Uniboob No More!

The Uniboob. Long ago, a woman was dressing for her usual morning run when her husband walked by, gave her a sideways glance and muttered “hmmm.” The wife immediately asked him what he was hmmming about. He shrugged his shoulders and made the comment that gave the sports bra a bad rap. “Honey, that bra you are wearing gives you a uniboob.”

Lululemon Sports BraI’ll admit it, some of the sports bras I have worn in the past did indeed smash my chest into a single bulging water balloon. That was then, and this is now. The sports bra industry has come a long way and mothers, especially, need to get on board and invest in a good sports bra. As moms, we have seen the literal rise and fall of our chests. Pregnancy and nursing boobs are amazing. Perky and full become our middle names. Sofia Vergara has nothing on us. And then we slip into the danger zone. Because the “girls” are locked, loaded and ready to go, women tend to think that support doesn’t matter. Allow me to introduce the Cooper’s ligament. This ligament is the connective tissue in the breast that helps support and maintain structural integrity. As we age, this ligament will stretch, and things will sag. That’s life. But excessive unsupported bouncing, the kind that occurs during exercise, has been shown to speed up the process. Even if you feel like your knockers don’t need a boost, why not throw on a supportive bra to help slow the hands of time? Remember this basic anatomy rule, when a ligament is stretched, it cannot be reversed.

What about those of us who loved and lost our big boobs with every pregnancy and are actually a smaller cup size than we were before kids? Am I really going to convince you that wearing a supportive sports bra is going to make a difference? Yes, but for different reasons. Sure, our Cooper’s ligament probably has stretched out from pregnancies and nursing, but we might as well try to keep things from getting worse if it’s as easy as wearing a properly fitted sports bra. And a good bra can do amazing things for the soul. I remember my first professional bra fitting. My amateur fitted bra was a cup size too small and two inches wider than I needed. When I tried on the correct size bra, my chest magically morphed back into the boobs I used to know and love. Instantly, I felt more confident and comfortable in my clothes. The same can be said for the right sports bra. It can lift, separate and give you back the shape you once had. You can and should look good while working out! Just because things aren’t what they used to be is no excuse to stop caring.

The sports bras on the market today are not only supportive and comfortable but darn right cute. REI has a great guide to buying a sports bra from defining the level of impact an activity is, to the best kinds of bras for various cup sizes. Check out How to Choose a Sports Bra.

Don’t be afraid to be properly sized. If you can birth a baby with a room full of strangers, there is nothing scary about a saleswoman with measuring tape! I highly recommend Lululemon because they are trained to fit, have a variety of sports bras for differing activities and, though more expensive than others, their products stand the test of time. I believe you get what you pay for when it comes to sports bras. Let’s embrace this time of our lives and make the most of what we’ve got. Let’s look our best in a high quality properly fitted sports bra and scream “uniboob no more!” Are you with me?

Mary Lauren Eubank
Mary-Lauren is a curly-haired Texan in the trenches of motherhood with two sassy and entertaining daughters. A busy body in the truest sense, she teaches fitness classes all week at Define Jacksonville. To stay sane, Mary-Lauren requires a daily dose of dark chocolate, unwinds with a page-turner and folds laundry watching just the kind of reality TV that she will forbid her girls from watching in the future. A wannabe foodie, she loves to learn about, prepare, experiment and indulge in all things food…well except the shopping part with kids in tow. She blogs about all things fitness from debunking the latest trends to goal setting, Mary-Lauren is passionate about being active, being real and being healthy!

6 COMMENTS

  1. Great information. I have never heard about this “Cooper’s Ligament.” The further along I get in my pregnancy the more I realize that my current Targét sports bras just aren’t doing the trick (although super cute) and that I should probably invest in a good supportive sports bra 🙂 Thanks ML!

  2. So who has the best sports bras? I have one from Lululemon but it’s way to too tight now. Nike? Underarmour?

    • I have an awesome one that’s Under Armour! I wash it over and over because it’s my favorite. The girls literally don’t move at all!

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