Blog — Wellness

When you’re a busty D-cup running sprints and intervals to train for the US Olympic Bobsled Team, the last thing you need is one more thing slowing you down. And for Alexandra Allred, it wasn’t just one, but two things slowing her down. She was one of those poor souls who doubled-down on sports bras. Since her time on the 1994 US Olympic team, she’s discovered Enell, ditched the second set of spandex, and now works as an adventure writer.

She lives in her Enell, something that gives her the support she needs to get through the work day. Test driving a Volvo Gravity Car, doing a back flip over the Sydney Harbor, or playing women’s professional football, these are all places Alexandra has reported to for work, and all instances where the right sports bra has made it easier to do her job. We never would have considered a career as tame as writing to necessitate serious sports gear for the ladies, but Alexandra has taught us a lesson.

And that is…Never underestimate what a woman will put herself through on the job, and never underestimate how a sports bra can be a vital part of the uniform!

Meet a few more hard working women who never clock-in without locking things down:

Firefighter — There are roughly 5,000 women working as firefighters in the US. Racing to the truck, climbing ladders, diving in to extreme situations are just a few of the ways these brave women use their bodies every day. A bouncy chest can slow you down when seconds count, but something more than an everyday bra provides the support needed to focus on more important matters.

Police Officer — Another group of brave women tasked with protecting and serving, but what’s protecting their bosom when the job really gets tough? Women in law enforcement should be wearing a sports bra under their uniforms to give them the support and comfort they need, free of typical bra distractions.

Construction Worker — Lifting, climbing, digging, hammering, there’s very little a female construction worker isn’t doing with her body during these intense work days. Don’t let a loose bra, too much bounce, or slipper straps get in the way from getting the job done.

Farmer — There’s nothing glamorous about life on the farm, even if you’re a woman digging in to the dirty work. Moving hay or bags of feed, shoveling manure, and herding animals are just a few of the laborious tasks awaiting farmers. As Terri Jay, a horsewoman, pointed out, this is one job tough enough for a sports bra.

Horsewomen/Equestrian — Jay was quick to remind that horsewomen, or professional equestrians, heavily rely on sports bras to protect against the jostle of the ride. She says a sports bra is all she wears now, and these well-fitted bras save her and fellow riders from the pain and distraction of the ride. She’s also free from managing bra straps that may slide down her shoulders.

HVAC — In her day-to-day work as an AC lab test technician, Aimee Tabor wears a sports bra every day. It provides the support she needs to “lift overhead, squat, crawl under/over equipment, and hold my body at odd angles to get to tight spots,” she explained. The bra gives her the compression and security she needs to keep her breasts out of the way.

Chefs — The hustle and bustle of a kitchen at high noon or dinner time is no joke. Any chef worth her salt is hardly standing still, whether chopping, stirring, baking, or plating. Don’t let a couple of bouncy melons slow you down, suit up in a sports bra before putting on the white coat to reduce unnecessary distractions during your busy day.

Mail Delivery — Whether driving for one of the big package companies or delivering mail door to door, these women put their bodies through the paces every day. UPS told us their drivers walk 3.5 miles per day, not to mention the lifting, reaching, climbing stairs, and bounce from the road their breasts endure. The extra support and comfort they need comes from wearing a sports bra under their uniform every day.

Nurses / Hospital Staff — Jillian Thien, RN, a floor nurse in an orthopedic unit, says wearing a sports bra to work makes her “feel extra athletic moving all those joint replacement patients around!” She explained that she generally prefers to wear a sports bra to work, and feels more comfortable on the days when she does. Brittany Hudson has a labor-intensive job as a hospital account liason and relies on the extra support of a sports bra every day. “I move very fast through hospitals and clinics…and have to stock closets and haul heavy medical equipment,” she explained.

Military Personnel — These most selfless women should take a moment to do something truly selfish, and that is put their bosom first! There’s rarely a slow day at the office when you’re tasked with defending a nation. So let a bra like Enell be your first line of defense in support and protecting your chest.

PE Teacher — Whether it’s basketball, dodgeball, jump rope, or classic tag, leading a PE class will keep a teacher on her toes, and her breasts going this way and that! Just as a personal trainer wouldn’t go to the gym without a sports bra, you shouldn’t either.

Pregnant Women — Pregnancy may very well be the most important temporary job you’ll ever had! Ingrid Von Burg, a yoga instructor, advises her prenatal clients to suit up in a sports bra. “I find it super useful to wear a sports bra while pregnant since the chest grows and feels heavy,” she said. This can be especially key for those women in desk jobs; the more support and comfort you have up front, the more likely you are to have better posture. Ultimately saving you from back pain, improving core strength, and avoiding that “exhausted chest” feeling at the end of the day.

Do you wear your sports bra for work?

1. Rumor: Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women.

Fact: It’s certainly no friend to women, but it’s not the biggest killer. Heart disease has that unfortunate title, “and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined,” according to the American Heart Association. In fact, breast cancer comes in sixth behind heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, and Alzheimer’s.

In this infographic that illustrates Where We Donate vs. Disease That Kill Us, breast cancer is at the top of the heap, pulling in some four times as many funds as heart disease.

2. Rumor: Underwires / tight clothing cause breast cancer.

Fact: This isn’t true at all. BreastCancer.org affirms that “Underwire bras do not cause breast cancer,” and that “There is no scientific evidence to support…this rumor.” It’s thought that the compression from a bra’s underwire, or even tight bras and clothing, don’t allow the lymph nodes to “breathe” which can lead to toxins and cause cancer, but it just isn’t the case.

3. Rumor: Small breasts can’t get cancer.

Fact: Cancer doesn’t discriminate, not even against smaller breasts. While obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer, and those overweight women tend to have larger breasts, the correlation does not exist that the less chest you have the less cancer you’ll have.

4. Rumor: Mammograms don’t save lives.

Fact: The truth is, early detection in all its forms — self breast exams, clinical breast exam, mammogram, ultrasound and CT — is the first line of defense. The earlier a cancer is caught, the more options and better outlook the patient has. Last year a controversial study published in the British Medical Journal found that mammograms may do more harm than good. The medical community, almost at large, is refuting and even calling for additional research before current recommendations and standards for mammographies change.

5. Rumor: You can prevent breast cancer.

Fact: Ultimately, no. There’s a lot you can do reduce your risk — largely through healthy lifestyle — but breast cancer is a mean ‘ole bit… witch… who backs down for no one. Health.com cites that “70% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no identifiable risk factors, meaning that the disease occurs largely by chance and according to as-yet-unexplained factors.”

Driving down the road last week, I saw a woman running. My first reaction was, “Good for her!” Just drenched in sweat, killing it. I love seeing people out being active.

My second reaction was, “I wish I could pull over and give her a better sports bra.” She may as well have not even had one on. We’ve all seen it, or probably been her, when you workout and the breasts take off like the arms of a kid jumping out of a swing. They move every which way but that which they should be headed.

It’s not just unsightly or painful, this multi-directional effect of a good workout and bad sports bra on the breasts can actually have a detrimental effect on your breast health. Strap ‘em in ladies; the cost could be more than a quality sports bra investment.

New research from the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, published by the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, found that “the breast was a barrier to physical activity participation for 17 percent of women.” Our recent sports bra nightmare stories are clue enough — the wrong sports bra can scare any woman away from the mildest workout. Sitting around looks better than the pain, embarrassment, and poor breast health that can come from a low performance or low quality sport bra.

No matter how small or large your breasts are, proper support throughout any workout is imperative. Not only does it minimize superfluous movement from “the girls” that could interfere with the workout, but it minimizes or eliminates pain associated with those movements. While the woman we saw running last week was committed to her workout, there’s no doubt she was painfully uncomfortable.

The scariest part is that there is real damage being caused to the breast tissue when “the ladies” aren’t properly stowed away.

“Not properly supporting your breasts, or wearing an ill-fitted sports bra, can potentially be harmful to the tissues of the breast over time. Running pulls on the breast in all directions: in, out, up, down and side-to-side. This movement can weaken the connective tissue that supports the breasts causing it to lose elasticity and even permanently damage your breasts,” explained personal trainer and fitness expert Kelly Turner in an interview at DietsInReview.com.

Running, doing Zumba, riding a horse, cycling, or anything above a mall walk can put great strain on your breasts. Wearing the right sports bra for the right activity can ensure your breasts are protected, and that you feel comfortable enough to make the activity routine.

Sports bras weren’t the only thing keeping women from exercising. Study respondents cited energy or motivation at #1, time constraints at #2, and general health at #3. Breasts were the #4 reason women don’t workout.

The goal of the study is to spread the word about the breast health/sports bra relationship.

“Breast health knowledge increased the use of a sports bra and levels of physical activity,” the study cited.

The researchers, Emma Burnett, Jenny White, and Joanna Scurr, concluded that with 33 percent of women not meeting minimum physical activity recommendations, the importance for increased “breast health knowledge” could be an effective tool in reducing known barriers and getting more women logging more physical activity.

If I’d had a spare ENELL in my trunk, I’d have pulled over and properly outfitted that woman on her evening run. I can hope you won’t be the next victim of a bad sports bra on a good run!

Depending on the surgery performed, it’s generally advised by doctors that you allow a 6 week recovery time after any breast augmentation. Naturally, few women will whip out their sexy Balconette bras straight after such painful surgery, with many women preferring to choose to wear either a surgical bra or an appropriate sports bra to aid in their recovery process. So what makes an Enell sports bra an effective alternative for the surgical bra? The restrictive nature of the fabric helps compress the breasts and allow limited movement in order for the breasts to recover quicker. The Enell bra is the perfect option for any woman who has undergone breast surgery; aesthetically the bra looks a lot better than that of its surgical counterparts- which have a tendency to look like pre-teen training bras- and yet maintains suitable functionality.  

3 key points that make the Enell Bra the perfect post-op Bra

• Front Facing Fastenings: After surgery it is generally advisable to have the bras fastenings at the front of the bra to minimise pain when removing the bra. The Enell bra features a front facing hook and eye system which allows the wearer to easily slip the bra on and off with limited effort.
• Shoulder Comfort: The large wide non-stretch straps distribute the weight of the breasts across the shoulders evenly which minimises strain and discomfort. Perfect if you’ve gone up a few sizes!
• Movement Control: The motion control neckline limits the movements of the ‘up and down’ movement of the breasts, after surgery it is paramount that the breasts stay as motionless as possible to reduce swelling and aid in healing. A Post-op bra tends to have to be worn 24/7 after surgery, the Enell bra’s large wide panel situated underneath the breasts make an extremely close and comfortable fit.

If you’re based in the UK or Europe and are looking to buy an Enell sports bra, then look no further than Boobydoo.co.uk. Boobydoo are a leading online sports bra retailer and offer free returns / exchanges on all UK orders. Shop Enell at Boobydoo today.