For years, Runners’ lab has been sensitizing women about the importance of a good sports bra. To find out how entrenched our advice is by now, we did a survey of sports bra habits. 1,500 ladies filled in the survey.
11.2% run (sometimes) without a sports bra
Running is an impactful sport for your joints as well as breasts due to the constant upward motion. Unlike cycling, strength training, pilates, hiking, Zumba…, where a low level of support is sufficient, during running it is crucial to wear a high-impact sports bra.
That sports bras differ in the degree of support was new to 1/3 of those surveyed. Those who are aware of it, however, do not always take it into account. 57.5% admitted to not being too strict about it. Interestingly, 11.2% of running women (sometimes) run in a regular bra. 4.7% claim to never even wear a sports bra.
We also fired off some common mistakes at the questioners. Barely 1/10 women were not guilty of the listed pitfalls. By far the most common mistake made was wearing the same sports bra for more than two years. Despite the fact that the stretch – and thus the support – has already decreased sensitively after such a long period, 71.8% of all women still use their familiar one.
Several ladies also have the wrong idea of what a solid sports bra is. Almost 1/5 believe that only a sports bra with crossed straps gives enough support while there are a lot of solid models with an open back. Of ladies with a small(er) cup size, 11.4% mistakenly think that a firm sports bra is not necessary for them.
Physical complaints resulting from the wrong sports bra
Despite the various actions we already did at Runners’ lab, the above figures still indicate that the exercising woman is not paying enough attention to this essential part of a sports outfit. Consequently, the following results are not so surprising.
Just under 20% of the 1,500 ladies sometimes suffer from sore breasts when running. Back and neck pain are also unfortunately common among those surveyed. Just over 30% experience discomfort in those areas after running.
Good sports bra is different for everyone
Although “only” 47.2% always come to the store to buy a sports bra, 97.1% are open to getting advice in the store. Personal sports bra advice can help you find the right sports bra, because it is different for everyone.
Did you know that you can make a specific appointment for this at Runners’ lab? Both the female and male counselors receive multiple training sessions each year to guide you in it. The survey results showed that 39.3% were open to being helped by a male counselor. If you prefer to be adviced by a woman, which is the case for 38%, you can simply indicate that. 22.7% expressed no preference.
Read more about the importance of a good sports bra
Although a lot of ladies are already aware of the importance of a good sports bra in a high-impact sport like running, a lot of women still wear the wrong sports bra. Want to learn more about the consequences of not wearing the right sports bra? Then click here.
