What are the best sports bras for Yoga? Yoga can be simultaneously relaxing and strenuous. A comfortable sports bra designed for high levels of activity and stretching can do wonders for your level of comfort when practicing yoga.

X-Chrom has compiled a list for our readers of the best bras for Yoga. Below are X-Chrom’s recommendations for the best Yoga bras.

Champion Double Dry Everyday Underwire

Wacoal Luxury Soft Cup Sports Bra

ExO Give-N-Go Shelf Bra Camisole-Womens

Dr. Chet says it’s important for women to “get fitted” before buying a sports bra. Listen below for an excerpt from his new CD Dr. Chet’s Health Tips for Women and don’t forget to visit his site and buy the complete CD .

X-Chrom allows you to “get fitted” online for free.  All you need is a tape measure.  Check here for the bra fit guide.

“I never thought I could get such good advice without having to meet someone in person.  Love this service!”

“It’s a little tough to measure yourself, but it beats having to go to a store.  At least if you measure yourself and get fitted online first, you have one opinion to go on.  I found it very useful when going to a store.”

“I couldn’t find a tape measure but I had a ruler.  So, I used a piece of string instead of the tape measure and then held that up to the ruler to see my measurements.  It worked!”

Calling All Female Riders

How does riding for a woman differ versus for a man?  The up and down movement that comes with riding can take away the pleasure of bonding with your horse if you are a woman who does not have a good sports bra.  Nothing’s worse than the pain and distraction that comes with a bouncing bustline while you are riding.

Finding a good sports bra is the solution but it might not be an easy task.  Every body is different, so it can be difficult to find the right style and size for you in one place.  You may have to go to a number of stores to get the exposure to the selection you need.  This can be time-consuming and frustrating.

So, what’s a female rider to do?  After talking to bra fit X-pert from Dyna DuMore at X-chrom.com, we’ve summed up what to do and how to do it.

First, learn your measurements, also known as getting fitted.  Your measurements are a starting point that should guide you to the right style and size.  You can get fitted online at X-chrom.com or at most brick-and-mortar lingerie stores.

Second, prioritize what’s most important to you.  No bounce support?  No show through cup?  Pick one or two must-haves and go from there.

Finally, armed with your measurements and an understanding of your priorities, go to a store (online or offline) that has the largest selection of sports bras you can find.  Make sure the store has the expertise to use the numbers and your preferences to recommend a style and size for you.

Web site X-chrom.com has been helping riders find good sports bras with this process for 10 years now.

Manon Lahaie, who wears a D cup and rides hunter/jumper, raved about her experience.

“I’m petite (5’1”, 115 lbs.), but I couldn’t find a good sports bra of my size in any store, even those who specialized in women’s lingerie.  I took my measurements, submitted the numbers to X-chrom and they recommended not only a great style for riding but the right size.  All women riders should discover the pleasure of riding with a bra that offers the support it should.”

The trickiest part of finding a good sports bra is getting the right size for you.  It’s tough because every manufacturer uses its own sizing scheme.  So, you might not wear the same size from style to style.  A 34D in one style might be a different fit than a 34D in another manufacturer.  Rely on your buying source to guide you in one direction or another based on their understanding of the products they sell and your measurements.

This way, you can avoid the trial and error method so many of us resort to simply because you can’t find the expertise needed to make the right decision.

How do you know if a sports bra is a good sports bra for you?  Use these fit tips to see if the fit is right for you when trying on a new sports bra.

• 1. The band or piece that goes around the rib cage should fit very snugly.  It should not restrict your breathing, but, the band should not move.  If you do trunk twists, and the bra moves, then the band is too big.  If the band rides up your back, the band is too big.  If you can’t breathe, then the band is too small.

• 1. The cup should fully encase each breast without any wrinkling on the cup.  There should be no spillage out of the top or the sides of the cup.  If your breast is spilling out of the bra, then the cup is too small.  If the fabric on the cup is wrinkling up, then the cup is too big.

Make the effort necessary to find a good sports bra for you.  It’s worth your time to do your homework on the front end so you don’t waste valuable time with trial and error, time you could be spending with your horse.

• Lisa Sorrentino, Owner & Head Boob, X-chrom.com

©All Rights Reserved 2010.

In an off-beat news subject related to bra’s, the underwire of a woman’s bra has deflected a bullet in the burglary of her Detroit home!
From the article

“She noticed three teenage boys burglarizing her next-door neighbor’s empty house on the 17500 block of Huntington around 11 a.m., according to police.

Leola Brock-Reese rushed home after her alarm company phoned her daughter, she said. The thieves took some of the 72-year-old’s jewelry.”

Sports Bras

For a speedy and comfortable recovery after surgery, consider these tips.

• Wear a sports bra with strong compression to help reduce swelling
• Look for a sports bra with a front closure as you may have limited arm movement after surgery
• Avoid wearing sports bras with underwires after surgery as the underwire may irritate incisions
• Buy a sports bra one-half to one cup size larger than you plan to be after surgery to accommodate for swelling
• Buy two or more sports bras for after surgery to avoid frequent laundering

Recommended Bra Styles for Post-Surgical Needs

• Victoria Velcro Front Bra
• Serious But Friendly Enell (extra large band and cup sizes)
• Moving Comfort Grace Bra (specially made for mastectomy)

Questions? Email our Bra Fit X-pert Dyna DuMore at dyna@X-chrom.com.

For late pregnancy and after delivery, choose a bra with proper support to help you feel more comfortable and less fatigued.

• Select a bra with convenient, easy access to the breast that allows for skin-to-skin contact when you nurse your baby.
• A front closure bra can be very helpful.
• Shop for a maternity/nursing bra during the final weeks of your pregnancy as your breasts will continually change as you near your due date.
• Keep in mind you may have to choose a bra that fits well now, knowing that you may need to change to another size later on.
• Adjustable back closures will offer optimum comfort as well as the most flexibility in fit.
• Wide, cushioned, non-stretch, adjustable shoulder straps will provide support without digging into your shoulders.
• Health care professionals recommend buying two or three maternity/nursing bras, so you can have a fresh, clean bra every day.
• It may be tough to find one bra style that meets all these requirements.   Decide what’s most important to you and go from there.

Recommended Bra Styles for Nursing/Maternity

• Moving Comfort Fiona Bra (front Velcro adjustable shoulder straps)
• Moving Comfort Grace Bra (A, B and light C cups)
• Glamorise Superior Support Bra

Questions? Email our Bra Fit X-pert Dyna DuMore at dyna@X-chrom.com.