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Back to school: Why a sports bra is a PE kit ‘must-have’
Posted by Claire Boote, on September 4, 2020.
Estimated reading time: 1 minute(s)
New school uniform? Check. New shoes? Check. PE kit refreshed? Check. Or is it? We’re betting that many parents will have ticked off plimsols, shorts, T-shirts…but does your daughter have a new sports bra in her gym bag this term?
Dr Nicola Brown of St Mary’s University recently surveyed more than 2,000 girls aged between 11 and 17 and found that around half avoid sport and exercise because of their breasts. Unfortunately, only 10% reported always wearing a sports bra to exercise and more than half had never worn a sports bra. This means that the delicate breast muscle and tissue is at risk of damage, just at the point at which it is growing and developing. It also means that many girls feel self-conscious or embarrassed by their changing body shape during PE lessons, often putting them off sports for good.
At Royce, we believe that a well-fitted sports bra is an essential part of a girl’s PE kit
We love what teacher and former professional footballer Eartha Pond has been doing in this area. She’s been campaigning to get schoolgirls to recognise the importance of wearing a good sports bra, and to encourage schools to add sports bras to their school uniform checklist for parents. She believes that this will go some way towards removing the obstacles girls face in engaging with sports – girls are already behind boys in terms of meeting the national guideline levels for regular physical activity.
How to get fitted for a sports bra
Girls should be measured for a bra roughly between the ages of 8 and 12 years (obviously, depending on their own individual development). If an in-person consultation with a professional fitter isn’t possible at the moment, we’ve produced a DIY fitting guide for teens and pre-teens to do in the comfort of their bedroom (with or without parents). Finding the perfect fit the first time will ensure that any sports bra is giving optimal performance while your girl focuses on winning those team points!
Access the guide (and remember to re-fit every term).
But what is a good sports bra for pre-teen and teenage girls?
Many girls (and their parents) believe a simple crop top is sufficient, particularly if breasts are small. However, crop tops often don’t offer enough support, even for smaller breast sizes, and certainly not enough for medium or high-impact activity.
A non-wired sports bra is best for growing and developing breast tissue and at Royce we’ve designed a range of wirefree sports bras for small to larger breast sizes. Our favourites include:
Impact Free Adjustable Fit
This stylish sports bra features an adjustable racer-back allowing the bra to be anchored to the body, offering greater support. Available in band sizes 30 to 38, and cup sizes A to D.
Impact Free D-FF
Girls are developing younger than ever it seems. The Impact Free D – FF is designed to support fuller cups, made from 100% cotton for all day comfort.
Impact Free G-K
For larger bust sizes, our classic Impact Free sports bras are great for low to medium-impact activity, offering superb comfort and support.
Aerocool
The UK’s first wirefree, high-impact sports bra for G-K cups will be launched this November. Now those with larger boobs can choose a great sports bra for high-impact activity – the sleek design minimises vertical and horizontal bounce and, being wirefree, it offers excellent comfort.
