Search
Related Links




 

 

Informative Articles

Choosing A Cycling Road Bike
How To Choose Your Road Bike, Different Level Of Riders How to choose your road bike? Well the first question is how much do you want to spend and how much cycling will you do? The answer to the first question is a difficult one, many people when...

Do You Know How Trampolines Were Invented ?
Back in 1930, a young boy went to the circus with his family. He was enthralled by the aerial acts, but more than their in-air stunts, he was fascinated by the way they dropped into the safety net after the act was over, finishing off with...

Playing games does not help your weight loss efforts
Feature Article: Playing games does not help your weight loss efforts By Winston Ng, Phenogy Health Advisors Have you ever wondered why some fat people can be playing tennis, swimming and jogging often, yet they never lose weight? Many...

Prevent Heart Disease
Copyright 2005 Mike Spencer You should always keep in mind that whatever actions you do today can either help to prevent, delay or minimize the effect of heart disease or worsen it. The key is to control risk factors. Granted that you cannot...

Utah Quarter Horse Association Kicks Off Horse Race Season with Fun for the Family
Salt Lake City, Utah – Get ready to make tracks to the Laurel Brown Equestrian Park in South Jordan to witness the fastest sport on earth. The Utah Quarter Horse Association (UQHA) prepares to kick off its 2005 racing season with five race days in...

 
Staff Writer

BRA-NECESSITIES

Choosing the right support for all shapes, sizes and types of activities




Many of us don't realize the importance having a good support system until it's too late: The sports bra.

With a lifetime in the fitness industry, numerous industry colleagues and students in the past years have approached me with burns, marks and cuts from straps, the type of material or mere design of the bras they work out in. The common question I am approached with, "What kind of sports bra do you wear?"

The following is a checklist to aid in choosing an athletic support top that will allow people to run, jump, cycle, lift, step, jab, kick and more without the usual and sometimes embarrassing unnecessary comforts one gets from the wrong sports top

STRAPS

Straps should be snug but not restrictive with sufficient padding. Larger breasted women usually prefer racerbacks or T-backs because they offer more support. Adjustable straps are a growing trend. They allow you to adapt the support of the bra to suit different activities from lifting weights in a gym, running outside or Turbo Jam™ at home.

STYLES

Encapsulation bras have molded cups or built-in liners. Compression bras press the breasts against the body. While A- and B-cup athletes can wear both kinds, larger-breasted women typically prefer encapsulation styles.

FABRIC

Look for moisture-wicking fabrics. These are typically a blend of cotton and synthetic fibers--cotton for softness and synthetic for dryness. Many athletic designers and brands have developed lines of 'friction-free' bras with special fabrics sewn into areas prone to chafing like around the nipples, over closures and around straps systems such as "CoolMax" linings that whisk moisture away from the skin.

ARMHOLES

Armholes should allow for a full range of movement in all directions without pinching underneath. There should also be no "spillage" out of the armholes.

THE GORE

This refers to the front of the bra, how high it rises from the bust to the neck. Generally, as a woman's bust size goes up, so should the gore. The key is to have full support and to prevent portions of the breast from "spilling" over.

CLASPS AND CLOSURES

All seams, hooks, clasps and underwires should be covered with a soft, moisture-wicking fabric. To avoid severe chaffing, endurance athletes should look for bras that are seamless. These are mostly made with a circular knit, eliminating most of the panel seams.

Now that you know what to look for... trying them on is the next step. It's time to go shopping and you'll find most tops are not to heavy on the pocket book, ranging around $40 dollars. Additionally,


the following links are helpful "support groups."

http://www.championcatalog.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce/CategoryDisplay?cgnbr=2000000000

http://www.turbowear.com/index.php?content=tanks

http://www.title9sports.com/shopping/search/searchresultsmain.jsp?fresh=1&searchType=advanced&iMainCat=0&iSubCat=0&attribute14=0&attribute15=0&attribute16=0&RS=1&keyword=sports+bra

http://www.barenecessities.com/catalog.asp?nxs=31&style=31&source=googlea&term=sports+bras>se=GOOG>kw=sports%20bras

http://www.discountgolfshirt.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=HindSB


About Chalene Johnson: Designer and owner of Powder Blue Boutique with the latest trends in Fitwear www.turbowear.com Also, an internationally known fitness personality and Owner of Powder Blue Productions: The creators of Turbo Kick™, PiYo™ a fitness minded company. Chalene and her fashions have been featured in numerous fitness publications, newspapers and videos. For more information about Chalene, visit www.turbokick.com or contact 800-315-2505
 


About the Author
Ellie is a staff writer for Chalene Johnson creator of Powder Blue Productions where the latest trends in Fitness wear are found (www.turbowear.com). Also the creator of Turbo Kick™ and PiYo™, Chalene developed Powder Blue to be a fitness-minded company. For more information about Turbo Kick™, PiYo™ or Turbo Wear, go to www.turbokick.com or contact 800-315-2505.

Sign up for PayPal and start accepting credit card payments instantly.