Competition Time – Orla’s guide to choosing a Sports Bra
Ladies do you wear a sports bra when training? If not, why not? You wouldn’t go jogging in a pair of high heels. You probably have a decent pair of training shoes, because you’ve invested in protecting your feet and legs. Well, the same should apply to your boobs.
Even if you are small, you should wear a sports bra. The breasts have very little natural support, they only have ligaments as the first support and then only skin as secondary support. That’s all. Once these ligaments, known as Cooper’s Ligaments, are stretched too far that’s it, they never go back again.
So even on a cosmetic point get a good sports bra and help stop your boobs from heading south. On a health point of view, by wearing a good sports bra you can prevent pain and tenderness while working out, and especially around that time of the month.
It is best to get fitted by a professional (so many women are going around wearing the wrong size or shaped bra) and then try on as many bras as possible to see which you are most comfortable in. We are all different shapes and sizes: what I like might not be right for you. If you’re not 100% sure, don’t buy it.
On my travels around town to the various shops I found it hard to get a sports bra in my size. Every shop could order it for me but only one place had it in stock. Most shops usually only carry one type, so make sure to visit as many shops as you can. Don’t settle for the 1st one you see, they cost enough so make sure you are happy with it and that it fits correctly.
There are different types of Sports Bras to choose from. An Encapsulation Bra covers each individual breast and keeps it from bouncing from side to side. A compression bra pulls the breast as close to the body as possible to try to reduce up and down bouncing. It is best if you can get a bra that does both. Your boobs should be completely inside with no bits spilling out. Straps should be wide and soft so they don’t indent on the shoulders and should be made of a fabric that wicks away moisture to prevent chaffing.
When you have the bra on, make sure to do a full range of movements similar to the exercises you would do in your workout, to make sure it is comfortable.
Another thing you should realize about sports bras is that if you are loosing weight, then make sure to get measured regularly as you will drop in size. I had to buy a new bra just after 6 weeks starting the bootcamp as I dropped in size.
So now that you know all that, we decided to help you get control of your boobs. We have teamed up with Paula from The Lingerie Boutique on Barrack Street to give away a free Sports Bra and Fitting in our competition. And for those of you who are not the lucky winner Paula has kindly given us €3 vouchers off the Freya Sports Bra making them only €40, you can get the vouchers from us the next time you are in the gym.
All you have to do to win our fab prize is Like and Share this post on Facebook.
The lucky winner will be drawn on Tuesday 11th June.