Sports bras are intended to provide support, motion control, and a snug fit for the breasts during exercise or sports. The right sports bra for an individual means purchasing one that is the best fit for your comfort requirements and support, accurately fits your bust size, and matches your level of activity. A proper fit is important in order to obtain the maximum in comfort and motion control during exercise.

Many women do not know how to choose the proper bra size, and as a result are wearing ill-fitting bras. To prevent this from happening, measure around your chest, under the arms, and just above the breasts. If your chest measurement is an odd number, round it up to the next even number. To fit the cup size, measure around the fullest part of your bus, and if it is in between numbers, round it up or down to the nearest whole number. The cup size is based on the difference between the chest measurement and the bust measurement with a 1" difference being an "A" cup and a 5" difference being a "DD" cup.

Since sports bras support the breasts and minimize the motion of them during exercise, it's important to find a bra that provides enough support for your level of activity. Most sports bras are rated by level of activity, and should be purchased based on that. The higher the impact of the activity, the more support that you need while you are performing that activity.

There are a variety of styles from which to choose, but it's more important to look for the proper fit and support first, and then look for the style you want within that area. You must concern yourself with fit and capability before you worry about the style. Look at it as you would if you were a waitress buying a pair of comfortable shoes because it is similar in that a waitress wearing ill-fitting shoes stands to cause damage to her back and legs, and an athlete or someone who exercises frequently can cause the delicate ligaments in the breast to stretch with an ill-fitting sports bra.