Sports Bra Guide

The sport bra was created over 30 years ago and was designed by runners to remove intrusive straps, limit harsh abrasions and to reduce the burden of bounce. Advances in technology have led to the latest sports bras which pretty much eliminate these problems.

What is a sports bra?

A sports bra is an undergarment designed for women to wear during exercise or any physical activity. These bras are much tighter and more restrictive than normal bras because they are tight, but are generally made from stretchy fabrics to allow for movement.

Why and when should you wear a sports bra?

During exercise women's breasts can move up to 10cm, to make up for this lack of natural support you should wear a sports bra.

As there are no muscles in your breasts, without good support they will bounce during exercise which is uncomfortable. Prolonged exercise without appropriate support can also have longer term effects like a permanent droop of the bust. Need any more reasons to wear a sports bra?

As to "when" you should wear a sports bra: you should wear a sports bra whenever you are doing any physical activity, not just sports. It will help you to be comfortable whilst gardening in the same way as it will help you during your gym workout.

How do sports bras work?

Sports bras work by pressing the bust close to the rib cage and reducing movement. It must have full coverage to provide the correct support, by this we mean that it must surround the entire bust area, if it looks pretty, the likelihood is that it won't work correctly.

What makes a good sports bra?

A good sports bra is made of a fabric that is both comfortable and absorbent. The inside of the bra should be smooth against your skin to reduce abrasions, no rough seams here. The straps of the bra should be fairly rigid to reduce bounce. The band under the bust should be firm around your body, this will prevent the bra from riding up.

Some sports bras fit women better than others depending on your body shape. If you are unsure of which one will work for you, buy a couple of different ones, try them on, do the bounce test and return the ones that aren't right for you.

How long should it last?

As a general rule of thumb a sports bra should be replaced after around 100 uses, or a year. This way the elastic is sure to be in good shape. If the elastic begins to deteriorate you will notice an increase in bounce.

Ensuring your Sports Bra fits correctly

As I have mentioned above a good sports bra should fit firmly under the bust to stop it riding up. In addition to this all of your bust should be in the cup with no bulges around the edges. The shoulder straps should be tight but not to the point of digging in.

The best way to test whether a bra fits is to do the ‘bounce test’, if it feels comfortable whilst bouncing, it fits. The bounce is essentially just jumping up and down, if it feels comfortable then you know your sports bra is doing its job correctly.

Here is some additional information on bra fitment:

How to find your bra brand measurements? Using a soft tape measure, measure your rib cage just under your bust. Make sure you are wearing a non padded bra when doing this to get an accurate measurement. This chart will then convert that measurement into the correct bra size for you:

Band Size (cm)	63-67	68-72	73-77	78-82	83-87	88-92	93-97	98-102
Bra Size	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44

Now to find your cup size. Again measuring in centimetres measure around the fullest part of your bust. Ensure the tape measure is level at the front and back. Then take that size and combined with the bra size you have found above you can find your cup size.

Bra Size	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44
AA Cup	75-77	80-82	85-87	90-92	95-97	100-102
A Cup	77-79	82-84	87-89	92-94	97-99	102-104	107-109	112-114
B Cup	79-81	84-86	89-91	94-96	99-101	104-106	109-111	114-116
C Cup	81-83	86-88	91-93	96-98	101-103	106-108	111-113	116-118
D Cup	83-85	88-90	93-95	98-100	103-105	108-110	113-115	118-120
DD Cup		90-92	95-97	100-102	105-107	110-112	115-117	120-122
E Cup		92-94	97-99	102-104	107-109	112-114	117-119	122-124
F Cup		94-96	99-101	104-106	109-111	114-116	119-121	124-126