If you love to exercise, you need to know what to look for in a sports bra. A quality sports bra should provide you with full support so you can get on with the fun.

A good sports bra will keep your breast firm and healthier longer. A poor performing sports bra will lead to pain and discomfort. There are all sorts of great sports bras out there. Bras that are designed to compress your chest, encapsulate your breasts, and a combination of both. Sports bras are designed for different activity levels: low impact, medium impact, and high impact. They come in a variety of colors and have specialized functions in their fabric makeup. Sports Bras are no longer an art. They are a science.

Large Breasted Women
If you are a large breasted woman, you need a solid band and cups that harness each breast. The band and the cups should do most of the support. The straps should provide the least amount of support. The band should be thick and strong that will not overstretch; thereby, eliminating unnecessary jiggles. The cups need to encapsulate each breast and help the band in its breast support. Underwire does help support breasts but can poke. A properly designed softcup bra can provide sufficient support without poking.

Medium Breasted Women (C-DD cup)
A bra that both compresses and harnesses the breast is perfect. These bras are not totally pressed against the chest. The band should still be firm, thick, and not shift.

Small Breasted Women (A-B cup)
Small breasted women can still get tissue and ligament damage. Their breasts can still eventually sag. For these women, a compression bra works fine. They press the breast down toward the chest as a single unit and eliminate jiggle.

Must Haves
Great sports bras have these common features: 25% Lycra, firm band, comfortable straps, soft thread, and ability to breathe and quick dry. Bras must be proportioned to fit your body without irritating skin.

Proper Fit
80% of women wear the wrong size bra. A wrong size bra, especially for sports, will provide insufficient support and can lead to breast tissue damage. For fit, measure your rib cage just below the breasts and add 4-5 inches to get an even number. This is your band size. For cup size, measure the fullest part of your bust. Write down this number and subtract the band size. For every inch difference, you go up one cup. That number will be your cup size.

Color
Many women choose their sports bras for the color. If you wear light clothing, get a white or nude colored sports bra. If you choose to exercise without a shirt on, get a colored sports bra. Do not wear white without a shirt! To attract less attention, wear a darker color. If you want attention, wear a bright color.

Activity Level
If you do sports with a lot of movement like running, you need a high impact sports bra. For sports with medium movement like golf, get a medium impact sports bra. For sports with little movement like yoga or walking, get a low impact sports bra. Pay attention to your activity level when selecting your sports bra. When you try on a sports bra, practice the movements that you would do with your sports. For a runner, try running in place. For a volleyball player, lift your arms and jump. Make sure that the bra fits your body and does not rub against your armpits. Make sure that the band does not move up. A good sports bra should stay in place when you do your specific activity.

Now that you know what to look for in a sports bra, when you find your perfect sports bra, take proper care of it. Wash your sports bra by hand. Machine wash will destroy the fabric and ruin the elasticity. Line dry your sports bra. Some bras will actually melt in the dryer. Buy new sports bras every 6 months. Bras do have a shelf life of 6-8 months. Finally, pay attention to your activity level when purchasing your new sports bras.