Did you know that 70% of women don’t choose the right bra specially in case of Sports Bra? Their concern is more about the cushioning of their shoes than the maintenance of their chest. Note that there are two main types of support. Bras, which are adjustable, often with little “reinforcement” but which offer good support. Bralettes that are “nicer”, easy to put on but often non-adjustable and with lighter support.
One thing is certain, we do not all leave with the same advantages. Indeed, it is necessary to know how to differentiate the generosity of the chest, the musculature of the upper body, the athletic level.
But what is the chest actually?
The chest is not a muscle (that would be far too simple)! The breast tissues (adipose tissue, supporting tissues and mammary glands) are held together only by the ligaments. Like all those of the body, they are subject to the risk of stretching and rupture, not to mention that those of the chest, called Cooper’s Ligaments, are very delicate.
Do we really risk anything by playing the liberated woman delivered?
Well, yeah!
Without even talking about physical activity, a large chest can have a daily impact on the breasts themselves but also on the rest of the body. The weight (on average 300g per breast) will deform the entire structure of the spine and therefore damage the vertebrae. This can have serious consequences for the back (degeneration of the intervertebral discs, premature osteoarthritis, kyphosis, etc.). The shoulders tend to go inwards and cause tension in the cervical area. Finally, the head risks tilting downwards and affecting the natural inclinations of the spine.
It is therefore obvious that these effects are increased tenfold during physical practice. It has been shown that when running, the weight of the body is multiplied by 5; your chest (small or not) suffers the same fate, do not forget it! The effects of a lack of maintenance can be irreversible; sagging, deformation of the breasts, muscle tissue that breaks. The most traumatic sports being high impact sports such as running, boxing, tennis.
Is it possible to have too much support?
Too much? not necessarily but too often yes!! Wanting too much to protect our chest, we will no longer solicit the structures naturally responsible for this maintenance. At the muscular level, these include the pectorals; muscles located on the anterior side of the thorax. It is therefore important not to be constantly maintained and oppressed. When your body is not subject to significant physical constraints, allow yourself a lighter support or none at all.
However, there are cases in which the rule is not in dispute. If you have back problems, a generous chest (beyond the C cup), a generous chest compared to your small morphology (ex: 75 C) , In all these cases, and during a high impact physical activity, it is important for your health and your comfort to have a very important maintenance!!
Nowadays, you can be pretty with a real sports bra. Watch out for magazine bras though. They are colorful, trendy and rather well worn. However, we must not forget that it is models who wear them (which often implies a small chest), that the context is identified more with a publicity session than with a real sports session and that the Most fitness girls wear this pretty sports underwear for a weight training session at the local gig, which remains a low-impact sport.
If despite these arguments you are not convinced, buy the bra with 30,000 Instagram likes but one size larger. You will put on a REAL sports bra underneath. Moreover, it would seem that the current bras are not yet technological jewels. Researcher Joanna Scurr shows that breasts can move 21 cms during an ordinary workout while sports bras are designed for a maximum displacement of just 16. So, nothing like a clever layering of under – activewear or sportswear- without affecting your breathing capacity.
