Bouncing Breasts....

..............ha bet that title got you reading didn't it?!

I went to Bath last weekend and during the half marathon on Sunday morning began a study on ladies breasts and how much they bounce whilst their owner is running.

Fascinating, as really the bounce should be minimal to ensure pain free exercise, but more importantly to discourage droop. Unfortunately, I saw a really high number of runners either not wearing a proper bra, not wearing a sports bra, or wearing an inadequate sports bra.

A little fact you may not be aware of: the breast ligaments are called Coopers Ligaments, and if they are continually stretched (IE by wearing inadequate support)they lose tone and it is impossible to regain it. Eventually, therefore, the breast tissue will start to sag. This is just as likely to happen if you are a B cup as it is if you are an F cup or bigger.

I went on a training course in London as part of my new role as a Sweaty Betty Wardrobe Consultant and was privileged to see and hear a really dynamic presentation by a lady from Shock Absorber (the sports bra market leaders).

She quoted an awful lot of figures to us, one of which was quite scary : seven out of ten women wear the wrong size bra. This can result in the breasts not receiving the support they need in the right places. Not only that, but it can look extremely unsightly when bits of boob are sticking out in strange places. I agree with the majority of the male species( and this is not meant to be at all sexist) that breasts are a fabulous part of a woman's anatomy - but in the wrong size bra this can quickly go out of the window!!!

She also told us, and this has been heavily researched, that an every day bra can reduce bounce up to 33 per cent and a sports bra can reduce bounce up to 74 per cent.
A sports bra therefore is a MUST for exercise unless its yoga or Pilates, and even then light support is needed. The more impact, the greater degree of support you need.

Shock Absorber have just launched the Run Bra, available from Sweaty Betty, and it holds the breasts very firmly in place. It's market leader and is truly fabulous, which is why its flying off the shelves as I write.

Sweaty Betty sell a range of sports bras - their own brand crop tops which come in many different colours and are good for impact up to a C cup,or on their own in the summer) and a range of Shock Absorber bras depending on the activity you participate in.

So, the moral of the story is :look after your important assets by getting kitted out with a fundamental piece of clothing ; a sports bra. This and a pair of good fitting trainers are all you really need to exercise in, but probably best to wear something else unless you're a complete exhibitionist ( I am at home, it saves getting clothes dirty!).

If you're guilty of not giving your breasts the support they need, but you'd like to start before it's too late and they start heading south, contact me on 0777 2613786 or through Balanced on face book or email me at c.goodwin114@btinternet.com for advice on the Sweaty Betty range. You will be amazed at how much better you feel in a good fitting, supportive bra. It'll make exercise feel so much more enjoyable too!
RX