Sports Bra Guide

If you're an avid supporter of the admirable sports bra and its properties, then we applaud you! However, at some point in our life we've all been recklessly guilty of hitting the gym or going for a jog without wearing the appropriate bra; totally unaware and unconcerned of the irreversible damage that exercising without the correct support can do, effectively leading to long-term problems.

It seems that when hitting the gym or running, we're all concerned about the style and structure of our trainers and gym wear to enhance and intensify our work-out experience, but it has to be noted that it is the sports bra we wear that works equally as hard as you do. Unrelated to cup size, it is imperative that from an A-GG we share the same support to control and restrict bounce and movement throughout exercise with horizontal and vertical contouring to minimise the motion of the breasts. During high-energy, impact sports like Running, Tennis and Zumba it has been established that the breasts can move more than 10 centimetres away from the chest, stretching the vital Cooper Ligaments beyond repair. This applies to smaller cups too!

It is important to remember that throughout every type of exercise,movement is happening. During a swift walk, the bounce of our chest creates tension on our ligaments and tissues and this strain increases parallel to the impact of the support. It therefore remains essential to employ the use of a sports bra for every level of physical exercise in order to protect and preserve your assets!

Sports bras are available in a variety of different support levels, relative to theimpact of youractivity. The styles of sports bra are usuallyclassified into three style categorical traits, Compression, Encapsulating and Combination.

Each type of sports bra aims to offer a different dimension of support and hold in relation to the degree of your exercise and to maximise your work-out. If you struggle with choosing a style to best suit your lifestyle and impact take a look below and let us direct you to your exercise investment.

COMPRESSION

Compression sports bras are the most popular style of sports bra. The compression style, does just as it says and effectively compresses or squashes the chest in a super flattering way that effectively promotes the 'mono-boob'. Despite, this mono-boob effect, compression styles are great at supporting and reducing bounce across the chest and have become an effective piece of gym kit with the style being popularised as a wear-alone crop top design.

The Shock Absorber Active Multi Sports sports bra is a universally supportive bra designed to compress the chest for activities ranging from Yoga to Volleyball. The Racer-back style, Powermesh side panels and moisture-wicking material is shaped and contoured to fit and restrict bounce, enforced by an additional integrated sports bra.

Other popular compression styles include the remarkable and original Panache Sports Bra, a consecutive winner of sports bra brand of the year at the UK lingerie awards, the super smooth design has been constructed with flat seams, padded straps and silicone encased underwires to provide additional support from a B-H cup.

ENCAPUSLATING

More contemporary styles of sportbras have been created recently, innovating the design with emphasis on encapsulating the breasts rather than compressing. The encapsulating styles often utilise moulded cups, wires and elastics to provide support keeping the breasts separated more like a normal bra with exceptional support and more emphasis on flattery.

The Shock Absorber Active Flexi Wire style has been created with light, moulded cups made from spacer fabric for greater breathability. Mesh panel wings guarantee structural support around the front and sides of the chest whilst a racer back option ensures fit and comfortably. This design is available from a B-F cup. It has been found that this style of sports bra proves more effective on larger cupped women on account of the separate cups to keep the breasts closer to the body and restrict movement.

The Freya Active Soft Cup Sports Bra ensures optimum shape, support and comfort with a firm flat bottom band that sits firmly against the chest to anchor the support of the design. Soft cups effectively encase the breasts without compression, whilst a combination of fabric, mesh and inner slings provide additional support and minimise bounce. Available from a C-H cup we recommend the Freya Active Soft Cup Sports Bra for a fuller chest.

COMBINATION

Amongst the diversifying styles of sports bras, it is often hard to find a style that offers all the elements that you need. However, a collection of combination sports bras that aim to offer the bounce reduction of compression styles and the support of encapsulating designs have been created to suit the shapes and preferences of a large demographic.

The Panache Underwired Sports Bra infuses underwires with double fabric meshing for maximum support. Wide curvature wires, puncture resistant encasing and diagonally seamed cups, encapsulate the breasts whilst the high-neck, racer back and crop top style offers the support of the ever popular compression design.

Like the Panache styles the Freya Active Underwired Sports Bra has been constructed with wide curvature under wiring and horizontal seaming across the cups.

The Shock Absorber Ultimate Run Bra has been created to reduce bounce in running by up to 78% with an infinity-8 support system which counteracts the figure of eight shape movement that the breasts follow when running. The Ultimate Run Bra is available in a series of colours with reflective tape for high visibility and a full back opening for a snug and comfortable fit. The Run Bra is available in cup sizes ranging from B-F and has been awarded 'Best Sports Bra Winner' by Running Fitness Magazine.

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