It’s the bane of every ample-chested girl that before you even think about pounding the pavement, you’ve got to get strapped in and secured first. Women will run in dodgy old converse and decade-old leggings but the wrong sports bra is a deal-breaker.
Until a month ago, I was wearing a t-shirt bra under my sports bra whenever I went out for a run. I have since find out that this is small fry and many women layer-up two full-on sports bras at the same time in order to prevent any movement. Might sound nifty but actually what you end up with is sharp cramps and stitches around your middle as a result of not allowing your rib cage to move.
Contrary to popular belief, breasts don’t just ‘wobble’, the connective tissue responsible for keeping the structure of breasts actually allows them to move in a sideways figure of eight or 'butterfly' motion.
Freya's Fit Specialist Suzanne Pentland gives her golden rules to finding a sports bra that really fits.
Even A-Cups Need A Sports Bra Running without a sports bra has been proven to cause sagging boobs within two years. It’s crucial to find the right sports bra if you have bigger breasts, but this doesn’t mean those with smaller breasts can wear anything they want.
Match Your Sports Bra To Your Exercise Choose a non-wired, soft cup sports bra for low impact sports such as yoga or pilates and make sure you have under-wiring for high impact sports like running.
Be A Fabric Snob Hi-tech fabrics help wick moisture away from the skin to keep you cool. Also look out for special coatings or applications that have been applied such as odour management fabrics like Polygene technology.
Bringing Racer Back Racer back styles provide more freedom for movement with the straps being higher up your back and between your shoulder blades. Many straps are now padded too, in order to provide more comfort so you can work out for longer.
Here are the top three sports bras I now couldn’t live without (and yes, just the one will do).
The Nike Pro-Rival Bra, £40
Developed for three years and passed through thousands of tests in boob movement and fit, this is a super supporter with a moulded compression cup system and strategic padding designed specifically to prevent uncomfortable movement. Nike’s research has also shown that separating the breasts locks them to the chest wall so they’re even more secure. Comes in 25 sizes, up to a 38E. You can go into any Nike store for a bra fitting service.
Freya Active Sports Performance top, £56
A workout top with a sneakily hidden underwired sports bra inside. The bra-like clasps are hidden on the shoulders (much like a maternity bra) so it’s easy to wriggle in and out of but by far the best thing is that you only have one set of straps to deal with rather than the usual two – miles more comfortable!
Charli Cohen Nitro Bra, £115
The fashion girl’s workout wear. It doesn’t get much cooler than this Brit designer brand. A personal trainer-slash-fashion designer, Charli teams anti-bacterial, UV protective fabrics with edgy leather paneling. And get this, Kate Upton wears them. Nuff said.