Why a sports bra is important for runners

When I first started running, many years ago, I didn’t have a sports bra. This isn’t because sports bras hadn’t yet been invented but because I didn’t know any better. I’m not even sure I knew sports bras were a thing. Bras were bras, weren’t they?

Well, yes, but also, no.

In fact, just no.

A sports bra or running bra is of vital importance when you’re engaging in high impact sports such as running or something else high impact that I can’t think of right now (sorry, menopause brain kicking in).

Top tip: Do not wear two normal bras instead of one proper one

When I first started running, I wore two normal bras – one on top of the other – to try and prevent any wobbling about. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t work and I don’t even have that much to wobble.

So, after a while, I decided to get a ‘proper’ running bra and, oh my, it was so much better. Everything (and when I say ‘everything,’ I of course mean ‘my tits’) stayed in place and running was a lot more comfortable. I would even have felt like a proper runner had I not still been wearing a normal cotton t-shirt, thick tracksuit bottoms and trainers that cost £10 from a cheapy shoe shop in town.

Still, underneath I looked like a proper runner, hell yeah.

Sports bras designed for high impact sports like running don’t just bring comfort though, there are also the health implications to consider if you run in something not up to the job (or nothing at all. Don’t do this).

Breasts are of course made up of fragile tissue and ligaments and so, if you run without a high-impact sports bra, those tissues and ligaments will get stretched and damaged. This is why wearing a supportive bra designed for high impact sports such as running is absolutely key to your comfort and health.

So, remember kids – two bras aren’t better than one!