Is a Sports Bra Made for Me?

What is a sports bra?

Best qualities of a sports bra are that they are made to prevent the unnatural movemeant of the breast due to exercise activities. Many women turn to a sports bra because it makes us sure when we run, jump, and move during our exercise that the breasts are held in a comfortable position and that the bra absorbs all the possible shock that our exercise may create. By no means this bra can’t be confused with an wireless bra. Although a wireless bra and a sports bra have no underwire they are not the same. A sports bra is not made for the purpose of wearing it on daily basis even though it is comfortable and it may feel better than wired or wireless bras. You should look in to making sure that your ordinary bras fit you correctly before considering wearing your sports bra for your daily routines.  

Features of a sports bra

A sports bra is designed for sports activities. The top straps on a sports bra are wider and less forgiving. Where a regular bra straps are meant to hold up your bra by 10% a sports bra top straps can bare a weight of up to 35% of total support. The band is much wider and made of spandex or other stretching material which does not require any clasps in the back or front. The reason for that is that you don’t want to put any strain on the clasps or any other closing device. You simply put the bra on over your head and it should be snug on your body while minimizing shifting in any horizontal direction. Your breasts should always point straight in front of you regardless to the activity you are performing. On most bras cup size is not as important because an estimated size is enough. As long as the bra does not feel too tight or too lose you should be ok while wearing it. A sports bra should keep your breasts close to your body and minimize their movemeant. That’s it. There is no special qualities that make this bra any better or worse. If you buy a sports bra just make sure that the elastic parts of this bra are stretching and they come back together when not being stretched. If you chose to buy a bra for your exercise or to use it in other activities that require you to jump, run and defy gravity make sure that the bra is of good quality and the elastic parts don’t go bad after a first wash.  

Caring for a sports bra

Unlike any other bras where the material is lace, satin or any other fabric; sports bras are made with sawn in tiny rubber bands so make sure that you read the cleaning instructions first before taking it off after a sweaty activity and throwing it in to a wash with hot water. Some of these bras may lose its elastic quality in a hot wash cycle. Make sure that the manufacturer's label shows the temperatures that this bra can withstand. As a general rule of thumb if the label does not specify the wash the recommended maintenance procedure, it's usually safest to wash these bras in a cold or warm water. That said, enjoy your exercise with less pain and discomfort with a sports bra that was designed for these activities.   For daily activities get yourself a non-sports bra because as every bra has a function of its own, a sports bra is just bad taste to wear in your daily life - it doesn't create the proper shape nor posture, unless you are a really small breasted woman. As a final thought for the teens: If you are a young girl and your parents get you a sports bra to wear in your daily life remind them that this is an easy way out and you should wear a training bra.