Sports bras are dangerous creatures, willing to squeeze, compress, chafe, wrestle and even bite unsuspecting female chests into submission. As any exercising woman knows, just getting them on and off is a workout in its own right, and feeling the pain of in ill-fitting sports bra can turn an already challenging workout into a disaster.
Finding the right sports bra is often as perilous and soul-sucking as finding the right pair of jeans or the right bathing suit. Contemplating the racks and racks of bras with straps and hooks and lung-twisting elastic can be enough to bring even the most stoic woman to her knees. However, there are ways to make the process a little easier. I consulted with Haidee Johnstone of Leading Lady, a company that specializes in lingerie for mothers-to-be, new moms and full-figured women, for tips on how to find the right sports bra, including clues for how to know when the bra you're trying on isn't such a good idea. You can find these tips in my latest article, brilliantly titled Finding the Right Sports Bra.
I've also updated my Best Sports Bras for Women and created a couple of new top picks for Sports Bras for Full Figures and Sports Bras for Smaller Chests to offer some suggestions for popular sports bras.
I'm sure my lists fall woefully short, so please feel free to post a review of your favorite sports bra to flesh things out a little.
good suggestions exercise and sleep are essential for a healthy life
I learned the hard way when I began running that the right sports bra can make all the difference. I learned that it was necessary to get one that is snug and has no seams to cut into you. My favorite so far is by Danskin. It is tight (definitly difficult to get on and off) but provides excellent support, it wicks sweat away from my body and there is not a single seam.
As a former rep for Maidenform…and a trained fitter, I’m almost embarrassed by this question. I had a lumpectomy in 1996. I go to Nordstrom to buy my bras , a pocket is made so that I can use a form to make me look “even” on both sides. I am always unhappy with my purchases. I wear Wacoal and Chantelle usually. My size is a 36F. I have sloped shoulders and I’m constantly pulling up my bra straps. CONSTANTLY! The fitters make adjustments to this problem by hiking up the straps until my neck and shoulders hurt so bad I have chronic neck problems.
Any suggestions on how to find a perfect fitting brassiere that doesn’t look and feel like a harness?
Thanks for updating the favorite bra list! I need some new ones desperately!