Only the Breast for our DE Sportief Bra

 Why our hybrid sports bra, the Sportief, is the go-to bra for comfort and performance when riding

A recent study on breast support during exercise (ref 1) has found that poor bra fit is unfortunately common, with approximately 85% of women reported to be wearing ill-fitting bras. This has been attributed to three primary factors: a lack of knowledge among women regarding both the need for proper breast support during physical activity and how a bra should fit; poor standardisation of bra sizing by many bra manufacturers; and inadequate bra designs. (With our beautiful Sportief bra, we are hopefully alleviating such issues! We’re helping to spread the word about the need for proper breast support, have a comprehensive range of sizes with clear size guides, and have created what we believe to be the ultimate sports bra. The Sportief is a fashion-focussed product that ticks every functional sports bra box as well, for the ultimate in comfort and support, when riding).

 

Jog on

Demand for sport-specific bras began in the 1970s, after the United States introduced legislation that prohibited sexual discrimination in sport; sports medicine research followed, which identified that breast pain during exercise could be very problematic for women, and could impede their sporting prowess. The first bra designed specifically to support a woman's breasts during running is thought to have been developed in 1977, when a costume designer sewed two jock straps (very supportive male groin protection garments!) together for an avid female runner, to form the prototype ‘Jogbra’ (Ref 2).

Since the earliest research investigating breast motion, numerous biomechanical studies have confirmed that running and jumping (research that also translates well to horse riding, with its vertical forces when trotting) results in such degrees of breast movement that a female’s ability to move her upper limbs and flex her torso can be affected, if external breast support is not worn.

 

Unhappy-slappy

The total amount of breast movement during physical activity is a combination of how much the breasts are ‘displaced’ and the number of times they bounce. (The wince-inducing term ‘breast slap’ is often used.) Most sports bras have traditionally been designed to minimise the amount of breast displacement via compression (effectively compressing them down), or encapsulation (encasing each breast in a separate, structured cup.)

However, sports bras that reduce breast displacement purely via compression have been perceived to be the most uncomfortable to wear. Encapsulation bras are often not the most attractive. Hence, hybrid bras like our Sportief have been developed, to offer both benefits.

 

Sports bras for horse riding

Rather than just minimising breast displacement, well-designed hybrid sports bras like ours can reduce exercise-induced breast discomfort by simultaneously elevating and compressing the breasts. Elevating the breasts can reduce tension and loading of the anatomical breast support structures, the overlying skin, and also the Cooper's ligaments. A compressive element decreases what’s called ‘flexion torque’, the lateral and rotational movement generated by the breasts. (Just take sitting trot without an adequate sports bra, and you will fully understand the term!)

The DerriereEquestrian Sportief bra for riding has a racer back, padded support, and a clever front opening, offering breast compression as well as a shaping and an encapsulation effect, for more of a ‘comfort’ fit. This bra is so attractive, you can easily wear it at the gym or exercise class, and feel confident as well as supported. The material and structure in the Sportief cupping system seam is designed to lift, separate, shape and support the breasts, which in turn leaves the rider’s shoulders and upper back more comfortable and in a healthier, ‘open’ posture, as opposed to more ‘closed’ and protective. It’s the perfect garment to take your mind of your ‘breast bounce’, and concentrate on your riding.

 

To summarise, the Sportief sports bra is designed to provide additional support during horse riding and exercise, minimise breast movement, alleviate discomfort and reduce potential chest ligament damage. It comes in seven bra sizes, which covers fourteen to eighteen common bra specifications. We are sure you will not look back once you have tried it! It’s a garment we’re super proud of, and our customer feedback corroborates this.

 

Visit derriereequestrian.com to check out the Sportief sports bra from Derriere Equestrian.

 

Ref 1 - Biomechanics of Breast Support for Active Women; McGhee, Deirdre E.; Steele, Julie R.Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews: July 2020 - Volume 48 - Issue 3 - p 99-109.

 

Ref 2 - Schuster K. Equipment update: jogging bras hit the streets. Phys. Sportsmed. 1979; 7(4):125–8.

Antoine Nowakowski – top tips for an effective warm up and cool down

Continuing our recent series of ‘how to’ articles from leading riders, leading dressage competitor and trainer and Derriere ambassador, Frenchman Antoine Nowakowski, shares with us his suggestions for the warm up and cool down stages of flatwork training.

 

Warm up

Let’s think about what are the practical reasons behind warming up? This phase prepares the horse’s muscles and tissues for work, and can also have a psychological aspect, in terms of preparing the horse mentally. Each horse’s warm up and cool down programme should be tailored to its level of fitness and discipline. Generally speaking, the warm up period is a phase of gentle exercise that stimulates the muscles to safely contract by increasing blood flow; allows synovial joint fluid to lubricate the joints; helps prevent lactic acid build-up by stimulating the circulatory system; and prevents injury caused by strain to tissues, such as tendons and ligaments. Generally I find that horses work best when given around twenty minutes of initial slow work, especially in walk, before they are asked to perform anything taxing.

 

Warming up and cooling down is fundamental to training! If you are not effective in your warm up, you will be building on tight muscles. The primary purpose of this stage for me is to get blood to the horse’s surface muscles, and warm them up. My golden rule is, never stretch cold muscles; stretching longitudally and laterally comes afterwards, when the muscles are more supple. After this happens, the next stage is to get the horse responding to my aids.

 

 

Non-mounted warm up

Ground work can be very beneficial to a horse’s exercise programme. In colder weather you can walk the horse in-hand in the arena for five to ten minutes before mounting. This allows the horse to physically warm up and get used to its surroundings. I would advise only mounting when your horse has relaxed sufficiently. Other ground-based warm-ups include lungeing and long reining, which can help a horse to supple up through his body, begin working from behind and stretch down into a relaxed frame.

 

Mounted warm up

An important piece of advice is not to neglect the walk in your mounted warm up, especially if you have not done any ground work first. A useful show warm up is often lots of walking - straight lines and lateral work. This relaxes the horse and prepares them for the subsequent work. Warm up is key, as horses working and competing at high levels need to be physically and mentally able to meet the demands of competition.

 

Cool down

A cooling down period is also vital! At the end of a flatwork session, you could do around five minutes’ worth of ‘long and low’ work, keeping the horse’s concentration by putting in lots of transitions. You can then walk on a loose rein for up to five minutes, or even take him for a walk outside the arena, to cool off.

 

Comfort and performance

Antoine is French vice-national champion in the 7-year-old division, and recently won the Inter II at the CDI Deauville event in France with Quatergirl, in the pair’s second ever international competition, culminating in their first victory at this level. “If you are a big fan of flatwork training, as I am, then you need to be comfortable in the saddle. I like Derriere riding underwear. Remember that when the rider is comfortable within the saddle, they can move more easily with the horse’s gait. Comfortable underwear and breeches are a must and the Derriere Equestrian range is designed for both men and women; it’s hard to find great riding underwear for men, but I find these products excel at their job, offering exceptional comfort and performance,” he says.