“When thinking about a bra, you might wonder… Why do women actually wear them?”

They aren’t just for looks. Not having the proper support can leas to serious neck, shoulder and back pain. Even in small women, if the breast tissue is not properly supported it puts a lot of tension and strain on the body. When exercising, particularly with high-impact workouts or running, it is especially important to wear a bra that contains the breasts and reduces movement in a manner that they aren’t bouncing up and down while running or jumping. The bouncing can be very painful and cause the Cooper’s ligaments, which is the connective tissue between the breast and the pectoral muscle – to stretch out and lose strength.  Once the Cooper’s ligaments are stretched out it causes the breasts to sag or droop. Those connective tissues do not repair themselves.

Other factors, such as pregnancy, weight gain, smoking, age and genetics all play a role in the irreversible stretching of Cooper’s ligaments. During pregnancy and while breastfeeding, when the breasts increase in size and weight, wearing a supportive bra can help to prevent the stretching of ligaments and preserve the shape of the breasts.

Finding a proper fitting bra is essential. The majority of the support should come from the band of the bra, not from the tightening of the straps. Since there is no standardization in bra sizing, it is more important than ever to have a professional bra fitting. Most women don’t realize that a lot of aches, discomfort and nuisance associated with wearing a bra are due to the fact that they are wearing the wrong size or the wrong type of bra for their body. Every woman’s body is unique and what works well for one woman does not necessarily work for another woman of the same size.