The Great Sports Bra Robbery

Every woman knows if you're going to exercise you need a good sports bra. Whether you have the lion's share in the chest department or you're pretty much flat chested, it's really important to have a sports bra that supports your delicate breast tissue.

There are so many to choose from, all with their own pros and cons but one big con they all have in common is the price.

Take, for example, the Shock Absorber Run Bra - widely acknowledged as the best support bra for high impact sports like running. At around £37 you'd want it to be! I mean, that's a lot of money for something you can't exercise without.

It's the same whatever brand you go for - Nike, Playtex, Berlei - all tend to come in at £25 - £40. You can save a bit by going for a 'bra top' style, but that doesn't work for my 34Es which need a bit more discipline than a stretchy lycra crop-top can offer. You'll also find that sometimes the price goes up as the cup size does within each style of bra, which seems a little unfair!

There are much more important things to spend £40 on than a sports bra - like school shoes - which has made me feel like buying a new sports bra is simply a luxury I can't afford. It shouldn't feel like a luxury product, it's an essential piece of kit! My only sports bra is 5 years old and pretty much useless now. I've been putting off getting a new one for ages, having to cope with sore boobs and shoulders every time I work out, even resorting to wearing it over a normal bra to try and get more support out of it. [I have bought a new one now, but only because my husband made me]

I'm not suggesting we do away with sports bra's and start strapping ourselves in with gaffer tape (actually, would that work?!) but, with all the pressure on women to get active shouldn't the big sportswear and underwear brands be making changes? I think they should be making it easier for us to get out there and get active, not harder.

Lat Pulldown

Your lattimus dorsi are the muscles running down either side of your back. Keeping them strong helps posture and core strength as well as your overall upper body strength. Using a cable machine to do lat pull downs is a great way to work these muscles for a beginner as you can start with a small weight. If you're already pretty strong you can work your lats with pull-ups.

I'm pretty new to the whole upper body workout thing so I'm using my multi-gym (bargain from Cashies) to build up my strength. For this exercise, as with most, I do a pyramid - starting at a low weight with 30 reps, I then increase the weight and go down to 20 reps, increase the weight again for 10 reps then go back down.

• Start by sitting facing the machine and grasp the bar overhand (palms away from you) - a wide grip works the whole lat muscle whilst a close grip focuses more on the lower lat and biceps.
• Lean back at about a 30° angle and pull the bar down to chest level. Focus on squeezing with your back muscles and not your arms, try to keep elbows directly under your hands.
• Slowly raise the bar maintaining control and tension at all times.
• Repeat, repeat, repeat!

To stretch afterwards first cross your arms around yourself to grasp the opposite shoulder and hug tightly to feel a stretch across the whole of your upper back. Next stand with feet shoulder width apart and bend at the waist keeping your back straight. Reach forwards to feel a stretch down the whole of the back and hold for 10.

A Guide to Fitness Supplements

TRAIN HARD – EAT PROPERLY – SLEEP WELL

Maybe take a few seconds to re-read those words, as it is vital they are understood. Before considering supplementation you need to ensure that the more important aspects of your training are in order.

• The training itself - by this, I mean exercise (running, lifting weights, swimming, etc.) If you don’t put the hours in you are not going to get anywhere. 

• Diet - there is absolutely no substitute for a healthy, well balanced diet, full of protein and good quality carbohydrates. 

• Sleep – so often over looked but SO important. Your body needs rest, especially when subjecting it to hard training regimes.

The variety of sports supplements available is outrageously huge. If you allow yourself to be sucked in you can very easily, soon find yourself spending hundreds of Pounds every month. I use four different supplements and they are -

Review: TLC Sport

I was recently sent a couple of items from ladies sportswear brand TLC Sport. Currently celebrating its 20th year, TLC Sport has a huge range of clothing all designed and made here in the UK. One of my favourite things is how personal everything is - this is a family run business which really puts the customer first. For example, you can request plus-size items at no extra charge. Now that's service!

Buddying Up

Image Credit

Motivating yourself to exercise is all very well and good, but there will be some days when you don't feel like it and you will struggle to convince yourself that getting active is more important than watching Torchwood. That's where buddies come in.

30 Day Shred

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Girls and Rugby

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Magazine Wishes

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