Best Sports Bras and Leggings For Active Women
Sports bras and leggings are much more than workout accessories. They provide medical and performance-enhancing benefits and should be a part of every female athlete’s wardrobe. In this article, we’ll go over the benefits of sportswear and guide you to the ones which are right for you.
Choosing to wear a sports bra and leggings over normal leisurewear during a workout can protect your body and improve your game. If you prefer the leisurewear because of their vanity, you’ll be surprised by the aesthetics of the new and improved athletic wear on the market.
The market for athletic wear has improved so much so that a new segment called ‘athleisure’ has emerged. Athleisure wear is not just for comfort and support anymore. You could rock the best sports bras and leggings in the gym, school and even social gatherings.
Benefits of Sports Bras
Best Sports Bras Money Can Buy
Support
This one is a no-brainer. While you might know that sports bras provide support, do you know how? If you are thinking the support keeps the boobs from garnering unwanted attention – you are correct, but there is more to it.
Sports bras are important for maintaining the integrity of the breast wall, and the shape of the breast. There are high probabilities that an intense workout can cause ligaments surrounding the breasts to stretch and tear.
The worst part is that most of this damage can’t be undone, and it causes drooping and sagging of the breasts. The right sports bra offers enough support to prevent this wreckage from occurring prematurely.
Regulates Sweat and Temperature Control
With the advancement in fabric tech, a piece of clothing can do much more than just covering your body. Sports bras are made from a variety of fabric weights that serve important functions like wicking the sweat away from the body while increasing airflow to your skin helping you stay cool and dry.
You could buy sports bras which are meant to keep you cool in the heat or warm when it’s cold. Most sports bras are designed so that you retain your mobility and functioning without compromising on comfort and support.
Minimize Breast Movement
The ability to minimize boob movement is arguably the most popular benefit of sports bras. Boob movement can make participating in physical activities both inconvenient and painful. Not to mention the stares they attract by nymphos around you.
The right sports bra will hold everything in place without making your breasts feel squashed and uncomfortable. There are different types of bras available on the market depending on your requirements, body type and preferences.
Comfort
Unlike the conventional bras which are made to flatten your boobs, the sports bras are designed to work. Sports bras offer comfort in ways and extent that regular bras cannot. Sports bras’ increased coverage and wider straps distribute breast tissue evenly.
The lack of underwires, firm ribbing and delicate fabrics in the sports bras makes it easier for you to move around. Chafing and rubbing are the two big complaints with the normal bras which don’t occur in sports bras.
Storage
When you thought that the sports bras store their fair share of goods and this is all they do, you are handed another surprise. Some sports bras can hold keys, phones, and other small things. The storage ability eradicates the need to carry a wallet, bag or a pouch.
The storage sports bras are popular amongst active people (especially runners) as they reduce the number of things you have to carry or stash away. With these items invisibly and securely tucked away, you’ll never have to worry about losing them again.
Benefits of Leggings
Best Leggings Money Can Buy
Reduced Muscle Fatigue
According to UPMC Health Beat, wearing compression shorts can help reduce muscle soreness and fatigue during and after workouts. It can also facilitate better, faster and longer runs by delaying muscle fatigue.
Since the compression clothing grips your legs and doesn’t flap around like the loose-fitting jogging pants, they can reduce wind resistance. The lower wind resistance can increase your speed which is great for runners.
Better Support & Blood and Oxygen Circulation
Leggings made from spandex are of great fit and provide the ultimate support to your legs. The compression can keep your joint tights which can be helpful in exercises that put tension on your knees like running, squatting, etc.
Wearing leggings can also enhance overall blood circulation which can decrease your energy expenditure and increase your speed. According to a study by Research Gate, compression garments are designed to increase the amount of oxygen your muscles receive during a workout.
Improved Perceived Exertion
Working out and other extraneous physical activities are equally mental games as they are physical. Your results can depend majorly on your perceived exertion – how hard you feel like your body is working.
For example – when you’re training for extreme sports or endurance races, it’s beneficial to have lower perceived exertion as it can make training sessions more bearable, and can improve athletic performance. A 2016 study found that compression garments improved perceived exertion in endurance runners.
Comfort
Even though compression leggings apply pressure to the butt and thigh area, many athletes find such clothing comfortable. Leggings are much better for keeping you warmer. Just like with the sports bra, leggings are also great for keeping your body temperature regulated.
Compression leggings cause little-to-no chafing and friction than more traditional athletic wear. The leggings also won’t ride up when you’re running, squatting, doing sit-ups, or stretching, among other activities.
Better Recovery
When you’re lifting weights (or participating in other forms of extreme physical activity), compression clothing can provide you with performance and muscle recovery benefits. A 2014 research found that compression garments promote muscle strength recovery after bouts of resistance training.
The benefits of compression leggings including delayed muscle fatigue, better blood, and oxygen circulation and improved perceived exertion make quicker recovery between sets and after workouts possible.
