How to Get the Most Out of Your Old Sports Bras

Even with everything going on in the world, it’s still important that you take care of yourself. You should still be moving your body on a daily basis and trying to keep active (while socially distant). 

It’s also still important that you’re giving your breasts the proper support that they need, even while walking the dog, and especially if you’re running or doing more. 

So what’s a girl to do if her sports bra could use a pick me up? We should all be trying to make do with what we have, so is there a way to give new life to what you already have? 

Yes - and here’s how. 

If your sports bra is too loose:

• Try tightening the straps. You’d be surprised how often this is overlooked. Don’t tighten so tightly that the straps dig into your shoulders.
• Adjust the back. If the band is too loose on the first set of hooks, move to the second or third. It shouldn’t be so tight that it’s painful or makes it hard to breathe. 

If you’ve adjusted the straps and band and still aren’t getting enough support:

• If worse comes to worst, you can always wear two bras. We know that it’s not ideal, but in times like these, we need to be a little more flexible. Women used to do this before the first commercially available sports bra, known as the “Free Swing Tennis Bra” was introduced by Glamorise in 1975. Wear your sports bra first and then place a regular bra on top. This should give you the support that you need.

Go through your bras and pick out the ones that are newest. These will give you the most support as the elastic is less compromised.

How to keep your sports bra like new longer:

• Avoid machine washing and drying. The more you machine wash and dry your sports bra (or any bra) the faster it will wear out. A combination of heat and stretching will break down the elastic. Now is no time to carelessly toss your delicates in a machine!
• Keep your bra clean. Sweat and oils from your body can gunk up the fabric and irritate your skin. For sports bras, hand wash after each use and lay flat or hang to air dry. 

Do I really need all of that support?

Yes! Physical activity without enough support for your breasts is not only painful but physically harmful. 

Think about how much your breasts weigh (a few pounds if you didn’t know). Now think of that weight bouncing up and down and side to side. 

Since your breast tissue does not have any muscle and isn’t connected to muscle, all of that weight is only held up by ligaments and skin. The figure 8 motion that your breasts move in when you’re power walking or running can stretch your ligaments and tissue causing bruising, sagging, and permanent tissue damage. 

Once the damage is done there is no going back. Aside from the physical damage, think of comfort. Are you going to perform at your best if you’re in pain from your breasts bouncing around? Probably not. 

Concluding Thoughts

Support yourself the best you can with what you have on hand. When you decide that it’s time to get something new, we’ll be here.