High Impact Sports Bras

High impact sports bras offer one of the strongest levels of protection for women.

If your workout includes strenuous activities like running, basketball, volleyball or racquetball for example, your body is moving and jumping a lot. This is when a high impact sports bra is necessary. Here is something else you might want to think about when deciding on the level of protection you need during physical activity; if you find that your breasts, back or both are sore after working out, it is time to get a better sports bra.

If your breasts are sore after working out and you know it is not due to outside injury, such as getting elbowed during a basketball game or diving on the floor in volleyball, that means your breast tissues and ligaments are getting damaged. Once this damage occurs to the ligaments in your breasts, it is irreversible. Sports bras with a high impact rating help to prevent this irreversible damage to the breasts.

Just as with other sports bras, high impact bras come in two different designs, compression and encapsulation. Neither one is superior to the other so the type you choose is up to you. Here is a quick explanation:

Compression sports bras are the most common types of sports bras made for high impact activities. They are designed to fit snugly around your chest, compress your breasts against your body and hold them there tightly. By holding the breast close to the body and limiting their movement, this helps to prevent breast tissue damage. Some manufacturers also add molded cups to their sports bras while others do not. Most also have adjustable shoulder straps and some also have an adjustable chest band for further comfort and a more customized fit.

These bras are designed more like regular bras. Encapsulation bras have separate cups and most have under wires for extra support. Encapsulation bras are designed to support each breast by surrounding them with fabric as opposed to compressing them against your chest.

The type of sports bra you choose for your high impact activities is completely up to you and what you find to be more comfortable. Both encapsulation and compression sports bras provide high levels of protection during physical activity.

The following is a list of online retailers (most also have brick and mortar stores) that sell high impact bras.

• Walmart – This mega retailer sells the Danskin High Impact Active sports bra for under $10. Sizes begin at 34B and go up to 38D.
• Athleta – This retailer offers high impact bras from Champion, ShockAbsorber, Moving Comfort and a few more.
• Paragon Sports – The high impact bras at Paragon Sports are a little bit higher in price, but the quality of the construction of these bras is worth it. The Enell brand bras they sell are both compression and encapsulation bras in one for added support, protection and comfort.
• REI – A leader in outdoor and workout gear apparel, REI sells high impact bras from a number of different manufacturers including Under Armour, Nike, Moving Comfort and Patagonia.

No matter what your breast size, it is so important to properly protect fragile breast tissue and ligaments during strenuous exercise. Though women with large breasts are subject to more damaged caused by bounce simply due to the extra weight of larger breasts, women with small breast are also subject to the same type of damage.

A well designed sports bra should not only protect your breast tissue during strenuous activity, but should also be comfortable and allow freedom of movement. So, while shopping for a sports bra, take your time to find the one that best suits your exercise needs and feels most comfortable against your body.

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