Science is finally here to validate the feelings of anyone who’s ever deeply regretted running for the bus in an impractical bra: There are women out there whose breasts are hampering their physical activity.
On top of the earth-shattering revelation that, yes, boob jiggle can result in soreness and discomfort, it’s almost like common complaints from women have some basis in fact!
That’s according to findings from the University of Portsmith. In a recent survey of 239 women, 17 percent said their breasts were putting a damper on their exercise regimens. Often, they couldn’t find the right sports bra, or they were just too embarrassed by the jiggle (which sounds like another sports bra complaint to me). “This latest research is crucial because it shows that breasts are an important factor to consider when investigating what deters women from exercising,” said researcher Emma Burnett.
“We had plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that breasts are a barrier to exercise but this is the first study to provide evidence that they’re affecting women’s participation in sport.”
Obvious this finding has been treated with the seriousness it deserves. Ahem, Metro?
The Guardian has a response, however, that’s worth considering. For starters, 239 isn’t exactly a breathtakingly large pool of respondents. Plus, boobs weren’t even the main thing holding women back from exercising:
It’s also worth considering that, despite the declarations of the headlines, the original study shows that breasts are ranked 4th as a reason for not exercising, behind lack of energy, time constraints and health reasons. All of these reasons are perfectly valid, but clearly aren’t considered as important or interesting as “having boobs”.
The Guardian also notes that the University of Portsmith offers bra-testing services for bra companies. Seems cozy!
But hey, I’m for anything that’ll convince retailers to stop selling shitty sports bras built for sex appeal instead of comfort and invest some real money in a better product for bigger boobs. Because it doesn’t actually take a years-long longitudinal study to figure out that my breasts can’t simply hang onto my sternum during a jog. COME ON, GUYS.
Photo via karen roach/Shutterstock.