A Little Advice - Choosing the Right Sports Bra

This obviously has nothing to do with food, but part of my goal within this blog is to offer my journey through life as I see it: food, fitness, fun and travel.  That being said, with my new fitness routine, I've traded my intense running for high intensity walking...which means my ability to people watch while at the gym has increased.  As I stared at the blank tv screen on the treadmill in front of me (my gym is...how do I say...jenky) and only some of the TVs actually work with the mic input, I suddenly felt the urge to entertain myself.  I looked to my left and observed something frightening - a poor choice for a sports bra.  Now I've been there before in my "barely B's" - where I completely regret my bra decision as I look in the mirror at the gym and realize it looks like I have oddly shaped, medication induced, man boobs.  But here's the thing - when boobs are barely there, one can kind of get away without support - but if you're going to run with those things, you need a good over the shoulder boulder holder. 

I watched as this poor girl ran mile after mile, boobs-a-flapping every which way.  I couldn't help but think of how incredibly painful that must be...and how incredibly horrific that sight was. Strap 'em in ladies - here's a guide. 

http://www.jogging101.com/jogging-bra.html

Sports bras, like regular bras, actually come in different types depending on the function or appearance you are looking to get.  They come in typically, three categories: Max Support, High Support and Medium Support.  Sometimes you will see these in a combination such as Low to Medium Support etc. 

Max Support/High Impact (What my treadmill friend could have used versus the yoga s*** she was wearing)

Best used for high intensity sports: running, basketball, aerobics, mountain biking - think anything that you are doing a lot of  bumpin', jumpin' or high intensity activities. 

High Support/Medium ImpactProvides enough support to control bounce for cross training - think hiking, tennis, crossfit.  In my own personal experience, if you are not very...endowed, these will work just fine for running - but I would opt for more max support for sprints. 

Medium Support/Low Impact
These types of bras are best for coverage and low support.  They are typically best for weight training, yoga, walking - they usually are a little thinner in nature and don't have much shaping or extra pads to them. 

There are also other types of sports bras.  You have your compression versus your encapsulation bras.  These are both used to minimize breast movement during your activities (which again, my treadmill friend, did not choose wisely here, ouch!) Typically, compression bras are best suited for A and B cups. These usually come in racerback or scoop back, with racerback being better suited for your medium impact/high support type fitness situations. 

Compression/Encapsulation bras are better suited for your C and D cups and offer the restriction of compression but also offer movement - because of this, they offer more support than compression alone. 

Encapsulation bras are like your every day bra, but in a sports bra form. These are best suited for  D and DD cups.  They house two separate cups and offer no compression at all. 

LIFE OF A SPORTS BRA
Sports bras should be replaced every 6 months or so and typically will hold up best if hand washed.  I typically wash mine with my other gym clothes on a delicate cycle and no heat drying.  For the sports bras that have had a hard day, I add vinegar to the wash cycle to eliminate any stink. 

Check out some of the best sports bras HERE.