Running with your heels, skiing in jeans or doing a yoga session with your most beautiful skirt suit would not come to your mind. Each sporting activity requires suitable equipment for your comfort, your performance and to prevent the risk of injury.

And yet, many sportswomen use their everyday bra to do their sports sessions even though almost 60% of women experience pain due to the movement of their chest during exercise!

The chest is one of the most sensitive and delicate parts of the female body, here is a guide to help you choose the right bra or sports bra.

1. Why wear a sports bra or bra?

Whatever the firmness of your breasts or the size of your cup, the swaying of the chest concerns all women. It is a natural movement which increases according to the intensity of the movements.

Unfortunately, since the chest is not a muscle, any deformation is irreversible.

Indeed, breast tissue is only retained by fragile ligaments (Cooper's ligaments) which stretch as you move. Repeating movements gradually reduces the shape and firmness of your chest.

During exercise, your chest moves vertically and horizontally. For a 90B for example, the breasts weigh more or less 400g each, but when you run they are almost 5 times heavier than normal. Because of this weight, your chest swings about 9 cm with each stride!

We will let you add up just 1km? All breasts are affected, however, the more generous it is, the more the movement is amplified.

Therefore, it is essential to properly protect the ligaments that make up your chest in order to preserve its shape and firmness.

Using a sports bra  allows you to follow the shape of your chest and shape it to limit vertical and horizontal movements. The shape and technical textiles used significantly reduce shock by absorbing it. Up to 78% for example with the Momentum bra by La Anita renowned for the high quality of its products.

In addition, by supporting your breasts from below, your everyday bra can cause severe back pain as well as neck and neck tension. The sports bra provides superior comfort by eliminating friction with seamless models or with external seams. Made of technical and breathable materials, it regulates your perspiration and evacuates it very quickly.

By abandoning your ill-fitting and ill-fitting bra, you ensure better support but also much better comfort.

The fun is finally here!

2. How to choose the right sports bra size?

Finding the right fit is absolutely necessary and your daily underwear size may not be the same as the size you need for your sports activities. We recommend that you systematically use the size guides of the brand chosen to avoid mistakes and do not hesitate to contact us for any details.

To properly choose the size of sports bra, it is therefore important to measure your chest measurement, your back measurement and the size of your hat.

First, take a measuring tape in centimeters. You should not over tighten when you measure and breathe normally.

First steps: measure your chest size

To properly measure your chest size, you should place the measuring tape around your chest at the nipples.
The measurement obtained will be used to calculate your cup size.

Step two: measure your back measurement

To properly measure your back (or chest), you should place the measuring tape horizontally just
below your breasts. The measurement obtained in centimeters determines the size of your bra according to the brands.
 

• Chest measurement
• Under-bust measurement

Step three: calculate your cup size

Your cup size is determined by the difference between your chest measurement and your back measurement (under-bust). Once you have calculated the difference in centimeters, refer to this measurement in the brand table to determine which hat is right for you.

Some examples of bras size guides: Anita, X-Bionic, Lolë.

It is important when you put on your bra or sports bra that the textile band under the chest does not tighten too much, creating an uncomfortable feeling and that the cups do not crush your breasts.

Maintaining does not mean suffocating and finally, that the knuckles are well bonded to your skin.

3. Bra or sports bra?

- The specifics of the sports bra

The structure of the bra is more suitable for small and medium breasts (cups A, B or C) or for sports activities with little impact such as yoga.

The structure of the bra is more suitable for small and medium breasts (cups A, B or C) or for sports activities with little impact such as yoga.

Practical and light, it is quickly put on by the head. In addition, its size often corresponds to that of clothing (XS, S, M, L, XL, ...).

The bra is also less expensive since it corresponds to more morphology. Its lifespan in regular use is about 6 months, its elastic fibers being more fragile, it is important to change it regularly to permanently offer your chest the support and comfort it deserves.

- The specifics of sports bra

The structure of the bra is much more suited to generous breasts (larger than C cups) with its cup depth and greater support.

It comes in size according to the classic criteria of bras and thus perfectly matches your shapes and morphology.

It is usually adjustable to better fit your shoulders. Anita, the benchmark brand for high-level  athletes for the sports bra , offers for example models with reinforced shoulders to guarantee your comfort.

The lifespan of a bra in regular use is about 1 year.

4. Choose the support adapted to your sporting practice

- Different levels of support

To choose your sports underwear well, you must assess the support you need according to your practice:
 

• A very high maintenance is required for high-impact activities such as trail running, jumping rope, extreme sports ...
• A high retention is recommended for activities in point impacts such as mountain biking, fitness, Nordic walking, trekking, climbing or skiing ...
• A medium support is sufficient for activities gentler as walking, yoga, ...

- Sports bra straps

The X or Y straps offer excellent support and have the advantage of not slipping on your shoulders. The “racerback” cutout provides great freedom of movement.

You now know why it is important to wear a sports bra or bra.

Just like a good pair of shoes will protect your joints and prevent you from many injuries or even abandon your favorite sports activity, a good bra will protect and protect your breasts from bruises, irritations and other deformations.