Running tip of the week

Tips from my weekly half-marathon clinic. This week Brava Boutique came to speak to us about sports bras. Here are some highlights.

• Apparently there plenty of women who wear two or three sports bras on top of one another to help control the bounce. This is not necessary, though, according to the experts at Brava Boutique.
• While you can’t have zero bounce, a well-fitted bra with the right support will control 80 percent of the bounce.
• Be wary of pull-on bras (and many racerback styles) as they just compress and they stretch a lot so often don’t offer enough support. A bra with hooks and eyes will provide greater support (some of the sport bras we checked out during the clinic even had underwire, which if fitted properly should cup your boobs and will not be uncomfortable during exercise). A front-closure bra, on the other hand, offers no room for adjustment.
• The level of support you need will vary depending on your activity–you need one with greater support for running, but can go with lighter support for weight training, for example.
• Help your sports bras last longer by handwashing them to remove all of the perspiration (which is what causes them to lose elasticity). If you must machine wash, wash in cold water on the delicates setting.

(This Action Arrow bra from Marie Jo Ntense, $142, is available in a hot pink shade and is super cute. And yes, it’s much more than I’d want to spend on a sports bra, too.)

3 Comments April 15, 2011