Motion in the Ocean

      Good Afternoon... Hope you are staying on the road to getting healthy. How is the "abs challenge" working for you?  Don't worry, you don't have to tell me.  I will tell you that I have slipped a few times, but I just get back on track and hope I stay there.  Hey, this road to healthy will be a long one.  We did not get this out of shape overnight.  We did not start our bad eating habits yesterday. And we did not just start to ignore our fitness last week.  This is a journey...So let's go!!! 
     Now I want to speak on something that you may have read about in the past many times, but if you are like me, the writer didn't really touch the subject the way you really needed them to. Let's talk about sports bras.  Now, I am a well-endowed, not the average size bra wearing lady. Right, I am not the average 34B wearing Sistah.  I need a bra to fit and control the Motion in the Ocean. 
     Sports bras have various ratings, usually seen as MCR--Motion Control Rating.  There is:  
   
                      Low MCR--The bra usually has no cups, comes in sizes S/M/L/XL. Can be worn  
                      for low movement activities like gardening, yoga, walking.
                      Med MCR--Most sports bras have this rating. Used for moderate intensity     
                      activities such as hiking, spinning, and cycling. 
                      High MCR--This bra will give you major support. It is used for high impact   
                      activities like jogging, tennis, volleyball, and aerobics. 
                      Max MCR--This bra will give you maximum support during the most intense   
                      activities. 

     So, why do you need to invest in a couple of sports bras that are appropriate for your activity type?  First of all, they will help minimize movement.  Second, they can help reduce the chance of damage to your chest ligaments.  Now, don't get me wrong, I have on many occasions worn two of my everyday bras in an attempt to keep the "boob bounce" to a minimum, but everyday bras are made for everyday movement.  They tend to move with you and that is why they have those stretchy shoulder straps/side panels.  I find that my shoulders and neck hurt when I wear two bras.   In doing research for this topic I found out that most sports bras are made with a criss-cross strap in the back or a modified cross in the back to avoid direct pressure on the shoulder trapezius muscle which can lead to neck and shoulder pain, tingling in the arms and headache (I guess it is some truth to the fact that you learn something new everyday). 
     Now, for my well-endowed or plus size family and friends, we ALREADY know, buying a bra that keeps "the gurls" sitting up high, means we have to pay A LOT $$$ more for our bras. There are no $19.99 bras for us.  So, yes, this bra is going to be a little more expensive, but it will be well worth it.   I also have found that I have to order online, as most stores DO NOT CARRY my size in-store stock.  There are some websites that may actually direct you to stores in your area.  A few sites that sell or can direct you to stores that sell the larger size sports bras are www.Biggerbras.com,  www.Enell.com,  www.Championusa.com, www.Barenecessities.com.  Good luck and let me know how you made out... Yes, I know, it is not as much fun as shopping for SHOES!!!   SMOOCHES...