How To Wear A Sports Bra & Choose The Perfect Fit

Since I learnt many years ago that 40% of women do not wear a sports bra when exercising, and when we do, 80% of us are wearing the wrong size bra, I’ve made it my goal to educate myself and share what I learn here on the blog.

I gained my knowledge on how to wear a sports bra through working for different athleisure brands and attending events all about sports bras. I also of course have many years of experience wearing sports bras for running, cycling and all my fitness endeavours. 

To be fair, I rarely wear a regular bra – I own just two – whilst I own countless sports bras. Through the years, I created my 5 Sports Bra Commandments, which I’m sharing with you here in this post along with some of my favourite sports bra picks from adidas. 

Choose The Perfect Fit – 5 Sports Bra Commandments

These commandments came about from some research I did on social media way back in 2014. They’ve continued to this day to help me pick a good sports bra, for many different activities. 

1.  Wear A Sports Bra

Based on the statistics, this is the best place to start – actually wearing a sports bra. I do feel like there are a plethora of reasons why someone might not wear a sports bra, ranging from simply forgetting to pack one, all the way to not being able to find proper support or correct bra size especially for women with larger breasts. 

When you don’t wear a sports bra, you risk irreversible damage to the ligaments (Cooper’s ligaments) thats support the breast tissue. The right sports bra, will also save you from unnecessary breast pain which can be off putting when you start being more active.

2. Get Measured For Your Sports Bra Size

Get measured, and do it regularly. I never thought this mattered to me, because I have a smaller chest, but it’s super important for all women.

You might even find you need to vary your sports bra of choice depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle. Many women notice their breasts become larger the week before menstruation so at this point, a little extra support can go a long way for comfort. 

You can get measured in most department stores, in some sports / athleisure wear stores and even online, virtually these days. 

For the longest time, I lived in pullover bras with a band size too large for me before I got measured. I had my most recent fit about 6 months ago. 

3. Choose A Bra Suited To Your Activity And Bust Size

When it comes to choosing a sports bra, one of the most important factors is what type of physical activity you are doing.

Activities like running, aerobics, HIIT classes or other high impact activity will be best suited to high-impact sports bras. This will reduce breast movement, making for a more enjoyable workout session. 

Beyond the activity of choice, breast size is a crucial factor as larger breasts will require a more supportive sports bra. 

3.1 Type of Sports Bra 

You can usually identify a high impact sports bra through features such as adjustable straps with back closure (or front). Typically, they will look traditional bras with separate cups and (more likely) full coverage.

These types of sports bras are known as encapsulation sports bra, where each breast is encapsulated and supported separately.

For activities like yoga, pilates, spin class or barre, which are low impact, you can get away with a low-impact sports bra which have very little in the way of support, but are super comfortable with a less snug fit. 

Somewhere in the middle of these two options you have the medium impact sports bras, typically including compression bras.

Unlike encapsulation bras, with a compression sports bra your breasts are not separated and are supported, literally, through being compressed to your chest. They usually look like a crop top and for some they offer enough support for various activities.

4. What A Sports Bra Should Be…

When you wear your a well-fitted sports bra, it should distinctly make you feel a certain way, and have certain characteristics including: 

• Comfortable
• Supportive
• Allow you to breathe and feel unrestricted
• A good fit
• Non chafing
• Sweat wicking, moisture-wicking fabrics
• Keep you cool and dry with technical fabrics 
• Looks good
• Makes you feel good
• Functional

Of course, it will always come down to a combination of what you need, activity level and personal preference. 

I’d highly recommend that you try on a sports bra before you purchase (or ensure there is a returns policy) as that really is the only way to know if it is the right fit for you.

You can use a few simple movements to test the size and fit in the changing room or the comfort of your home to ensure it’ll work for you. 

5. Your Sports Bra Won’t Live Forever

I’ll be honest – I do find it really really hard to let go of my favourite and best sports bras when they start to age. However, just like your running shoes, nothing lasts forever.

When you start to notice that it doesn’t quite feel the same, the elastic starts to fray or it’s stretched out, it’s probably time to relegate that sports bra to the recycling or as an everyday bra when a lot of support is not needed. 

How To Wear A Sports Bra

Typically, your sports bra will be just one part of your outfit for whatever you’re doing so it’ll be teamed with items like leggings, tank top and other athletic wear.

Things like hot weather might call for you to join the #SportsBraSquad and wear nothing over your sports bra at all. For some though, this can be way out of your comfort zone and wearing a loose-fitting t-shirt will be the best option to complete your sports bra outfit.

Test out different styles and different types of sports bra to help you figure out whiare are just the wrong bra and which will be in constant rotation as your favorite sports bra. 

Have you found your perfect sports bra yet?!

Elle