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Do walkers need sports bras?

Posted by Tanja Gardner on November 15, 2011 at 11:55 AM

A couple of weeks ago, we talked about walking shoes. Now it’s time to broach a slightly more delicate topic: how much support do you need when you walk?

Again, the answer will depend on your build and the kind of walking you do. But I’m hoping if I tell you what I look for in a sports bra, it’ll help you to make your own choices.

Firstly, as someone a little more… endowed… than I’d like to be, I like a lot of support all day long. So if I’m only walking a kilometer or two, whichever bra I happen to be wearing is fine. Once I go further though, I need a proper underwire sports bra or my boobs hurt.

Then, once I get over 10km, it stops being about support, and starts being about the chafing. Seriously – I’ve come away from half-marathons with chafing along my bra’s chest-band bad enough that I still have scars today.

Then I discovered Shock Absorber bras. They’re obscenely priced, granted. But for me, it’s worth the price to walk a half and not end up crying when the hot water hits my raw skin in the shower afterwards. Plus they’re incredibly comfy on, and snazzy enough to wear on their own on a really hot day.

So now the key things I generally check a sports bra for is whether:

• it gives me the support I need (I generally jump up and down a few times when I try one on, just to see how much bounce it allows)
• it’s made from a fabric that will wick the sweat away from my skin
• it’s comfortable and fits right
• there are any seams that might rub or chafe my skin
• the clasp has unprotected hooks and eyes that might contact my skin

So what about you?

• Do you bother with a dedicated sports bra when you walk? If so, what kind is best for you?
• What do you check for if/when you’re buying a new sports bra?