The Perfect Sports - Running Bra

Had a nice 5 miler this morning in Central Park - it's going to be a gorgeous day in NYC! It's pretty hard for me to think of something I've never touched on before on this blog - but this morning when I read about some research I thought, "now that is something I've never touched on for my readers - especially the women". Whether women are said to be flat-chested or big busted, ordinary bras fall short when it comes to supporting bouncing breasts, a new study claims - so I've learned. The study also found that during exercise, women's breasts bounce more than previously estimated, moving a vertical distance of up to around eight inches compared with a past maximum measurement of six inches. Breasts move far more than ordinary bras are designed to cope with, according to this study by scientist Dr Joanna Scurr. (Dr Joanna Scurr, in red, with one of the 70 women in her study. The woman has eight sensors placed on her body – on her shoulders, collarbone, nipples and hips. As she runs the sensors reveal her breasts move in a figure of eight pattern once the movement of the body is eliminated. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Portsmouth). It is estimated that more than 50 percent of women experience breast pain when exercising. Dr Scurr’s latest study also found that breasts move as much during slow jogging as they do at maximum sprint speed. She said: “This makes wearing a sports bra as important if you jog slowly as if you sprint.” Dr Scurr is working with major bra manufacturers in Britain and globally who are vying to design a bra which can lessen movement in all three dimensions and reduce much of the pain many women suffer when exercising. But pain is not linked to the size of a woman’s breasts. An A-cup woman could be prevented from doing sport just as much as a woman with double FF-cup size. Breasts have very limited natural support and can hurt for three main reasons: tenderness during the menstrual cycle; permanent breast pain, and exercise-related pain due to stretching of the breast tissue. “Studies have shown that medication to reduce breast pain was only successful for 54 percent of women, but they had to put up with side effects of the medication, whereas sports bras were shown to be successful at reducing breast pain for 80 percent of women, with no side effects at all." Dr Scurr’s study disproves the previously held belief that compression bras are better for reducing movement in small breasted women and encapsulation bras better for larger breasted women. She found instead that encapsulation bars are better at reducing breast movement in women of all cup sizes. She said the big question is why we know so little about the movement of breasts “Sports science has always been dominated by men and for them, studying breasts is seen as slightly laughable. For women, though, it’s completely credible – they can see the benefits. [End} and I hope some women benefited from this entry - though I know zip-o-la about Sports Bras - but the Bra Diva does! And of course Runner's World has their Sports Bra Reivew online. And Paige Waehner of About.com listed her Top 10 Sports Bra (with commentary) as follows, 1. Hind Womens Motion Sensor Bra This sports bra is great for curvy women looking for support without the feeling of being tied up in a straightjacket. The criss-cross staps provide comfortable support and the fabric is breathable so sweat is wicked away from your body. 2. Zip Front Sports Bra This is another good one for full-figured women, with molded cups that, like the Hinds bra, provides support without smushing you. My other favorite feature is the zip-front, which allows you to take it off without pulling it over your head.3. Moving Comfort Womens Grace Bra This lovely bra is not only perfect for small-breasted women, it's also the first sports bra designed for women who've had breast cancer. It's soft, comfy and lightweight and it also has a zip-front which makes it easy to take off. The CoolMax lining doubles as pocket for a prosthesis. 4. Speedo Underwire Sports Bra Someone emailed me recently and told me I HAD to recommend this bra to women who may need a little extra support, but don't want to feel like they're in a straight jacket. As she said, "I wear a 34DD and have had 2 kids...I wear it all the time...It was comfy enough to even wear when pregnant." 5. Champion Friction Free Sports Bra I like Champion sports bras more for lower impact activities and this is one of my favorites because it's seamless and, therefore, there's no chafing. 6. Adidas Women's Response Bra I've had this bra for going on 4 years and I still love it. It's supportive, it doesn't chafe, it's flattering and it's perfect for high or low-impact activities. This bra is probably best for small to medium-chested women, or for curvy women involved in low-impact exercise. 7. ASICS Harmony Seamless Sport Top I haven't worn this top...yet, but I've ordered one simply because I love the fabric and it looks like a flattering fit. I love the coverage and imagine this bra would be great for lower impact activities like shopping and looking good. 8. Patagonia Womens Hotline Sport Top This top is just cute. I normally don't buy sports bras just because of the cute factor, but this little halter caught my eye because of the flattering straps and cut. This top is perfect for yoga or Pilates, but I wouldn't wear it for high impact activites. 9. Danskin Tank Top This is another great top for yoga, Pilates or other low-impact activities. It's comfortable, flattering and the inner bra provides support without restriction 10. Nike Tank This is another favorite of mine, a long tank that gives great coverage and support, wicks away sweat and looks great all at the same time. I also love the color. [END] Hope this blog entry informs the women readers a bit - I learned a lot - and one thing is that these bras can be expensive - but there are enough links and resources included here for a woman to find that perfect bra - at least that's the hope - have a terrific day !