Here’s the sports bra info you need if you’ve chosen surgical breast reconstruction to regain the body shape image you’re most comfortable with.  The fine points of getting the right fit and support in your bra depends on whether you’ve chosen implants or a ‘flap procedure’ with your own body tissues.

Flap procedures using your own natural body tissue usually give you a reconstructed breast much more similar in every way to your original ones than an implant, so your fit and support needs should be comfortably similar to what they were pre-surgery.  So feel free to grab the sports bra styles you have always known and loved!

Synthetic implants actually bring some surprising benefits to your quest for great breast support during a tough workout! First, they’re a little stiffer (think less jiggly) than natural breast tissue, which means that even if your bra size is the same as pre-surgery, your new ‘girls’ will bounce less during high-impact moves. The latest implants also come in special materials that are lighter for their size than natural breast tissue, which means you can get fuller curves with less weight on your sports bra shoulder straps.  

In my sports bra conversations with active breast cancer survivors, the main challenge with implants is often in the fit:  Even if your cup size hasn’t changed, implants may be broader at the base than your pre-surgery breasts, pushing you up a cupsize to accommodate the shape-shift.  It can also make it tougher to find an underwire style that perfectly matches the curve of your implant and lies flat on your chest.

Underwire sports bras can also provoke a pain/sensitivity issue post-surgery.  Since implants are often inserted through incisions along the bottom crease between your chest and breast, scar tissue in the area can make underwires ouchy long after the actual incisions have healed.

To work around these fit and comfort challenges, I suggest first trying a wire-free sports bra (which will be a little more forgiving in fit and comfort) for your post-implant workouts.  But if you wouldn’t dream of heading out for a workout without the familiar anchoring of an underwire sports bra, don’t hesitate to sleuth out one that works for you and your new shape.  Just make sure the wire is well-cushioned, and that its curve matches yours and rests totally on your chest, not your implant.

Thanks for being with me through this past month of special posts!  Breast cancer touches so many of our lives (if not yours personally, then certainly someone you know well).  In the middle of all the challenges, that best news is that living an energetic active lifestyle is one of the best (and most fun!) ways to cut our risk.  We’re talking a huge advantage here—staying active over your lifetime can pull down your risk of getting breast cancer by nearly 25%!  And if you do get breast cancer, consistent exercise can cut your risk of it recurring in half!!  It really IS that powerful!

So keep kicking it—and living your best life!

LaJean

If you’ve decided to preserve your curves without additional surgery or internal implants, you’re going to love today’s new crop of breast forms!  Unlike the heavy “Barbie cones” of years past, current breast forms are lighter, cooler, and more lifelike than ever before…and they’ll keep their perky, curvy shape without sagging even if (like me) you’re well past the 55-year-old milepost!

If you’re a super-active,sporty gal, the new generation of lighter, better ventilated breast forms couldn’t come at a better time. Do a quick Web search on “breast forms” and you’ll see what I mean! They are incredibly simple and non-invasive--just secure them inside your bra to create the curves you want without extra sweat, bounce and weight on your shoulders.

Once you decide on the perfect external breast forms for your size and shape, you have many bra choices to keep them snugged securely on your chest.   You can pick from specially engineered ‘mastectomy’ models with built-in pockets to secure breast forms, a regular ‘unpocketed’ sports bra (just keep the form tucked inside next to your skin), or your favorite ‘regular’ sports bra with custom pockets of your choice sewn in (The American Cancer Society’s TLC website is one source of ready-to-sew-in pockets).  

Regardless of your personal bra choice, to customize fit and keep everything safely and comfortably locked down, look for adjustable straps and bands, and slightly higher neckline and underarm coverage. Features like a wider bottom band and/or well-cushioned underwires will give you extra-secure anchoring for your breast forms. 

Again, while I sincerely hope my tips helpful, the most credible advice of all comes from those of you who’ve walked the walk, who’ve sleuthed out and tested your own great post-mastectomy breast form solutions.  It’s really going to brighten someone else’s day if you can take a minute, pop down to the comment box below and share the scoop on specific brands, styles and strategies that have helped you successfully reclaim both your curves and the active life that you love!  

Thanks in advance for weighing in—and don’t forget to pop back in next week to get the scoop on the best sports bras after full breast reconstruction.  You may be surprised how much the requirements change!

LaJean

Here are tips on the sports bras you need for exercise during Phase 2, the second and more active stage of mastectomy recovery.  Fitness-loving women I’ve talked to really get a sense of hope when they can start on the road back to the vitality they love! 

Four to six weeks after surgery, you will usually be given the OK to add more exercises and boost your workout intensity.  Higher impact exercises demand more support from your sports bra to keep you comfortable and your healing process on track.  So look for a “high motion control” rating and features like wide adjustable straps and bottom band, less-stretchy cups, and good coverage in the cleavage and armhole areas.  

You’ll still need to avoid underwires in any of your bras as they can still irritate the incision area.  In fact if you’ve had reconstruction with implants (lots more on reconstruction in next week’s blog!), your surgeon will probably ask you to wait 3 months to wear a wire.  That’s because your body is forming scar tissue around the implant, and an underwire could cause a permanent ‘dent’ in your shape—not the kind of curves you’re looking for!  To get the stability you want without the wire, look for sports bras with strategic body-friendly support panels or bands, like Champion’s 360° Max Support (#1612) and PowerSleek (#1691).

For many women, mastectomy (the surgical removal of breast tissue along with cancer cells) is just the first step to becoming cancer-free and returning to a normal, active life.  Other life-saving treatments like chemotherapy and radiation may be a necessary part of your treatment plan, and you also get to make your own personal decisions about your post-surgery body shape.  

After mastectomy, some of you choose to stay au natural; others of you with single or double mastectomies choose external (and increasingly high-tech) breast forms as your strategy; and many of you also choose reconstruction with implants or your own tissues to regain the body image you’ve grown comfortable with over the years. 

These are all great choices, but be aware that the specific treatment plan you choose will point you in a somewhat different direction when it comes to hooking up with the best post-mastectomy sports bra.  I like dealing with the simplest, least complicated first—so let’s talk about what to look for in your sports bra when you stay au natural (no reconstruction or breast forms) after double mastectomy.

If you’re an active woman who’s had double mastectomy, you may actually find a certain freedom and lightness in not having any of the weight and motion of breasts weighing you down during a workout!

Besides gaining the boyish chest of a fashion supermodel, one of the best perks of the au natural choice is that you’ll never again have to worry about bouncing or sagging breasts when you’re kicking it hard!  But most of us, regardless of breast size, do find that wearing attractive and sporty gear gives us body confidence that spills over into a better workout, so don’t hold back from scooping up sports bras in irresistible colors and ‘gotta-have-it’ new styles! 

Beyond aesthetics, wearing a sports bra between body and shirt also helps protect your tender skin from abrasion—look for silky, body-friendly bra fabrics that help wick sweat away.  

When you go au natural, whether you’re looking for fashion or protection the most important style feature to look for is a flat, stretchy compression style that lies smoothly against your chest with no unwanted bumps or wrinkles (no molded, curved cups!).   Easy, cushy styles that do the trick include the Champion’s 2960, 2961 and 2697 seamless and 7904 cotton-rich sports bras.

If you’ve gone the natural route post-mastectomy, we’d love to learn from your feelings and experience, so I sincerely hope you’ll take a moment to share a comment or question below!

See you again soon!

LaJean

First, kudos to all of my courageous active sisters who have given the push-back to breast cancer and are reclaiming the joy of fitness!!  Doing the right kind of exercise at the right time during recovery is one of the greatest tools we have for getting back to living our best lives!

Mastectomy treatment and recovery have several key stages, and I’m going to give each of them the attention they deserve in separate posts over the next few weeks.  The kinds of exercise you can do as well as the best sports bra to support your progress depend on the stage you’re in.  

We’ll also take a look at the sports bras you need for exercise during Phase 2, the second and more active stage of mastectomy recovery.  Fitness-loving women I’ve talked to really get a sense of hope when they can start on the road back to the vitality they love! 

It’s absolutely essential to collaborate with your own surgeon on when it’s safe to get going again, and what specific activities will help your healing process the most.  This great overview from the American Cancer Society is a good start on understanding the fundamentals:  Cancer.org Exercises after Breast Surgery.

Early recovery activities:  When you have your surgeon’s approval, the goal of your exercise soon after mastectomy surgery is to increase your arm range-of-motion and overall healing while decreasing pain and risk of swelling.  Gentle exercise is your wonderful friend and ally in this process, and your activity Rx will probably focus on breathing, stretching, and walking to encourage healthy circulation.  

Best sports bras during early recovery:  When it comes to your sports bra, your doc may recommend a compression-style model to hug you close and give added support to tender tissues during healing.  An added plus is that stretchy compression sports bras can naturally adjust to post-surgery size differences.  

Look for a minimum of hooks and hardware (no underwires!), and soft body-friendly fabrics so nothing can irritate your incisions and tender skin. It’s important not to sweat into your incisions, so keep your intensity low and make sure your sports bra is great at wicking away any perspiration.  To make getting in and out of your bra less painful, try a zip-front style like Champion’s #1699 Zip Tech Sports Bra. 

Four to six weeks after surgery, you will usually be given the OK to add more exercises and boost your workout intensity.  Higher impact exercises demand more support from your sports bra to keep you comfortable and your healing process on track.  So look for a “high motion control” rating and features like wide adjustable straps and bottom band, less-stretchy cups, and good coverage in the cleavage and armhole areas.  

You’ll still need to avoid underwires in any of your bras as they can still irritate the incision area.  In fact if you’ve had reconstruction with implants (lots more on reconstruction in next week’s blog!), your surgeon will probably ask you to wait 3 months to wear a wire.  That’s because your body is forming scar tissue around the implant, and an underwire could cause a permanent ‘dent’ in your shape—not the kind of curves you’re looking for!  To get the stability you want without the wire, look for sports bras with strategic body-friendly support panels or bands, like Champion’s #1612 360° Max Support and #1691 PowerSleek.

Share your own tips with your sisters! I sincerely hope my insights and guidelines over the next few weeks are helpful, but without a doubt, the most valuable advice comes from those of you who’ve found great solutions through your own trial-and-error.  So I hope you’ll take a minute to share your styles & strategies in the comments below.

Next Week:  Reconstruction (or Not):  Without a doubt, we’ve come a long way in the successful treatment of breast cancer and in being empowered to choose whichever post-mastectomy procedures fit best with our individual lives and values.  Some of you choose to stay au natural, some prefer external breast forms, and some of you choose reconstruction with implants or your own tissues.  These are all great choices, but the specific treatment plan you choose will point you in a somewhat different direction when it comes to hooking up with the best post-mastectomy sports bra.  We’re going to explore each one in detail through the month in future posts—so stay tuned!

LaJean

Work with active women’s bodies for 27+ years like I have, and you're going to find out a lot about the inconvenient and uncomfortable "ouches" that inevitably show up when we’re out there kicking it hard! 

Some injuries definitely come from fierce smash-ups with equipment and other players as gung-ho about winning as we are! But because I live and breathe sports bras, most of the ones I’ve seen and heard about actually come from unfriendly gear.  

But even in the latest and greatest high-tech sports bra, too many miles of running on a hot day or taking a tough hit in a super-competitive game can scrape, bruise and lacerate tender skin.  Here are the three most prevalent hazards, and how to fight back:

1. Raw red abrasions from your sports bra rubbing on your chest.  In a recent focus group of dedicated runners, when I asked what length of run will start to aggravate chafing from a bra, most women said it especially starts to kick in at about the 10 mile mark.  That’s because the constant friction on any ‘hot spot’ begins to add up and can progressively scrape you to the point of bleeding. 

To minimize tissue trauma before it happens, fine-tune fit around the chest so your sports bra stays put rather than shifting around and ‘flossing’ you raw.  Choose a bra with smooth inner surfaces and as few inner seams and bumps as possible. Be really picky about the front of the armholes—make sure your bra doesn’t come so high into your armpit that it digs and chafes. Use a sport lube to help nip friction, heat and abrasion.

2. Bloody nipples:  Yikes—this one sounds painful, and it is!  If it’s any consolation, it’s even more of an issue for guys than girls.  In fact, one study on marathon runners revealed that for every one female that sustained painful or bleeding nipples during distance events, 20 males suffered the problem. That’s because guys’ looser running tops are freer to shift back and forth over tender skin.  Frosty weather is even more of a pain in the you-know-where because the cold stiffens nipples and makes them even more prone to chafing.

The best defensive strategies include using a sports lubricant on the spot (although they can rub off in a few miles), or even better, cover your nipples with band-aids or waterproof surgical tape to completely block contact with your gear.

3. Infection in “the fold”:  You’ve probably never heard of the “inframammary fold”, but that’s just techie jargon for the crease that forms between the lower part of your breast and your chest wall.  It’s important to know about if you’re a D cup or fuller, because it can easily become a dark zone of too much trapped sweat and unwanted friction.  That’s not just annoying and uncomfortable:  you can actually get a nasty infection from the constant chafing and wetness. 

To fend off trouble, keep the crease as dry as possible with super-wicking fabrics in your sports bra, and swap out to a fresh bra ASAP after a workout.  When you’re sports bra shopping, look for a sturdy 2-cupped ‘encapsulation’ model that helps lift the girls up and away from the fold. If you think a simple abrasion here might be moving toward an infection, check with your doc to see if an antibiotic cream would be a good idea.

Whether it’s from your sports bra or any other aspect of your game, any ouch that breaks the skin—whether it’s a chafe, scrape or cut—deserves a little special attention to fend off infection and hurry healing.


In the case of abrasions, friction actually causes layers of skin to rub off!  While shallow scrapes don’t extend far into the deeper layers of your skin, there can be a shockingly high level of pain because of the many nerve endings that become exposed.  If you’ve ever taken your post-race chafe into a hot shower, you totally know what I mean!

Here’s your healing drill:

1. Get clean:  Because abrasions can easily become infected, cleanse the area gently but thoroughly with mild soap and water or a mild antiseptic wash.  For an extra hedge against infection, pat on some over-the-counter antibiotic cream.

2. Seek cover:  If your clothes rub on your newly injured skin, don’t hesitate to shield the worst chafing with a dry dressing to protect new tissue formation and defend against infection and scarring.

3. Get comfortable:  A mild pain-reliever such as aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help take the edge off the ouch.

If you’re anything like me, fear of pain will never keep you from playing hard, so when it happens, I hope these tips will get you quickly through it!

LaJean