Top 3 Mistakes You're Making With Your Sports Bra

Sports bras are a staple in the closet of the active woman. Whether you're in the gym six days a week or just enjoy a brisk stroll a few times a month, good sports bras are practically a requirement. Considering how important they are in our lives, it's amazing how many mistakes we all make with them. From buying to washing, we give much less thought to our sports bras than we do to our everyday bras, though we expect more from them. Issues with your sports bra could lead to neck pain or damage your breasts!  

With such a vital part of you on the line, we here at Hourglass Lingerie want to make sure that you're in the right sports bra for you. Here are a few of the most common mistakes you're making with your sports bra and how to solve them.  

#1 – Right Size, Right Vibe: Making Sure Your Bra is (Not Too) Snug

Much like with regular bras, one-size does not fit all, and there's a good chance that you aren't wearing the right size sports bra. If you're wearing a bra that's too small, you're going to be compressing your chest too much. If you're wearing a bra that's too large, your breasts will have too much bounce as you move (and we've all felt how painful that can be). You could even have a band that's too tight with cups that are too loose! Your bra needs to fit you now, and your size changes more than you think. If it's been a few years since your last fitting, it's time to schedule a new one. You may be surprised at just how much your size can change.  

#2 – Quality AND Quantity: Don't Love the One You're With

We all have one. The worn-out sports bra with stretched out elastic and a hole or two. It's comfortable, it's been with you for years, and you wear it to everything. The problem here is that if your sports bra is that old, it's probably not supporting you properly anymore, and that comes with a host of problems. It may be allowing too much movement while you're exercising, especially if you're doing anything strenuous, like running. That can lead to pain and, ultimately, damage to your breasts. If your sports bra has more give than hold, it's time for retirement.  

While you're out looking for a new sports bra, keep in mind that you likely need more than one. Do you work out more than once a week? A good rule of thumb is to try to have one (or more) sports bras for each day that you exercise during a typical week. So, if you work out three times a week, you should have three sports bras on hand. This not only gives you time to wash each one before you wear it again, but also helps to keep down the wear and tear on each bra in your rotation. Keep in mind that the more often you wear your sports bra, the more stretched the elastic will become. Additional sports bras will help to increase the longevity of all of the ones in your wardrobe (except the one with the holes – it's really time to part ways).

#3 – Form and Function: Dress For the Job You're Doing

One of the simplest mistakes that we all make with our sports bra is using the same type for everything we do. Maybe running is your thing; maybe you go running every day and never change it up. If that's the case, one type of bra might be okay for you. For a lot of us, however, each day brings something different. Maybe you have yoga on Monday, go jogging on Wednesday, and finish up Friday with a spinning class. For those of us who mix it up, having the right sports bra for the activity that we're doing at any given time is a must.  

Activities, and their corresponding sports bras, can be broken up into three types: Low Impact, Medium Impact, and High Impact. It's important to have the right type on-hand based on the activity that you're doing.      

Low Impact

Low impact sports bras offer less support, but, in return, you gain flexibility. This makes them perfect for activities involving a lot of stretching or gentle movement and activities where you don't have to worry about a lot of bounce. Yoga, pilates, and Tai Chi are activities where you would typically want to wear a low impact sports bra.

The Freya Freestyleis one example of a low impact sports bra. It doesn't have individual cups supporting the breasts, instead using cross-bust panels to provide support, with a style that sits comfortably and works well when stretching.

Medium Impact

Medium impact sports bras provide more support for the breasts and are best for activities that combine the need for flexibility and support. If you're heading to spin class, hopping on an elliptical, or doing any kind of vigorous walking, a medium impact bra is probably for you. Because of the added support, they're also popular among full-busted women doing low impact exercise.

The Anita Black Neon can provide support while also allowing you to retain a lot of flexibility. It also has double-layered cups to help regulate body temperature.

High Impact

High impact sports bras are your go-to for anything high energy and high impact. If you're a runner, a soccer player, a martial artist, or if you just like a good cardio routine, a high-impact sports bra is your best friend. It will keep you supported, reducing bounce, and reducing damage to your breasts in the long term.

The Anita Tropical Extreme Controlis a great high-impact sports bra. It has cups lined with microfiber toweling to reduce chafing, and multiple support panels to hold you in place throughout your workout.

Mistake-Free Fittings

Sports bras are a lot more complicated than we give them credit for, but they also do a lot more for us than we think. Remember to make sure that you're wearing the right size for you, that you have enough sports bras to cover your workouts, and that you pick the right bra for each activity. If you remember these simple steps, you and your bras will live in harmony.  

Whatever your sport of choice, Hourglass Lingerie is here to make sure that you find your perfect sports bra. If you're not sure exactly what you need, our fitting specialists are on standby to help get you into the game! Schedule a fitting with us in the warehouse district of Baltimore. Just look for the blue door!