So I'm home. It's raining and I'm hallucinating(ish) from tiredness. Fun times.
Let's break through post-vacation malaise with a little post about exercise and sports bras.
(No, you are not also hallucinating. I did just write the word sport before the word bra.)
As a person who chooses merely to avoid jumping as the means by which to avoid undue bounce, this isn't one of my go-to areas of expertise. But desperate times, and all. I'm gearing myself up for some sweat-inducing cardio to improve the shape of my mid-torso in this exciting phase of life.
What cardio, specifically? I have no fucking idea. Ashtanga is out of the question (I'm just not fit enough for it - and it's frankly dangerous for the middle-age practitioner, especially if she hasn't been doing it regularly since youth). Running is just too horrible to consider. I am not shaped like runners who run without injury (though, depending on who you ask, that's nobody). Gym classes seem the most suited to me, except that I am very concerned about germs and the idea of touching things at a gym is pretty unsettling. I'm also disinclined to modify my schedule to suit that of a class. That turns a 1 hour experience into a 2 hour experience, most of the time. Swimming is out of the question. Pools are like public baths. Just thinking about them makes me freak out. Yeah, I could do a video (aka some kind of web streaming thing) but my house is 125 years old and it can't handle regular impact. Cycling is a possibility, but it's totally weather-dependent for me, and the weather here basically always sucks. Not to mention, it's not my legs that need help.
So let's start this post with a little survey:
Pretend you're a 44 year old woman who doesn't much like to sweat (but is coming to terms with its necessity). You spend a fuck of a lot of time either at work or crafting. Other time you spend managing a household. Or parenting. You do Iyengar yoga regularly, though to support the need for restoration and hormonal balance, not for cardiovascular improvement. You walk 1-2 hours daily, but that's a wash from a body-mod perspective (your body is utterly adapted to it). You are, to understate it, unmotivated to touch things that are germ-covered. You don't like most weather. Your main concern is midsection fat caused by perimenopause. Alas, strengthening exercise - totally achievable with your current yoga practice - makes for strong abs and back under a layer of unappealing fat.
What exercise do you do???
If you can find anything left after that extensive list of limiters, I will buy you a chocolate bar!
But onto the more resolvable issues - what sports bra to wear when one chooses the, ahem, burn? I am in no way qualified to compare the sports bras as I am the fancy lingerie. I've had experience with the Panache (I bought it for M and it works very well for her). I've read lots of posts by lots of women with different issues when it comes to boob size and shape and sports bras.
Sports bras, as you likely know, come in two basic styles (or a combo of the two): encapsulation and compression. Different sporty ladies prefer one or the other depending on their need for bounce control. Please note - sports bras can do their thing without wires so if you don't want bounce and you don't want wires, there's choice. While I'm a strong proponent of the under wire, I draw the line at under wire when exercising. That shit is painful!
The runners seem to like the compression style best - the standard-issue boob squashers. As a person with lots of projection over a small span, I hate the feeling of my boobs being squashed together in that fashion. But it does tend to stop the bounce. The Enell is an example of a compression bra with a wide fan-base. (Note: I've never seen one of these IRL, much less tried it on. This ain't a review.)
Disclaimer: My perspective is that squashing one's breasts together for hours at a time does not lead to happy boobs. Anecdotally, women who go from wearing bras that are too-small observe an improvement in the shape of their breasts when they begin to wear bras that fit well. From my vantage-point, compression bras don't fit breasts well, even as they have an important role to play in alleviating bounce and securing the Cooper's ligaments. Take that for what it's worth, btw (and do feel free to weigh in)!
The encapsulation style seems most popular for the ladies of my shape - projected breast volume on a narrow frame. That's cuz compression really has nowhere to go on shapes like mine. I need projection! Encapsulation styles, which can still work very well without under wire, have an interior soft-cup sling often within a compression frame. Here's a photo (in a useful review) of said sling in the Freya sports bra. Note: I did try on the Freya sports bra years ago and it was a disaster. I mean it's uniformly considered to be the most hideous of the sports bras, though many women swear by it. But, on me, the wires were horrendously wide. It somehow made my boobs look way larger and wider (east-west nipples) all at the same time. I do feel that the Freya is best for a woman with a wide frame and wide roots.
Update: Of course, underwire cup models of sports bras also work on an encapsulation basis.
The challenge with pure encapsulation models is that they don't tend to resolve the bounce factor adequately for women with medium or large breasts.
Which is where the combo model comes in. The combination style gives you the best of both worlds. (Or the worst of each, depending on your vantage point.)
Next up, I'll tell you which type of sports bra I purchased, complete with a review.
Till then, please do help me to brainstorm on the exercise front. And let me know which is your fave sports bra model and why!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Hmmm... not sure if it wold appeal to you, but we recently bought a used eliptical machine so that we can do cardio at home. The benefits are:
ReplyDelete1. no wasting time to go to the gym
2. it's smoother than a treadmill, so hopefully less noisy for our downstairs neighbours
3. smoother also makes for less boob-bouncing!
Another option might be race-walking. Powerwalking, basically, but you don't have to do the insane hip swivle business. My dad racewalks, and he's got a really strong core because of it. Basically, you lean slightly forward as you walk, lock your core, and focus on doing a choo-choo train motion with your arms. That lets you pump your arms faster than if you were swinging them in a natural arc at your side, and the faster you move your arms, the faster your legs will naturally follow. You walk so fast that your body kind wants to break into a jog, but you don't! Sure, you look like a bit of a fool, but it's much easier on your body than running and is still a hell of a cardio workout!
All my work friends have told me that I need the eliptical trainer. If only I didn't have to touch it cuz ain't no way I can buy one for the house. No space to dedicate to it, alas. But apparently it's kind of low impact and mega-cardio. Hmmmm....
DeleteRace-walking is hilarious and I just cannot bring myself to do it! I know it's terrific exercise but it's too goofy :-) And, lately, my feet (which are my car) are really overworked. I don't think it would be a good idea to push it with more foot impact.
You can make room for an eliptical! They aren't all that big, and you don't need a big area around them Is there space in the laundry room/basement/yoga room/somewhere?
DeleteReally, all the space is taken. I need things to be uncluttered. And my basement is like the zone of cluttered, unfinished misery. The yoga room is already the sewga room. I just don't think that's in the cards, though I completely appreciate your point.
Delete+1 for elliptical at home. And don't tell me about no room. I know the girl who's living in 650 sq. ft. apartment with six other people and they made a space for elliptical (her nephews bed has 2 levels and a ladder, ahha).
DeleteOK, I hear you - I've revised my way of referring to it... :-)
DeletePilates! not too much sweat, and it works on the core. Elliptical for weight, if that is an issue.
ReplyDeleteI've done some Pilates and, gotta say, I find yoga to be a better core work out. They're close approximations of one another but yoga's always been the better strengthener for me. Mind you, everyone's been telling me about the elliptical machine re: cardio. My strength is good but I need something to burn the fat. So thanks for these suggestions!
DeleteI have a body-shock sports bra I think. It's an encapsulating one and it's pretty good. If you're looking for a high impact/low time, I had a go at the 30 day shred once upon a time. 20 mins - 3 levels. I never got past level one but to begin with I had a take a break to finish that! I'm not the fittest! But a lot of people like it
ReplyDeleteI am def looking for low time/high impact. I want it done with fast! I've never heard of this 30 day shred. Doesn't sound pleasant :-) must look it up...
DeleteOK, I just found it online. It's with the fitness star from that TV show. She is mean! But so far, it looks like the kind of thing I could get with. Thanks - will continue to watch.
DeleteYes, all interval things, so only a minute or two of each horrible task lol
DeleteI actually watched the whole thing - it looks active but doable. Thanks for telling me about it. I can see how this might be the kind of thing I'd do a couple of times a week, before 30 min of yoga.
DeleteI get where you're coming from about using gym machines. I took immunosuppressants for years, and gyms gave me the screaming heebie jeebies. I'd suggest getting full finger cycling gloves from someplace like MEC - washable, you don't have to touch the equipment directly, and you just look like you're athletic instead of phobic!
ReplyDeleteI agree that the elliptical sounds like a good choice for you.
And I'm still loving the Victoria's Secret sports bra - the bottom layer gives good encapsulation, and holds the breasts far enough apart that when you zip up the compression layer you don't get bread loaf boob. It is an underwire though.
I'm glad I don't seem completely crazy! I used to get sick so often from hideously crowded yoga classes - and I was using my own mat. I've thought of getting gloves but I'm worried I would look freakish (someone suggested as much)
DeleteTwo things: 1. I've been doing well with the LuluLemon TaTa Tamers, which are a combo bra. They seem narrower than many I've tried and keep me comfy for long runs.
ReplyDelete2. I think videos might be a thing that could work for you--you're home, no equipment needed, and there are a plethora to choose from. Of course you probably want to try various on YouTube first to see which you might buy, but at least you can do that! I know they will make you sweaty, but I think you simply have to sweat to burn fat. Good luck!
I believe M wears that one too... (Lulu) Emmie directed me to a video that's quite cardio (but not jumping up and down non stop). I will give it a go. I agree, though I have to sweat. Ugh.
DeleteElliptical is what I do to warm up for strength training. It's great for lower impact but feeling like you are doing more than walking. However, I've heard that it actually burns fewer calories than other gym machines (ie rowing, stair climber, arc/nordic trainer, etc).
ReplyDeleteIf you don't want to do full-on running, what about adding hills to your walking? Or you could dip your toe ever so slightly towards running with some intervals - say 60 seconds or running for every 2-5 minutes of walking? Those little spikes of high intensity really rev up one's metabolism more than doing a consistently paced workout (according to my trainer).
As for bras, I HATE compression, even for running. Not sure about the range of sizes, but you may want to check out Bounce by Title Nine (bounce.titlenine.com). They carry some fantastic sports bras.
I've heard that about eliptical too - and, since this is entirely about fat burning and slenderizing, I have to choose wisely. I have seriously considered that running walking combo. Thing is, I'd have to do it outside of work hours - couldn't combine it into my daily commute. Not sure how motivated I'd be, when all is said and done, after having walked for hours.
DeleteAhh. Well, since the exercise you can stick with will ultimately be the most useful/best, my next suggestion is try a few things. I never expected running to work for me, but it does. It took 10 years of Phin telling me that I might like it to give it a try. So, you may also be surprised at what you ultimately like.
DeletePS - I wear gloves at the gym. Not crazy.
I have a love/hate relationship with the Enell, but it's all I will ever wear for bouncy stuff. It's so ugly, it feels terrible, and I pretty much strip it off as soon as I get in the door. But it more than makes up for all of that when I have my arms over my head while jumping up and down, and my 32F boobs don't move.
ReplyDeletePersonally, if I'm going to work out for any length of time, it has to be in a class. A machine is just too easy to walk away from, and is usually boring enough that I might. I like zumba and kickboxing- if you do a kickboxing class without bags, you may not even have to touch stuff on a regular basis, and zumba is unlikely to have anything you have to touch (or if you do, it's weights, those are cheap).
I've heard a number of people say that about Enell. Thanks for sharing your perspective on the bra! And I totally hear you about classes beating the machines/internet work outs. I have been known to answer the phone, rather than do the next minute of plank.
DeleteMy French rack (hehe, and thank you!) tolerates a squashing bra and I can't tolerate bounce when I'm running. My big beef with the sports bras I have is trying to wrestle out of the damn things! Honestly, some days I think I'll have to scissor my escape...
ReplyDeleteAs for cardio, what about dance of some form? Zumba sounds like fun.
Rowing is something I'd consider at some point, but the logistics are tiring to contemplate...
I know what you mean! And they are deliberately like that! Dance is a fun idea but (while I can manage yoga choreography just fine) dancing choreo is painful for me. I am SO pathetic. Inelegant doesn't describe it!
DeleteRowing. No bounce. Easy on the knees. Lots of sweat. Few germs. You don't go out if the weather is bad.
ReplyDeleteI started when I was 35 and was hooked.
Is there a club nearby? Nothing worse than a long commute to exercise. I'm lucky. My boathouse has always been a 10 minute (bike) ride from home.
Alas, for me to get to rowing would be quite a trek. But a friend does rowing and she loves it! And she has awesome arms and middle.
DeleteI second the Rowing idea. No impact for joints and back, great over all cardio. Involves shoulders/arms, trunk and legs. However, the thought of actually being out on water scares me. I have an indoor rower - called something like an ergometer. It is the greatest pure exercise option with the littlest room for athletic injuries. That said if you are as out of shape as I was it take days/weeks to work up the minutes you can do. But it's worth it.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind being on water - but getting to a rowing club is very fussy for me. I like the idea of your machine, but I'm committed to doing this without bringing things into my home.
DeleteIn my 30s I found strength training did -far- more to reshape my body than cardio. And now, in my 40s, it seems even more true. Now that I have a life & am no longer willing to spend hours in the gym, I find I don't really miss all the weight & machines, & can accomplish similar results with resistance tubing (genius physical therapists demo'd that for me). I do wall squats at work, lunges, & the best thing I've found to tone my midsection (I lost a kidney, which added an inch to waist overnight after the surgery, which went thru muscle layers) is standing tricep exercises. You hook the tubing over a door, then pull down slowly wih the handles held close together in front of your body. Holding that move takes serious ab strength, which I found eliminated crunches entirely. Good riddance too, as no matter how good my form, those always annoy m lower back.
ReplyDeleteI def want to incorporate strength training, but I have quite a lot off that in my yoga practice. But I hear you about muscle mass being key...
DeleteOh how your post speaks to me (hating the gym because it is gross and germy, hating sweating, worried about the long-term effects of running, etc). I'm happiest with videos. The Classical Stretch series and Core Fusion Body Sculpt are two favorites of mine. I've also switched it up with The 30 Day Shred.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like most people that lose weight from being active are REALLY active, ie they are farmers or otherwise have a job where they are constantly moving for at least 8 hours a day. Everyone else may have gotten muscle tone from the exercise but what really made them drop the pounds was following a strict diet. Not just eating healthy stuff and avoiding processed foods but being very observant about portion size and always cooking your own food so you know exactly what is in it. I know everyone seems to love going out to eat but it is the only thing that seems to make me gain weight...
I'm so glad to know I'm not alone! And I totally agree that diet is key. Thing is, I'm already pretty careful about that. Not so interested in eating less - or differently. I made a lot of changes to my diet years ago and it was very successful in terms of weight maintenance. Alas, I'm at a new frontier. I'm going to try with exercise first because food is too enjoyable to slash further.
DeleteI was going to say cross-trainer/ elliptical, too (my gym has alcohol wipes provided, and you only have to touch the handles and the screen) but I see that ship has been scuttled. I'm trying Hawaiian hula classes next week, I am exceedingly unco, so I will report back.
ReplyDeleteRe choreography, it's worth remembering that anything you take up from new, you will suck at for a few months. Bridge, a language, dance, yoga, martial arts - being a beginner again is hard. But good for your body and your brain.
I think just find something, anything, that is at an inside venue near you. Ping pong, badminton, dance, digging the garden, whatever. Otherwise it's too hard to get to. If you really want to work out at home, nerdfitness.com is quite motivational (and also reckons the evidence is against spending hours on some machine, hallelujah). They have several good challenge programs that are worth a look (NAYY).
I totally agree: When you learn something new, you're bound to suck! But there's a diff between a learning curve and lack of aptitude. And I'm on the fence about where I stand with dance. Of course, it never hurts the brain to learn - but the ego, ouch! I will check out your link. Thanks.
DeleteDon't discount weight training. It doesn't have to be huge weights--start with 5lb, working up to 10. Adding ankle weights to a basic mat routine also helps speed things up! Just turned 45--about five years ago weights were a key part of 20lb weight loss. Perimenopause and falling off the exercise wagon mean I've got to shift the 10 that have come back. I'll be sweating with you!
ReplyDeleteI won't discount it! I think it's key. But I have quite a bit of that going on already. Mind you, I'm happy to do more - incorporated into some cardio routine. And I'm thrilled to know I won't be alone! I'll keep you posted...
DeleteSounds like your already doing lots of exercise. You could try a 30 day Ab challenge and see if it works (reviews are mixed, with back problems being a regular complaint but you could spread it over 60 days). Doesn't sound like you want to lose weight but diet will make a difference in terms of reducing fatty areas - lean meats, veggies, limited fat (including dairy), carbs and alcohol. I've been on a similar diet for health reasons the last 3 months (without the dairy as I'm allergic) and while it works, it's boring as hell. Somedays, I can barely stand the sight of lettuce or hummous....
ReplyDeleteI've already eliminated alcohol from Mon - Thurs. (Oy, that was sad.) And I'm pretty reasonable when it comes to how I eat. In the past, change of diet has done the trick in resetting my weight. But, at this stage, I think I have to shake things up with unexpected, hard cardio.
DeleteA few things to address here! Firstly, I concur with the others re: the elliptical machine. My gym has hand sanitizer and antiseptic spray, so germs can be minimised.
ReplyDeleteNow, I have worn bras from 34G to 32GG to (currently) 30F. My rib cage is very very narrow. I adore Shock Absorber bras, though if you have inflexible shoulders you may need assistance to put them on! They are compression, and I wouldn't wear one all day, but for a few hours of sweating they're fine. Otherwise I loooove the Panache sports bras.
Well - I know I'm giving away the scoop here, but I got a Shock Absorber and I love it. The one I got is a combo encapsulation/compression. Stay tuned for deets. And thanks for sharing info!
DeleteFor sports bras, I prefer encapsulation-also being a narrow frame, projecting breast type myself. I like the Panache best, wear 34FF (it runs large in cup). Freya sport NON-wired is my second choice (wired versions were FAR too wide for me), but require much bigger cup size and find the look less than attractive - yet functional, especially when worn with a shelf-bra lined top for extra stability. The Shock Absorber brand bras are not bad: http://www.amazon.com/Shock-Absorber-Active-Support-Sports/dp/B00IABXWZQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1405354524&sr=1-5&keywords=shock+absorber+sports+bras
ReplyDeleteIn Chantelle bra, I currently wear 32H. I suspect I would do best to perfect my Bravo Bella Bravo 2 bra pattern as a sports bra. I love the back closing on the Shock Absorber bra- band gives excellent support, comfort and ventilation and should clone it for my own customized bra pattern.
Hey, Anon - see my comment to Kat above. I am a convert :-)
DeleteHow funny! I see your next post is up...you are right about the bottom-heavy being better suited to the shock absorber. Getting a bigger band does allow that extra space, and their bands run very small. I still prefer a full encapsulation, without any compression, so I have stuck with the Panache. I never feel the underwire, as it's very well cushioned. The shock absorber could easily be cloned, should you ever feel so inclined! It ventilates better than the Panache, so better for our hot weather here in the DC area summers.
DeleteI've considered cloning! But then, if I have something that works - maybe I'm too lazy to clone.
DeleteI took up rowing as a student and loved it. But it takes a lot of time. Recently I was injured and warmed up on a rowing machine at my physical therapist. I would love a rowing machine at home, but we have no space either. I go to the gym for pilates, zumba classes and body pump. I had to get the hang of zumba too, but I enjoy it a lot. Everybody is too busy getting their own steps right, not looking how other people move. (at our gym anyway). I love the music. Body pump really burns fat, and is low impact. My husband takes a spinning class, that's really sweaty too. For running and zumba I wear a Shock absorber (80B European size), for anything else it I wear my old Triump sports bra.
ReplyDeleteI don't love the idea of spinning or jumping up and down - but I know they are key to switching up my overly well-ingrained routine.
DeleteNo advice on the bra, but for the workout I <3 my kettlebell! It's cardio and weight training in one, but you have to focus and do the moves exactly right. Otherwise they don't really work. I haven't done it in a while, like before baby #2, but I am planning to start up again when we get moved in. And all you need for it is; you, a spot in the middle of a room, and a kettlebell. :-)
ReplyDeleteI've seen those classes. I hear they're quite good.
DeleteIf you were interested in cycling you could get a stationary bike stand so that you could use your bike indoors during the 10 months of year you wouldn't want to cycle outdoors in Toronto!
ReplyDeleteOh please, you exaggerate. It's 9 months of the year :-)
DeleteI would recommend a Concept 2 rowing machine with some sort of visual/workout assist (I think Xeno Muller has an interesting program that includes a workout synchronized with visuals from a real body of water). The machine can be turned upright to occupy a relatively small space when not in use. They are not cheap, but can often be found on e-bay, Craig's list and the like). There can be a certain meditative quality about it, my description was "like knitting, only more aerobic". If it doesn't work out for you, they do retain their value and you can most likely get what you paid for it (unlike many other home exercise devices.)
ReplyDeleteI love your description of rowing! It makes it sound very enjoyable!
DeleteI do T-Tapp videos - I can't do much in the way of impact, and they're near-zero, while delivering good core work and some cardio. They're so low-impact that I can do them bra free. (I wear a 36F, for comparison purposes). HTH!
ReplyDeleteI think I might be in the mood for a bit of impact - but I will def check this out. Thanks!
Deletebelly-dancing :)
ReplyDeleteit's low-impact and has variable difficulty (the basics are pretty quick to pick up, but you can always improve your control and/or make it more complicated)
I am....extremely uncoordinated (can move my arms or my legs when learning something new (I choose legs and eventually add the arms in :) )) and enjoy the heck out of it.
I'd suggest a class if the timing works but there are lots of videos (and many on youtube too I suspect :) )
I've tried belly dancing and, while I loved the movement, I was hilariously inept at the choreography! I think I'd need to learn that one with a video :-)
Delete