Sep 14, 2007

For some women, bras are pretty little underpinnings meant to impress. For others, they're a practical, daily necessity. And then there are those of us (yes, I fall into this category) who despise the little torture chambers. Don't get me wrong—I completely understand their purpose, but I often get nostalgic for the days when I didn't have to wear one.

As it turns out, though, I'm not doing myself any favors by wearing tanks with shelf bras in lieu of undergarments that actually offer some support. Joanna Scurr, a British biomechanics professor, recently did a study on bras and the results were quite surprising.

When we walk, our breasts basically move the same amount in every direction, but speed that up to a jog and "more than 50% of the total movement is in the up-down direction, 22% side-to-side and 27% in-and-out." That's a lot jiggling! And you can imagine that while exercising, the movement is only amplified. Because breasts have little natural support, that makes wearing a good bra crucial, especially during your workouts. Sports bras reduce breast movement by more than 50%, so don't head out for your run or to the gym without one.

Here are a few we like, but check out our sports bra guide for the picks that passed our rigorous testing.

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