A Shopper’s Guide to Buying Sports Bras

Have you ever tried exercising while wearing regular bras? Uncomfortable, right? Bra underwire may dig deep in your rib cage, while non-wire bras do not provide support at all. Sports bras are garments specially created for exercise as they are designed in a way to provide support and reduce excessive motion, which may cause the breasts to sag and droop over time.

Finding a good sports bra also keeps your chest comfortable when you exercise, and may reduce back pain especially for women with larger breasts. Of course, you should not wear just any sports bra as it is important to find one that really fits you.

So, if you’re still wearing your regular brassieres to your Zumba class, it’s high time to buy one that’s actually designed for work outs.

Need some tips? Check these out:

Determine your size

Do you know that over 70% of women do not wear their proper bra size? You can be one of those. Make sure that you know your actual size by following this very simple process. Learn how to measure your bra size and do it before buying a sports bra. Check again at least every six months, since natural changes in the body can affect the size of your breasts.

High Impact or Low Impact?

Sports bras come with a wide range of features, but they are generally divided into two categories, which are encapsulation and compression bras and are designed depending on your sport’s or exercise’s impact levels.

Compression sports bras hold the breast against your chest to minimize movement. Think of tight bandages around your chest. These bras have no cups and are recommended for women who have A to B cups and engage in light and moderate sports. Encapsulation bras, on the other hand have support providing cups which are held in place by wider backs and straps. They are recommended for women with larger breasts, or those who engage in high impact sports.

Check Out Some Features

Now comes the fun part – deciding the individual features of your sports bra. Features include colors, fun features, design details and the like. While fit and support should always come first, here are some details that you should also consider to make sure you get the best bras for you:

• Moisture wicking fabrics like CoolMax or DriFit wick away sweat from your skin and keep you cool and dry. Avoid all cotton bras, which remain saturated with sweat even after you work out.
• Wide straps are also recommended since they do not dig into shoulders. This is also the reason why many women prefer the popular racer back sports bra, since they provide greater support and allow greater arm movement.
• Minimal seams, since seams can rub against your skin and cause chafing.
• Snug fit, especially around the ribcage. The fit should allow minimal movement but not too tight that it already affects your breathing. The bra should not ride up when you put your hands up and should not also cause any bulging from the top or the sides.
• The stretch. Here’s a rule of thumb when choosing sports bras – the less stretchy the straps, cups and bands are, the more support they will provide. You should not be able to pull the straps and bands more than an inch away from your skin. If you’re worried about not fitting into a certain bra because it isn’t stretchy enough or too tight for you, check out the next size.

Sports bras are essentials for women who want to engage in exercise or sports. To get the most out of your sports bra, you should really spend time when shopping. Don’t settle for the first sports bra you find. Look around, try them on, ask for other sizes so you will be sure that you pick the best fit for you.

Sports bras are essential for active women who would like to engage in sports or exercise. To get the most out of a sports bra, however, women need to do some research to determine how specific sports bra features will interact with their body types and levels of activity. The first step in picking a sports bra is making a choice between compression or encapsulation-type bras. Both provide varying degrees of support for women depending on a woman’s size and workout routine. Next, women should look at how specific features, such as fabric, design, or closures, will affect the sports bra fit and comfort-level.

Getting a bra that is the correct size is an important part of the purchasing decision, because choosing the wrong size can negate a sports bra’s benefits. Women should take accurate measurements of both their chest and cup size before buying a bra to make sure they get the proper fit. After thoroughly researching their purchase options, women can find a wide variety of sports bras available in their local stores and online at marketplaces like eBay.