Think About Support
I have said it time and time again. The primary purpose of a sports bra is to support you. Activities like aerobic exercise, creates breast bounce, and we want our sports bra to arrest our chests so we can focus on our workout. Regular exercise is good (a few times a week) and provides several health benefits, but an ill-fitting sports bra can keep you from enjoying these exercise programs.
So, how do we ensure we are getting the support we need for our chosen activity? The answer is surprisingly simple.
You may have heard of the term ‘impact level’ when describing a sports bra. If not or you would like a refresher, check out ‘Sports Bra Impact Levels – What Do They Mean?’ to find out more or to have a refresher.
Quite simply sports bras impact levels measure the bounce control they provide. And are measured as low impact, medium impact, high impact, and more recently extreme impact has been added (think 6-star hotel!).
Low impact = low bounce control. High impact = high bounce control. You get the picture. The first question that comes to mind is why not just use the term ‘Bounce Control’ to measure bounce control?
I don’t know the answer but suspect it has to do with marketing. ‘High Impact’ is shorter and is more marketable than ‘High Bounce Control’. Interestingly, some brands have started to use the latter when advertising the support level of their sports bras.
Maybe we are becoming a little more progressive with our sports bras. Anyway, I digress. Back on topic.
We now understand impact levels. The next step is to match the impact level with our chosen activity. This is as simple as thinking of how much breast bounce your activity creates for you.
This is important as we are all different and the breast bounce a sport creates for your B cup friend may be different to FF cup you!
Let’s take a further look.
Low Impact
As the name suggests these sports bras suit sports that create a ‘low’ amount of breast bounce. Think Yoga, Pilates, Barre or going for a slow walk.
All these activities are quite mild and do not create much movement in your chest. As such any sports bra marked ‘low impact’ should do the trick and nope, crop tops won’t work (neither are they workout clothes). As long as it satisfies the comfort, size and style requirements below.
Medium Impact
The next impact level up is medium impact. And you guessed it, medium impact sports bras are perfect for activities that create a moderate amount of breast bounce.
Activities such as Golf, Cycling and Gym, or brisk walk fall into this category. All, as a rule, create moderate breast bounce so medium support is generally enough.
High Impact
This is the most crowded level in the impact space. Check any search engine and ‘high impact sports bras’ is by far the most searched. As such, brands have worked to accommodate this demand by designing and creating ever more high impact styles.
This is both a blessing and a curse as not all high impact sports bras are created equal. As a rule, this is the domain of structured sports bras. Be wary of any sports crop claiming to be high impact.
That said, if you run, play AFL or love a game of badminton then a high impact sports bra could be for you.
Extreme Impact
A recent addition to the impact family is extreme impact. As with just about anything, brands want to get the one up on the competitor. Enter the extreme impact sports bra!
Personally, I think it is a great addition as the high impact space is cluttered with sports bras that claim to be high impact. But often that claim is dubious.
If you go hard at your chosen regular physical activity, be it tennis, netball or sprinting, or you have a bit more up top and would like the best support possible. Then extreme impact could be for you.
Remember
Even though I have attempted to categorise activities by impact level it is important to match the impact level with YOUR level of breast bounce. If ever you are unsure that the sports bra impact level suits the activity, then err on the side of caution and go up an impact level. Your breasts will thank you!
