4 Tips to Prevent Shoulder Pain from Sports Bras
Are you experiencing shoulder pain from your sports bras? Check out these four tips to prevent discomfort and keep you feeling comfortable during your workouts.
- If you've got more up top in the breasts department, exercise can be a challenge. It's the whole reason I started SportsBra. I was tired of wearing uncomfortable sports bras that left dents in my shoulders.
- I've spent a lot of money on sports bras that ended up holding everything together as effectively as a piece of string wrapped around my chest! What's more, sports bras used to leave my neck, shoulders, and back incredibily sore. So if you experience neck or upper back pain from your sports bra, you're not alone.
- Shoulder and neck digging isn’t just insanely uncomfortable, it is actually damaging. Digging can cause severe headaches, nerve damage over time, and poor posture which can lead to back problems. Many women actually have a permanent indention their shoulders from years of digging.
So what can you do?
1. Choose the Right Size and Style.
- One of the most important factors in preventing shoulder pain from sports bras is choosing the right size and style. Sounds obvious right? However, you've probably seen the stat thrown around that 80% of women are wearing the right size or style...and from my years of experience fitting women, it's not far wrong!
- Before buying a new sports bra, give yourself a measure up and use the size chart for that brand (if they have one). There's no such thing as standardisation among brands, so what fits in one style might not work in another.
- Additionally, consider the style of the bra - racerback styles can distribute weight more evenly across the shoulders for some women, while traditional straps may put more pressure on one area for others. Experiment with different styles to find what works best for you.
You can complete my online fitting form and I'll help you find the right size & style.
2. Wide Band & Wide Shoulder Straps
Look for a sports bra with a wide band because it will help lift the breasts and provides overall support. Wider shoulder straps better disperse weight and offer greater comfort than narrower ones.
Some good sports bra styles that have wide bands and straps are:
1. Enell SPORT (for high impact) and Enell LITE (for all day wear):
2. Royce Aerocool: has wider padded straps at the front and over the shoulder:
3. The Moira Front Closure Posture Back Support Bra is a great everyday option and can also be worn for light activities:
3. Age...not you! Your sports bra
- If you're pulling on your bra straps to try and pull your boobs up so you feel more supported, your sports bra is either the wrong size or old.
- Sports bras should not celebrate a birthday! Ill fitting or poorly designed bras may compress muscles and nerves around the upper shoulder and neck which will cause headaches and pain!
- A lot of women wear a bra that's too big in the band and then tighten their bra straps to lift their bust! See point #1.
4. Encapsulation and Compression
Look for a combination of encapsulation and compression in your sports bra as it will keep your breasts supported and their weight evenly distributed such as the Freya High Octane sports bra:
Freya High Octane - high impact style with underwire:
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