I have large breasts - what type of exercise can I do?
15th Feb 2018
“ I am a personal trainer and a common complaint from my female clients is that their breasts prevent them to workout to capacity. “
This question came into our message box and it is a comment heard many times - women want to increase their exercise to lose weight and get fit again but hesitate because of the size of their breasts. Running is uncomfortable and having to hold your breasts with your hands is just embarrassing!
Turns out you’re not alone. According to research done in 2014 by “the Research Group on Breast health” (University of Portsmouth), a whopping 17% of women felt ‘discouraged from participating in physical activity because of their breasts’. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24905581)
Other reasons why women don’t want to exercise are:
- don’t have the energy / motivation
- don't’ have the time
- health reasons
- breasts
Not being able to find the correct sports bra and being embarrassed by their breasts moving during exercise were among off-putting factors.
Goes to show how important it is to wear a supportive bra that is comfortable as well. A bra that isn’t comfortable to wear goes to the back of the cupboard, never to be worn again…
Compression or Encapsulation?
A sports bra for larger breasts needs to give you a combination of encapsulation to separate the two breasts, as well as a level of compression to avoid excessive movement of breast tissue.
The separation of breasts is to give you a more comfortable feeling and provides all-round support to the breasts. It also ensures that heat and moisture can move away from your body to avoid skin irritation and chafing.
Sports bras that only work with compression will feel very restrictive - this is not recommended for physical activity as you need to move freely. Also - your ribcage needs to move while you breathe more deeply during your exercise.
What type of exercise?
With the right sports bra you'll never have to ask yourself the question which type of exercise you can do... the world is your oyster! You can do everything you want, being comforted by the fact that your breasts are supported and comfortable.
The answer to this question is the same for women with large breasts as it is for women with small breasts. The perfect type of exercise is the type you keep doing on a regular basis. For some woman that is yoga or pilates, other women prefer running or cross fit. It's a personal preference that should have nothing to do with the size of bra you wear.
So get out there, find yourself a comfortable and supportive sports bra and start exercising. Your body will love you for it!