras to hold ‘the girls’ in place during very active exercise sessions. An added bonus for compression bras is that they can be worn outside of your clothes. (A common practice thanks to an unnamed soccer phenom!)
But too-tight bra can present a whole host of problems and can actually hinder your workout. A too tight of a fit could affect your ability to breathe deeply. Not something you’d desire when trying to exercise.
Here’s a ‘fit tip’ that might be helpful. When your hands are above your head and you find your sport bra ‘rolling up’, it’s too tight. Time for a larger size.
Encapsulation models come with molded cups and many feel are the ideal choice for comfort and alleviating the ‘uniboob’ look. They are a bit easier to get on and do provide some shock-absorber qualities.
A woman with an A or B cup might favor a compression style for comfort where a full-busted woman may prefer an underwire encapsulated model for the extra added support. Plus-size women should always wear the most supportive athletic bra that they can find.
The name of the game is to restrict movement and athletic bras achieve that by binding tighter much more firmly than normal bras. Sports bras are made with stretchier, breathable fabric and are designed to cover more ’surface area’ than an average bra. Because sport models are meant to enhance, not restrict movement, the straps on athletic bras are wider and thicker for better breast weight distribution. Active lifestyle bra styles include T-back, Y-back, Racerback.
Your activity level will dictate the support level required of your bra. The more strenuous the activity, the higher impact support required. Most sports bras will indicate the level of activity they’re designed for.
Maximum Support Sport bras for intense activities:
• Running
• Basketball,
• Horseback riding
High Support Sport Bras are designed for:
• Jogging
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Aerobics
• Soccer
• Gymnastics
• Softball
Medium Support for moderate exercise includes:
• Walking
• Golf
• Weight training
• Skiing
• Bicycling
• In-line skating
For sweat-producing workouts, look for bras with moisture control. Many high-tech fabrics will wick sweat from your skin and help prevent moisture buildup.
Getting a proper fitting sports bra is every bit as important as the fit you need for a regular bra. Maybe more so. Breasts are not naturally well-supported by the body and injury to delicate tissues can result from strenuous exercise. A good athletic bra can provide you the needed support that Mother Nature left out!