Wearing the wrong sports bra during work sessions may cause breast tissue damage

Friday, August 05, 2016 by: Amy Goodrich
Tags: sports bras, breast health, working out

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(NaturalNews) Whether you just enrolled in a work-out program or you are a fiery sportswoman, a good fitting sports bra should be on top of your priority list.

Experts told Daily Mail that women who do not wear the right size or type of sports bra to work out may not only cause neck, breast, and back pain but could also cause irreversible damage to the ligaments inside the breast. Over time this may lead to saggy breasts or stretch marks.

When it comes to both sporting attire and regular lingerie, an international study of 10,000 women by lingerie brand Triumph International found that nearly two-thirds of women wear the wrong size of bra.

Of these women, close to one-third admitted buying underwear even though they knew it did not fit correctly. They said they were attracted by the color, design, or sex appeal of the bra.

Get the right fit

In an attempt to inform their customers, sportswear retailer Bandier organized a multi-day bra-fitting event in collaboration with Nike. Over 100 women were accurately measured by a trained expert and then kitted out with the perfect fitting sports bra for their shape and type of game.

Jen Bandier, the company's founder, was surprised to learn that some of her own staff members were not wearing the right kind of sports bra.

During exercise, good support is crucial as extra stress is put on the breast tissue. Once the tissue damage reaches a certain point, there is no turning back.

"The breast is held together by fatty tissue and Cooper's ligaments, and with the stress of movement, it does stretch out, and it doesn't go back. It can cause the breasts to sag and cause injury to the connective tissue of breast and cause pain.," Febin Melepura, a pain specialist at Stanford Pain and Sports Medicine in New York, told Daily Mail Online.

Invest in your breasts

A decent bra can be expensive. Nonetheless, experts all agree that you shouldn't hold back on them. According to Reebok, American women spend around 20 to 30 dollar per sports bra.

Despite the fact that ill-fitting bras can give you saggy breasts, some women will do anything to avoid spending money on a decent sports bra.

"We hear customers who have said they take two old bras and wear them on top of each other to make a sports bra," said Danny Koch, owner of New York-based lingerie store Town Shop.

In addition, Danny said that women should rotate their bra more often and don't wear them more than 100 times as their quality and support function is affected by perfumes, perspiration, and washing.

Barbara Ebersberger, VP of Product Marketing at Reebok, added that a bra "should never celebrate its first birthday."

Both Danny and Barbara agree that people should not fear bra-fitting sessions or anxious about asking for in-store advice to make sure they are buying the right fit for their shape.

Lisa Ndukwe, senior designer at sportswear brand Sweaty Betty, said that there is nothing more important than a supporting bra with the right impact level. Saggy breasts aren't caused by the size of the breasts, but by the level of damage in the breast tissue. That's why it is as important for a double AA to wear a correctly-fitted, supportive bra as it is for women with a D cup.

So next time you hit the gym or go for a run, make sure to take a closer look at the bra you are wearing and don't be afraid to ask for help when buying a new one.

Sources for this article include:
DailyMail.co.uk
DailyMail.co.uk