Sport without a bra: There is a risk of tissue damage if the breast has no support

It's back to not wearing a bra.

But the "No Bra" trend is not always a good solution.

You should not do without the support of a brassiere when doing sports.

Not a fan of bras?

You are not alone in this.

Many women find wearing a bra uncomfortable and are happy to go without it.

Common arguments for a brassiere: It ensures that the breasts are pushed up, which corresponds to the common ideal of beauty.

A bra should also prevent sagging breasts.

But that doesn't apply to every woman.

A French study showed that a bra in young, slender women with small breasts can cause muscle mass to recede and breast tissue to sag.

However, the French researchers pointed out the journal

according to the fact that the size and weight of the breasts is decisive.

It goes on to say that wearing a bra makes perfect sense for pregnant, overweight or older women.

Whether or not you should wear a bra when exercising depends primarily on the type of sport.

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Many women wear a sports bra when exercising.

But is that really necessary?

© Kzenon/Imago

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The larger and heavier the breast, the more likely you should wear a bra

In general, the larger and heavier the breasts, the less you should do without a bra when doing sports.

Otherwise, there is an increased risk that the tissue of the breast will be affected by the uncontrolled and sweaty movements during sport.

Depending on the type of sport and the shape of the breast, there are exceptions.

Do you like jogging?

Then you should not do without a sports bra.

Because the up and down movements exert enormous forces on the breasts - which can lead to tissue damage without a bra.

These can even promote premature sagging of the breasts if you often go jogging without a bra.

Sports such as basketball, volleyball, badminton or aerobics should also be practiced with a bra.

The situation is different with sports such as hiking, yoga, Pilates or Tai Chi, as these are usually accompanied by controlled movements.

If you don't have heavy breasts, you can do the training without a sports bra without fear of tissue damage.

Build muscle mass: sports that give you a toned body

Crossfit is all about training the body holistically.

This is achieved through bodyweight exercises, but also through training with equipment.

The workout was originally intended to make police officers fit during their training.

In the meantime, however, functional training has reached mass sport.

“Crossfit is a mix of strength, bodyweight and endurance training.

In addition, there is the ingenious side effect that you can also create the desired visual effects with this special type of functional training,” Ulrike Glöckner, trainer and CrossFit athlete, is quoted as saying by the magazine Women's Health.

A CrossFit session lasts around an hour and includes warm-up exercises, a "workout of the day" and stretching at the end of the training session.

© Josep Suria/Imago

With the help of strength training with equipment, muscles can be effectively built up.

In the fitness studio, but also in the fitness room at home, you can do individual strength training with the help of dumbbells, pull-up bars, abdominal rollers and kettlebells.

© Sergio Nievas/Imago

EMS stands for Electromyostimulation or Electro-Muscle Stimulation.

During special exercises, the muscles are stimulated to grow by light electric shocks.

EMS originally comes from the field of physiotherapy.

Therapists use the method to specifically rebuild muscles after injuries or accidents.

But the training can also be useful for healthy adults.

As the Barmer health insurance company informs, EMS training in the studio is relatively expensive.

But for people who want to train their muscles but have little time, the EMS fitness trend is an interesting option for reasons of time alone.

"Each exercise is intensified, so efficient full-body training only takes 15 to 20 minutes," says the magazine Woman's Health, quoting sports scientist Dr.

Heinz Kleinöder from the German Sport University in Cologne.

(symbol image) © Imago

Ballet workouts, also known as barre, are far less well-known than typical weight training on machines.

But the effect on the muscles is impressive.

Even deep-seated muscles are strengthened and stretched, a positive side effect: a tight silhouette.

© Imago

A young woman stretches Pilates also works the deep muscles in the abdomen and back.

Controlled movements and many body weight exercises make the sport recommended for all age groups.

Many see Pilates as a low-impact "women's sport," which Andy Dalton, quarterback in the pro league in American football, comments to GQ magazine: "You think Pilates is more of a women's exercise, then you do it and find these girls kicking your ass because they tend to work the small muscle groups that guys don't always work."

© Aleksei Isachenko/Imago

Woman and man exercising in the park using a sling trainer.

The so-called sling training is also well suited to build up muscles in a targeted manner.

A belt system is used to do special exercises during which you have to constantly balance yourself.

This not only stabilizes the large muscle groups, but also the deep ones.

© Arne Trautmann/PantherMedia/Imago

Woman doing sport on the matHIT stands for High Intensity Training.

The muscles are heavily strained here by short, intensive workouts.

The intensive stimuli cause the body to build up muscles quickly and effectively, according to the Barmer health insurance company.

© Imago

Buying a sports bra: what you should consider

A sports bra provides support for the chest when it is subjected to heavy stress from jumping or running.

A snug fit is important so that the bra compresses the breast on the one hand, but does not make you feel constricted on the other.

Also important: When buying, make sure that the materials are breathable so that sweat does not build up.

This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication.

In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor.

Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.

Rubric list image: © Kzenon/Imago