No woman (or man for that matter!) wants droopy boobs. So why is it that less than half of all women wear a sports bra when training?
Your breasts are made up of fatty tissue. There is no muscle in the breast, but there are very fine supporting structures called 'Coopers Ligaments' which do offer some light support. These ligaments are not like the normal, tough ligaments you might find in your legs, and they can very easily be over-stretched, and once stretched they are stretched for good.
I am amazed when I see women out running or even fast walking without a sports bra: not only is it uncomfortable, but it can actually be painful enough to put you off exercising for good! The larger and heavier your breasts, the more likely you are to do permanent damage to the Coopers Ligaments, causing your once pert boobs to creep down south. Dr Joanna Scur, Head of Breast Health Research at the University of Portsmouth says that research shows a good sports bra can reduce breast movement when running by up to 55%, and that's a lot!
Which leads me onto sports bras! There are many on the market, but I have found that some do nothing more than flatten your boobs whilst still allowing bounce, so my advice is to try before you buy. Take a selection into the changing rooms and then jog up and down heartily on the spot, watching out for boob-bounce. Personally, I like mine strapped down so there is virtually no movement, and I have found the Shock Absorber range to be the best for me. (http://www.shockabsorber.co.uk)
A great new service is available from The Sweatshop UK who have specially trained staff to measure you for the perfect fit, and a wide variety of bras for all shapes and sizes. Go to www.sweatshop.co.uk/brashop for more info.
Chest exercises such as press ups, overhead press and triceps dips will help to tone the chest and shoulder area, but the key message when it comes to keeping your breasts at their best is to invest in a decent sports specific bra.