When you get home from a long day of work, the first thing us women typically want to do is take off our bra and relax our breasts. Suddenly you remember that it’s time to hit the gym and put yet another uncomfortable bra on to support your breasts. Not wearing a bra sounds much better at this moment, but then you begin to wonder “is it bad to not wear a bra”? Well, let’s break down what our breasts are actually made up of so you can get a clear understanding to this question.
Our breasts are made of a combination of fat and milk-producing tissues which area anchored down by our chest walls. According to Sherry Ross, M.D., an OB/GYN at Santa Monica’s Providence Saint John’s Health Center “Breasts are super vulnerable to motion”. Which makes them extremely sensitive to nerves throughout our breast tissues. In simple words, this means that our breasts are highly sensitive to extreme movements including your daily workouts which can potentially tear them causing excruciating pain. This is why wearing a sports bra helps to keep the weight of your breasts supported properly during your exercises. Sports bras add support to your breast tissue to make it completely possible and safe to work out certain parts of your body.
Is Not Wearing A Bra Really A Bad Idea?
As you have read already you may notice that running braless may not be the best idea if you are trying to look out for the overall health of your breasts. Although the significance of pain may depend on the size of your breasts, either way, you will probably come across some sort of pain if you are considering running braless or even engaging in any physical activities without a bra. Working out without a bra could result in ruining your posture causing your ribcage to be pushed down. If you are a woman with a larger cup size you will more than likely notice more pain, discomfort, and uneasiness in your breasts than someone with smaller boobs. This can even result in headaches because your nerves are attached to your neck which will cause more of a strain as you workout unprotected.
Sports Bra vs Regular Bra
Surprising enough, this question is more common than you may think. Although regular bras are great at supporting your breasts against gravity and heavy motions, this is only when your body is not bouncing. When you are performing an activity as vigorous as running, a regular bra can only provide so much support. As for a sports bra it has more capability of protecting your breasts from bouncing. Just as you would not go to the gym with a pair of sandals, it’s the same with a sports bra. You should always wear one when you workout. Now if you are looking for simple workouts you can do without a sports bra, there are few that you can choose from. Remember that a good quality sports bra can help control movement that helps provide the most support by keeping your breasts into a firm place. A regular bra cannot grasp sweat the same way a sports bra was designed to do.
Sports bras are meant to reduce pain when we are working out. Your muscles are moving up and down and side to side in the midst of a vigorous workout. Sports bras were created to eliminate as much movement on your breasts as possible which is why most women who wear a sports bra claim that they do not feel any pain whatsoever. Working out should not contribute to pain in your breasts if this is happening there may be something wrong. If you’ve been working out in a regular bra for a while, you should consider switching to a sports bra to see if this helps!
Do Bras Make Your Breasts Sag?
Actually, they do quite the opposite. Studies have shown that movement combined with insufficient support can lead to long-term sagging. In a study by the University of Portsmouth, scientists revealed that “breasts move far more than ordinary bras are designed to cope with.” Which is exactly why a sports bra can not only provide safety but prevent sagging in the long run. Compression sports bras are best if you workout hard. So if you’re wondering “is it better to wear a bra or not” you should look into specialty bras for working out.
Is It Necessary To Wear A Bra?