Gear: Sports Bras

Ah, the dilemma of women runners (or athletes in general): how to find the perfect torture device to hold down your ta-tas while still letting you breathe, and not requiring a degree from MIT to get into/out of.

First, a little info on sports bras in general. The first thing to look for in a sports bra is impact level. Low impact sports bras are for things like walking and yoga. Medium impact sports bras are good for just slightly more vigorous activity, such as hiking or skating. High impact sports bras are for very vigorous activities like tennis and, of course, running.

The next thing to know is the style of sports bra that you're looking for. Compression sports bras do just that: they squish and flatten your ta-tas into your chest to keep them from moving. This typically works best for smaller breasts. Encapsulation sports bras keep each breast in its own little padded cell. They are molded for specific cup sizes and are best for larger breasts.

After those points, its all about personal preference. Sports bras come in all sorts of fabrics, colors, patterns, and cuts. It may very well take a significant amount of trial-and-error ( I went through 3 or 4 before finding the one that I use now). If you have big boobies it can be more difficult to find a bra that is both comfortable, and fits right.

A few tips:

1. Try them on (duh), but then jump up and down, run in place, ask an associate if its okay if you jog up and down an aisle. Really road test it as much as possible.

2. Be patient. This is going to take some time.

3. To avoid the contortionist act, look for a sports bra with a closure of some kind (not strictly the pull-on kind).

4. For an absolutely-no-motion encapsulation sports bra, try the Enell. Enells are a little pricey, and aren't the prettiest things in the world, but they feature a front snap closure system and are the most recommended bra for big-breasted runners. Check them out here: www.enell.com

5. Be willing to look in unexpected places. Being a C/D cup myself, I had quite the search for the right sports bra. My previous ones ranged from soft cotton with nearly no support, to a compression one that required my husband's help for me to get out of. Finally, I took to the web to see if I could find a recommendation for a good sports bra for big boobies. I tried an Enell, and while tons of women absolutely swear by them, they weren't my favorite - I felt a little like I was wearing a bullet-proof vest...but then I came across an interesting recommendation. A couple of runners on one forum recommended a Danskin Now sports bra, carried by WalMart. Now, I know what you're thinking, and I don't buy anything at WalMart besides soap, razors, vitamins, and the occasional DVD either. But, having gone through 4 or 5 top brand sports bras, and having already dismissed the Enell, I figured it was worth a shot. So I went and found the bra in question, and fell in love! It has a back closure, good fit, and good support. This is it: Danskin Adjustable Sports Bra The website says that it only comes in the blue and the pink, but if you go into a store they often have other colors (mine is black and silver).

Above all, don't compromise! I am incredibly picky about my bras. For my sports bra, I wanted a decent amount of separation, and also for them to not be so plastered to my chest that it would be hard to even be able to tell that they were there! But at the same time, they are big, and I needed support. It took time, patience, frustration, persistence, and an open mind, but I finally found one that I love!