Is exercise doing Serious Damage to Your Breasts?

Sportswear specialists, lingerie experts and healthcare professionals report  that the vast majority of American women do not wear the right size or type of sports bras to work out - despite the risk of causing irreparable damage to their breasts.  Experts claim that wearing the wrong size or type of bra for exercise can lead to neck and back pain, breast pain and irreparable damage to the ligaments inside the breast which can result in breasts drooping and stretch marks.  But despite these shocking statistics, a shocking 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra, both when it comes to their regular lingerie, and their sporting attire. 

Febin Melepura, M.D., a pain specialist at Stanford Pain and Sports Medicine of NYC, said: 'If you wear the wrong regular bra, you're probably going to be wearing the wrong sports bra.  The breast is held together by fatty tissue and Cooper's ligaments.  With all the stress of movement, it does stretch out, and it doesn't go back. It can cause the breasts to sag and cause injury to the connective tissue of breast and cause pain.'

He said women with bigger breasts who wear ill-fitting bras could also experience neck issues, back pain or nerve entrapment.  Some customers have said they take two old bras and wear them on top of each other to make a sports bra.   Once the Cooper's ligaments are damaged, he said they reach 'a point of no return' that leads to stretch marks and breasts dropping. 

It is important for women to go for regular bra fittings as breasts can vary in size month to month and are affected by factors such as weight gain, childbirth and heat.  Rotating sports bras is also recommended.  People tend to hold on to bras for too long.  If you are an active person, our recommendation is to have at least 2 sports bras and rotate them, never wearing the bra 2 days in a row.  It is also recommended to replace your bras at a minimum of once per year .... preferably in your birth month to help you remember.

Women believe saggy breasts are due to the size of your breasts, however it is actually due to the stretching of the ligaments that hold your breast tissue in place.  A sports bra is really essential, no matter what chest size you are.  It should be the foundation of your workout attire. 

HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR SPORTS BRA IS A PERFECT FIT

Breasts should not move when exercising 
Tight underband - more snug than a regular bra
Good coverage at side and top of breast
Fabric over bust should be tight
Straps should not dig in 
Allows comfortable movement 
Your breasts should be 'closer to your chin than your belly button' 

Exerpts from DAILYMAIL.COM