Since we have known the reason why should we wear a sports bra when workout. But How to choose sports bras. Let’s have a look.
How to choose sports bras
In the beginning, we should take the following points into consideration.
- Good support: Imagine running with your chest and bra shaking violently in sync. Can you concentrate on running? What’s more, if a sports bra doesn’t have good support to the breast.c Then it can’t be called sports bras.
- High encapsulation: Like support. If the breasts and underwear shake together, or because of the poor encapsulation of the underwear, the breasts are exposed from the bottom, which is also very uncomfortable. That’s why encapsulation is very important.
- Good air permeability: Underwear should be enough air permeability. If possible, a good-looking bra is better! So that can post beautiful fitness photos of yourself in the world of moments.
Choose sports bras according to the intensity of your workout:
Different levels of exercise require different bras. The comfort and flexibility of a bra vary depending on the impact level and movement.
Generally, according to the heart rate, exercise intensity is mainly divided into three kinds:
- Low Impact
- Medium Impact
- High Impact
Low-intensity exercise: Hiking, yoga, Pilates, etc
The relatively small exercise intensity means that the fixation requirements for Sports Bra are correspondingly smaller. Generally, choose a simple and fixed bra is enough. The simple fixed bra is a bra with a layer of elastic mesh fabric fixed. And it is recommended to choose products with high cotton content so as not to cause a sense of pressure on the chest.
Medium intensity exercise: Skiing, skating, dancing, etc
The sports underwear for medium-impact is mainly relied on elastic fabric to form a certain pressure on the breast so as to achieve a fixed effect. Compared with low impact sports underwear, it is more stringent to tailoring and requiring full consideration of breast shape, and shoulder and back force as well as other factors.
High-intensity exercise: Running, football, basketball, etc
In the process of high-intensity sports, the chest shaking is the most intensive, which requires higher support and steadiness of the sports underwear, but meanwhile not forming a sense of discomfort and pressure on the chest.
Choose sports bras according to the Cup size:
Choose a suitable cup size: There may be a lot of people who are not clear about the calculation of cup size, please see the specific method below.
In terms of exercise intensity and cup size, sports underwear can be basically divided into Compression and Encapsulation.
- compression
Compression brings the breasts closer to the body by compressing the space between them. In a 2007 study of 70 women, Dr. Joanna Scurr of the University of Portsmouth in England found that breasts move in one of three directions during exercise:
1. Up and down
2. Side to side
3. In and out
Dr. Scurr found that compressed sports bras significantly reduced breast shaking up and down, but shaking from side to side didn’t work as well. SO it is more suitable for small cup sizes.
- Encapsulation
Encapsulation, much like ordinary lingerie, each breast is individually wrapped. It not only has a very good effect of reducing up and down shaking, but also can significantly reduce side to side shaking. Suitable for all cup sizes
While for female runners, Compression is not a consideration, it has to be Encapsulation, and it has to be medium strength. Whether it’s the medium intensity or high intensity, the most important thing is to be able to limit the three kinds of shaking.
Choose sports bras according to the designs:
1. Back design
From the point of view of the back design, it can be roughly divided into two types: double shoulder belt sports bra and Y-shape sports bra.
- Double strap Sports bra
This type of sports bra is similar to ordinary underwear in appearance, suitable for A to C cup women for low and medium-intensity exercise.
- Y-shape sports bra
A cross-cut or Y-shaped design prevents the straps from slipping. Widened straps share the impact of running, diverting pressure from the sensitive shoulders or chest to the back and underarms. This kind of sports underwear stability is good, suitable for high exercise intensity.
2. Frontal design
From the perspective of frontal design, it can be divided into three types: simple one-piece bra, independent cup bra and special structure bra.
- Simple one-piece bra
A simple one-piece bra is the simplest type of sports bra and is suitable for women with A-C cup sizes for low and medium-intensity exercise. For smaller breasts, you can buy the simplest piece. For slightly larger breasts, opt for a single piece with a separate cup inside.
- Independent cup bra
The Independent cup bra covers and supports both breasts in a freestanding bra, which reduces shaking just like a bra. This bra is ideal for women with larger sizes.
- Special structure bra
This type of bra is the combination of the first two styles and has the strongest firmness. Its main feature is a large row of hooks on the chest or back of the chest, and there is usually a special
steel bracket for better support. Therefore, this type of bra is most suitable for C and D cup women who do high-intensity exercise.
Trying on a bra is the most direct way to choose a bra that fits you
- No sliding and friction tendency
If there is an opportunity to try it on, please do jumping and running action, to see the chest shaking situation, up and down around the shaking range of 3 cm is acceptable, feel whether there is a sliding and friction tendency.
- No snug and free of wrinkles
Your bra should be snug and free of wrinkles, otherwise, it may indicate that it is too big. If your skin is sticking out from the sides of your bra, it could be a sign that your bra is too small.
- Not feel a sense of strong tightness
A well-fitting sports bra should fit snug but not too tight. Bras that are too tight can make it hard to breathe when you run or even pinch your skin; Sports bras that are too loose can slip and chafe the skin.
- Don’t blindly look for just one size when choosing a sports bra
Different brands of sports underwear will have their own sizes according to the categories of support, in one brand you wear 70B, another brand may need 75B. It’s a bit like buying running shoes. Different brands have different sizes, so don’t be too blind and stick to one size.
Suggestions on the use and maintenance of sports bras:
- Having two levels of sports bra will make you more flexible.
For example, women with C/D Cup can prepare high support and medium support sports Bra. And women with A/B Cup can prepare low and medium support sports Bra. So you can make a better choice according to the sport and the match of clothing.
- There will be a running-in period
If you want to buy a Bra for a marathon, just like buying new running shoes, there will be a running-in period before you can use it for a long run or marathon.
Another tip: If the bra rubs skin, apply some moisturizer to areas where it can easily chafe.
- Wash sports bra by hand
It is recommended to wash sports bra by hand, do not wring it dry, dry it naturally or by pressing it, which can improve its life. If you run more than 3 times a week, it is recommended to prepare another one for easy replacement and prolonged use.
