![\"Priority:](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/07\/25\/22\/3695A24600000578-0-image-a-13_1469481858405.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Priority: With the Olympics coming up and summer underway, there is plenty of motivation to exercise but it experts claim it is crucial to wear a supportive sports bra that fits, pictured<\/p>\n
![\"Size](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/07\/26\/18\/369CB07600000578-3707776-Size_doesn_t_matter_According_to_experts_these_problems_can_affe-a-10_1469555084242.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Size](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/07\/26\/18\/369CB28F00000578-3707776-Size_doesn_t_matter_According_to_experts_these_problems_can_affe-a-11_1469555092567.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Size doesn\u2019t matter: According to experts, these problems can affect women with any cup size, whether you have large breasts like model Ashley Graham (left) or have a smaller frame like Karlie Kloss (right)<\/p>\n
Experts claim that wearing the wrong size or type of bra for exercise can lead to neck and back pain, breast pain and irreparable damage to the ligaments inside the breast which can result in breasts drooping and stretch marks.<\/p>\n
But despite these shocking statistics, high-end sportswear retailer Bandier, working in collaboration with Nike, suggests that a shocking 80 per cent of women are wearing the wrong bra, both when it comes to their regular lingerie, and their sporting attire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was this staggering stat that lead Bandier to team up with Nike on a multi-day bra-fitting event \u2013 christened Brahaus \u2013 at its flagship store in New York, inviting more than 100 women to visit the venue in order to be properly measured by a trained expert, and then kitted out with the perfect sports bra for their shape.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018We were surprised to learn that some of our own team members were not wearing the right sports bra,\u2019 Jenn Bandier, the company\u2019s founder, told Daily Mail Online.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Customers trust Bandier to help them find the best active clothing for their specific workout needs, so it was exciting to partner with Nike on an initiative that helped women find the right support for their sport.\u2019<\/p>\n
\n
Meanwhile,\u00a0an international study of 10,000 women by lingerie brand Triumph found that nearly two thirds of women wear the wrong size bra while nearly a third buy underwear even though they know it does not fit correctly.<\/p>\n
Febin Melepura, M.D., a pain specialist\u00a0at Stanford Pain and Sports Medicine of NYC, said figures for everyday bras are probably replicated when it comes to sports bras.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said: \u2018If you wear the wrong regular bra, you\u2019re probably going to be wearing the wrong sports bra\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2018Sports bras because there\u2019s more activity and motion, the breast is held together by fatty tissue and Cooper\u2019s ligaments, with all the stress of movement, it does stretch out, it doesn\u2019t go back.<\/p>\n
\u2018It can cause the breasts to sag and cause injury to the connective tissue of breast and cause pain.\u2019<\/p>\n
He said women with bigger breasts who wear ill-fitting bras could also experience neck issues, back pain or nerve entrapment.<\/p>\n
Research by Reebok found that American women spend $20-$30 on average per sports bra.<\/p>\n
But according to specialist New York lingerie store Town Shop, some women will do anything to avoid spending money on the undergarment.<\/p>\n
Owner Danny Koch said: \u2018We hear customers who have said they take two old bras and wear them on top of each other to make a sports bra.\u2019<\/p>\n
He said breasts should not move during exercise, adding: \u2018The basic rule of thumb as far as I\u2019m concerned is that your breasts should be closer to your chin than your belly button\u2019.<\/p>\n
Once the Cooper\u2019s ligaments are damaged, he said they reach \u2018a point of no return\u2019 that leads to stretch marks and breasts dropping.<\/p>\n
He said technology is improving over time and recommends sports bras by lingerie brands Wacoal and Panache.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n
- \n
- \n
![](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/07\/25\/22\/36963DDB00000578-0-image-m-27_1469480721271.jpg\")
\u2018I\u2019m cool with my breasts!\u2019 Kendall Jenner joins Free the\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/07\/25\/12\/3692DBFD00000578-0-image-m-6_1469444764790.jpg\")
Move over, Kendall! Victoria\u2019s Secret\u2019s Taylor Hill is\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n![\"Majority:](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/07\/25\/21\/3695E98C00000578-0-image-a-2_1469478844925.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMajority: According to research released by sportswear retailer Bandier in collaboration with Nike, as many as 80 per cent of women are wearing the wrong bra \u2013 including sports bras<\/p>\n
![\"Risks:](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/07\/26\/15\/369B291B00000578-3707776-Risks_Experts_have_warned_of_the_dangers_of_not_wearing_right_sp-m-2_1469543969114.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRisks: Experts have warned of the dangers of not wearing right sports bra and the potential damage it can cause to the Cooper\u2019s ligaments in the breast, pictured in diagram<\/p>\n
\n
Danny, whose great-grandfather Sam founded the shop in 1888, said it is important for women to go for regular bra fittings as breasts can vary in size \u2018from week to week or month to month\u2019 and are affected by factors such as weight gain, childbirth and heat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
He said people should rotate their bras \u2013 recommending they are not worn more than around 100 times due to wear from perfumes, perspiration and washing.<\/p>\n
\u2018People tend to hold on to bras for too long. Our rule of thumb is if you have four bras and rotate them, those bras will last just over a year. Wearing a bra 100 times, that\u2019s about it for the bra,\u2019 he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Barbara Ebersberger, VP of Product Marketing at Reebok, said a bra \u2018should never\u00a0celebrate its first birthday\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adding: \u2018Because of the materials, sports or everyday bras, because of washing, the materials do have a certain lifespan, you should exchange your bra every single year.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said \u2018a lot of women\u2019 wear either the wrong size sports bra or the wrong bra type. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\u2018Problems do arise in the long term because you can damage tissue in your breasts wearing the wrong bra, if it\u2019s destroyed it won\u2019t come back in the way it used to be,\u2019 she added.<\/p>\n
Barbara said finding the right size sports bra \u2018shouldn\u2019t be a mystery anymore\u2019 but that women can be put off by\u00a0fear of asking in-store or misled by lack of knowledge or the wrong information.<\/p>\n
She suggested that people might be put off spending money on sports bras, in favor of more publicly visible items such as T-shirts or leggings, because they are often not worn as an outer garment.<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s something people won\u2019t necessarily see or recognize. If people only have a certain amount of money to spend, they will maybe spend it on tights or a T-shirt,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n
Marina Sharpe, a spokeswoman for sports bra specialist Shock Absorber\u00a0USA, said a sports bra is \u2018an essential, no matter what chest size you are\u2019.<\/p>\n
She added:\u00a0\u2018It really should be the first piece you\u2019re buying. You should aim to buy them throughout the year if you\u2019re using them often\u2026You need to update them every few months like you have to with a running shoe.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lisa Ndukwe, senior designer at sportswear brand Sweaty Betty, said when choosing a sports bra it is important to select the right impact level.<\/p>\n
Without the correct support and coverage, she said women are at risk of causing \u2018long term damage\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said: \u2018Women believe saggy breasts are due to the size of your breasts however it is actually due to the stretching of the ligaments that hold your breast tissue in place irrespective of your size, hence why even if you are a neat double A it is as important to wear a correctly supportive bra as if you are a double D.\u2019<\/p>\n
Lisa said underwear is often overlooked as \u2018an after-thought\u2019 when in fact it should be a woman\u2019s \u2018starting point\u2019 when buying clothing to work out.<\/p>\n
In terms of fit, she said: \u2018Your bra should fit tightly at the underband, this is where the majority of the support comes from. This should feel tighter than an everyday bra.<\/p>\n
\u2018You should have good coverage at the side and top of bust to avoid any sideways or upward movement.\u2019<\/p>\n
She added: \u2018The fabric covering your bust should be tight with no loose fabric. We work with clever seaming and a rigid fabric to both encapsulate and compress providing the best support.<\/p>\n
\u2018The straps are there to hold the bra in place, they shouldn\u2019t be digging in at shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u2018The stretch on the back wing allows comfortable movement during exercise.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With the Olympics coming up and summer well underway, there is plenty of motivation to start exercising. But before hitting the track, studio or gym to try to emulate the stars of Team USA, experts have warned that women should start by kitting themselves out with a good sports bra.\u00a0 Sportswear specialists, lingerie experts and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45303\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}