From ensuring pain-free activity to allowing you to potentially set a personal best, bra fit and breast support shouldn’t be overlooked. This Women’s Health With Evolve column outlines what you need to be aware of for better breast health

Bra fit and breast support are commonly overlooked, yet over 51 percent of the general population of women report breast pain, a high proportion of which is activity related. Breast pain is also commonly related to our cycles. The discomfort can impact how we move, how we feel, how much we participate in exercise and even our performance.

Good fitting bras are vital for comfort during exercise and helping protect and maintain healthy breast tissue. Studies have shown that an unsupported or bare breast can move up and down as much as 12cm during impact sports such as running or jumping. The skin outside and around our breasts is responsible for supporting them and as we age our skin loses elasticity, therefore the older we get the more we need to protect and support our breasts.

Discomfort is not the only consequence of a poorly fitting bra. Research looking at women running in an everyday bra versus a sports bra demonstrated reduced running speed and efficiency, and increased respiratory effort (how hard we breath) when wearing an everyday bra, while another paper found increased running speed with a good fitting bra—supporting your breasts appropriately could be the difference between hitting or missing a race target. Yet more than 60 percent of female athletes report never having had their bra fitted nor knowing what they should be looking out for.

Just like a shoe, a bra is a close fitting item of clothing and needs to fit correctly. Ultimately this should be a part of high-school education, particularly given the large number of adolescent girls who drop out of sport as a result of body image, feeling self-conscious and discomfort. In a 2014 paper breasts were noted as the fourth most common barrier to exercise in adolescents and women, ranking higher than cost or access to facilities.

Choosing the right sports bra

Selecting a sports bra that works for you can be overwhelming when there are so many different variables to take into account, including breast size, whether your breasts are equal in size, heat, humidity, time of the month (breast size fluctuates across the menstrual cycle) and the type of physical activity, for example whether you will be attending a gentle yoga class or be in a high impact environment.

There are typically three types of sports bras to choose from:

  • The crop top sports bra compresses both breasts against the chest wall. Usually made with strong elastic fabric, the straps are not adjustable and the band at the back does not open or close. These bras are great for those with smaller breasts or those participating in sports or activities that are low impact
  • The encapsulation sports bra has a separate cup for each breast, the length of each strap is adjustable and the back can open and close and be adjusted
  • The hybrid sports bra is a combination of the crop top and encapsulation sports bras—it looks like a crop top from the outside but there are still separate cups for each breast on the inside of the bra. The length of each strap is adjustable and the back can still open and close

The importance of fit

A proper fitting sports bra should eliminate excessive movement of your breasts and ideally the breasts should move in unison with your torso. The less movement the better, however not all sports bras are comfortable and it is vital that you find a supportive bra that is also comfortable and functional. Additionally it should be adjustable to account for monthly changes and fluctuations.

The most common complaints about sports bras are straps digging into shoulders, straps sliding off shoulders, and chafing, which typically occurs under the breasts. In order to eliminate these common complaints there are a few factors to consider when choosing the correct bra:

  • The band should be thick and made of strong material to avoid it riding up into the breasts—the bigger the bra, the thicker the band should be. If you find excessive skin bulging over the top of the band, then it is too tight, and if it rides up when you pull your arms overhead it is too loose. When wearing a new bra with hooks at the back, you should use the loosest hooks initially, with tighter hooks to be used as the bra ages
  • The straps should be wide with some padding to prevent them digging into the shoulders, but should be tight enough so as not to slide off the shoulders
  • The cups should completely cover the breast to help limit breast movement. If your breast is spilling out over the top, the cups are too small and if there are wrinkles or gaps then the cups are too big
  • The underwire, if present, must fit the breast properly. The soft tissue of our breasts is not designed to tolerate underwire digging into it. If you can’t find an underwire bra that fits correctly, try and find a soft cup bra that fits
  • The material should be sweat-wicking to prevent skin irritation. If you have chosen a crop top style bra, it should be made of a thick elastic material that can compress the breast against the chest

Top sports bra tips for better breast health

  • One size does not fit all, and as we flow through our monthly cycle our bodies and breasts can change in size. Be prepared to have different bras for different times of the month, especially as there might be some weeks where breasts feel tender and could use a little more support.
  • It's time to ditch the old faithful. We are all guilty of having an old bra that has never let us down but has been with us for longer than it should have. Bras lose elasticity over time and in turn will be less supportive for the breast tissue. It may be time to put older ones into retirement
  • Instead of seeing a sports bra as a piece of underwear, look at it as a vital part of your sports equipment. You wouldn't want to play a game of tennis with a racket whose strings are loose, so give your breasts the same consideration and care
  • Choose function over fashion. Don't worry about what a sports bra looks like—the priority should be that it’s fit for purpose

Gill Welgemoed is a pilates instructor and women’s health personal trainer at Joint Dynamics Evolve. She is passionate about sports and working with women in all stages of life including pre- and post-natal, as well as those going through perimenopause or menopause.

Front & Female’s Women’s Health with Evolve series is a collaboration with Joint Dynamics Evolve, Hong Kong’s first multidisciplinary women’s health clinic with services spanning physiotherapy, osteopathy, rehabilitation, personal training, nutrition and psychology. The series addresses all aspects of female health to support women at various life stages and open up the conversation around women's health topics, from the awkward to the unknown.

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