Oh sports bras. They’re supposed to be a little cocoon of fitness protection, but more times than not end up feeling like a straight jacket for our breasts. They’re impossible to deal with. Too loose, too tight, too itchy, too sticky, you’d frankly rather just go without. But no one wants to deal with those repercussions. Not you nor the wide-eyed onlookers at the gym.
Recently we saw a tweet in which @KSJILF announced the trauma caused to her by her sports bra. “GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME! OMGGETITOFF!!! – me almost having a psychotic break while trying to get a sweaty sports bra off.” After we asked her about the experience she said “They are the chastity belt for the chesticles. An ugly necessity.”
She got a response from @TriMeOn that told of a similar situation in which she had to get scissors and cut herself out of the sports bra. We can only hope it wasn’t an expensive one!
The howling laughter that followed this exchange came only because we fully connected with what she was going through in that moment. Hot and sweaty after a workout, trying to get in the shower, and for the love this contraption just will not come off! One arm trapped up the left side, another wandering around the right, your hips and neck wiggling just hoping something will shift and give. What woman hasn’t been there? So it got us wondering, what’s the worst thing your sports bra ever did to you? These are tales from the FitCrypt.
“I was still nursing and the elastic popped and my boobs full of milk literally fell out of the bottom during a kickboxing class!” is the story Alissa Haroush of AlefBet.com shared. “I tucked them back in and the back Velcro popped and at that point I left the class!”
Give her props for at least trying again, but we’re pretty sure she might win the best sports bra story we’ve ever heard.
@KellyTurnerFit told us over Twitter that she gets “slightly mortified when I get headlights so I always wear a regular bra under my sports bra.” That doesn’t make a workout any more comfortable. Trust me, I know. I used to wear a regular bra under my sports bra too, but that was just to ensure everything stayed exactly where it was supposed to. With a little more to protect inside a sports bra, I’ve known myself and friends to wear two sports bras at a time, with the under bra being a size smaller. Because of this, we at DIR went on a search and declared the CW-X Xtra Support Zip as the best sports bra.
Then there’s a question of whether or not you even need the darn things. Molly Napolitano, MS of MollyNap.com told us about her recent sports bra fumble. “A couple of weeks ago, my best friend came to visit and we got up to work out in our basement. An hour later, as I undressed to take a shower, I realized that I had put my sports bra on backwards and didn’t even know it. I guess being flat-chested has its advantages!”
Kelly Turner says it’s probably for the best. “Sports bras provide the exerciser with support and cut down on movement during jarring exercise, which can not only cause discomfort, but in some cases, tissue damage.”
We want to hear from you – what’s the worst thing your sports bra ever did to you? Love them or hate them, they’re like good cardio, we’re going to need them for a long time to come.