Men – I am going to be talking to the ladies today. So here instead is a video of NHL highlights to entertain yourselves with.
“You gotta support your girls!”
This can be heard over and over again at the Fit Fests held regularly at Runners’ Choice. We are referring to running bras and the utter and complete necessity for a properly fitting and comfortable bra for all active women – especially runners. We women runners have two potential problems when running – and they are both attached to our chest. They are our breasts and without a proper fitting bra they can be annoying, painful and just plain, well, bouncy.
The breast is comprised of connective, fatty tissues attached to the chest wall. There is no internal structure for supporting the breast tissue against gravity and excessive movement beyond this band of fibrous tissue. When the breast is unsupported during activity, the weight of the tissue paired with the breast movement causes the ligaments to stretch – this is uncomfortable and can cause permanent damage to the breast. Wearing a sports bra while working out offers more than just great comfort, it also helps prevent irreversible damage that can lead to “sagging” breast tissue and as we all know gravity does not need any help in the “sagging” department.
Women struggle with bra issues ranging from chafing, armhole spillage, shoulder digs, straps falling down and having to wear more than one sports bra at a time. Most of these common problems are caused by women wearing the incorrect bra size. In fact 8 out of 10 women are wearing the wrong bra size which causes the most uncomfortable problems with our bras. The second most common problem is that the sports bra is too old. We have a slogan here “No bra should celebrate a birthday” – and we mean it. Bras are not designed to last for years.
If you bought a sports bra when you first met your husband and you are about to celebrate your silver anniversary, that bra is providing no support. To some of you this may sound too often but elastics stretch and the buildup of dirt, sweat and bacteria can take a toll on the life of a bra. I recommend that women get measured every year, buy a new sports bra and throw out an old sports bra. Second to running shoes your sports bra is the most important thing an active woman can own.
Tips to prolonging the life of your bra:
-Wash your sports bra after 1-3 wears. The buildup of sweat and bacteria can breakdown the bra
-Fasten the hooks before putting it in the wash and put it in a lingerie bag before tossing it in the wash
-Hang dry or tumble dry your bra. The dryer can breakdown the fabric and the moisture management fabric of a good sports bra will allow it to air dry quickly
-Never use fabric softener or dryer sheets with your sports bras as it will coat the fabric and stop it from breathing.
Tiffany Winton is our running fashion expert and is the friendly face at Runner’s Choice Waterloo.
