It is absolutely essential for women to wear a bra that fits them well, and this isn’t just limited to everyday lingerie pieces. Wearing the wrong sports bra can seriously hamper your workouts in the short run, and cause back aches, breast pain and soft tissue damage in the long run.
Depending on the shape and size of their breasts, as well as the type of workout they’re doing, women need to find (and invest in) the perfect sports bra. No bulges, jiggles or straps that cut into your skin—it will provide all the support you need while working out, making the experience all the more enjoyable. Here’s how to find your match:
STEP 1: Find your size
Wearing the right size bra can make a huge difference to how you feel when working out. When picking out your size, ensure that you measure around your ribcage, directly under your breasts. Your corresponding ribcage size should match with a band size, i.e. 32 / 34 / 36. For example if you fall between 25 inches and 27 inches, your band size would be a 30. Next, measure around the fullest part of your breasts and round it off to the nearest inch. The difference between your rib cage and your bust size, will define your cup size, i.e. A / B / C.
STEP 2: Define your activity level
The amount of support you require depends on the intensity of your workout—low impact (walking and yoga), medium impact (jogging and cycling), and high impact (running and aerobics)—and will determine the kind of sports bra you should be wearing.
STEP 3: Understand your support system
Different sports bras serve different purposes. Encapsulation sports bras are for low impact activities and have individual cups that surround each breast separately. Compression sports bras compress the breasts to the chest walls, and prevent them from excess movement, making them perfect for low to medium impact activities. Compression + encapsulation sports majorly provide support, rather than just compression or encapsulation, and are good for high impact activities.
STEP 4: Find your design
Not all sports bras need to boring and dull. Versatile in design, Nike offers a range of bras that bold, classic, colourful and funky. If you’re someone who loves working out, you’ll be spoilt for choice with Nike.
Tips to keep in mind:
– Make sure the fabric or the seams don’t chafe your skin, especially the straps on your shoulders or around the armholes.
– Test the bra by spot-jumping or jogging in place.
– Raise your arms while trying out the bra and if the band rides up, it may be too big for you.
– Ensure that your breasts sit in the centre of the cups—there shouldn’t be any wrinkles in the fabric (indicating that it’s too big) or an overspill (which means the bra may be too small).
This article is a part of its latest campaign, ‘Make The World Listen’, that strives to unlock the power of sport for women in India. Its singular mission is to encourage women to express themselves with confidence, through movement and sport, without fear of judgment. One way of doing to embrace the sports bra for its practicality and functionality without worrying about what the world thinks of it. If you think you may be wearing the wrong sports bra, or don’t have one yet, sign up for Nike’s sports bra fitting services so you can get moving.
For more details and to join the movement, visit nike.com/Mumbai.
