By Lauren Duffy

This is a shout-out to all of my fellow fitness freaks with big boobs. Let me begin by saying: I feel your pain. 

Sure, with the right shirt and the perfect bra, showing off some cleavage can be kind of fun, but the moment you try to do any kind of jumpy exercise, your fun is all over. In the fitness world, big boobs are nothing but a big curse.

Too much of a ta-ta bounce can frankly be uncomfortable, unsightly, and sometimes painful. You want to be comfortable when you’re exercising; that’s why we spend so much money on Nike and lululemon gear. So sometimes you need to invest in your comfort and buy a sports bra that will successfully strap down problem A and problem B. With the wrong sports bra, your workout can be a nightmare; but with the right sports bra, you won’t have a care in the world.

So what are the best brands and best tricks to contain your cleavage?

First thing’s first.. What NOT to wear. (Where’s Stacy and Clinton when you need them?) Do NOT get a sports bra that has little to no elasticity to it. Those silly loose fabric ones that Target sells are the best example of what not to buy if you’re looking for support; they’re just not resilient. When trying on a sports bra (yes, you must try on sports bras) jump around the dressing room to test it out and make sure it doesn’t stretch out or allow too much of a bounce. If you feel like you’re wearing next to nothing, put it back.. even if it’s pretty, put it back.

Now for what you should wear: The most trustworthy trick is to wear two or maybe even three sports bras under your tank top with a build-in shelf. Yeah, it’s a bit much… but it works. One of my coworkers told me that she will even wear one bra that is one size too small to hold them down a bit more. I’ve yet to try this, but I’m definitely going to.

My personal go-to brand is the Nike Dry-Fit. The material Nike uses for these doesn’t allow the bra to ride up or bunch, instead it stays in place and keeps the boobs in place. I only have to wear one of these bras for full strap-down-support.. they’re truly miracle bras! Better yet, I’ve bought all of mind at TJMaxx for very cheap!

Champion is a brand that can go either way. Some Champion bras are wonderful; you usually have to wear one of them with a second bra for backup. (Whenever I need to wear two bras, I like to wear a tight wire-less and pad-less cup bra that can hide underneath your sports bra with a Strap Perfect.) But some Champion bras have the tightest elastic band that goes around the rib cage– it will either cut your circulation off or curl up under your boobs causing you to have to pull it down every time you jump. They’re win-or-lose bras, so they definitely require a dressing room test.

It’s official… I’m now a huge lululemon fan thanks to Emily. I am currently counting the minutes until I can get to a store to buy a lululemon bra called the Ta Ta Tamer II. (I already love the product just for its perfect name.) From what I’ve read, it seems very similar to the Nike Dry-FIT bras that I love so much, so I’m positive that I’ll love the Tamer as well. My boss who exercises all the time swears by them, and she knows the dos and don’ts of fitness clothes like no other.

What makes the Dry Fit and Ta Ta Tamer II so special? They both have hook and eye closures on the back of them so that you can adjust the size around your ribcage. If you can buy any kind of sports bra like this, I highly suggest you do so. Many bras have a stretchy upper part with a thick elastic ribcage band. These bands can often flip under the boobs and increase the boob bounce. But the hooks on some bras prevent the ribcage band from over stretching or riding up, therefore preventing any extra unwanted boob bounce. I even have a random no-name sports bra with the hooks on the back and I swear by it.

Many women have told me that they gravitate towards sports bras with built-in wires. I’ve found that these bras push ‘em up instead of suck ‘em down, and sometimes the wire will dig into me under the armpit. They also give a you a good amount of cleavage; but as an instructor, I’m not trying to flash my class. Personally I’m not a fan of these; however, if you don’t like the strapped-down feeling, wire sports bras could be the kind for you.

Finding the perfect sports bra that fits you and fits your ta-ta needs takes a lot of time and a lot of trial and error. But once you know what suits you best, you’ll find that you can focus on your workout without the two biggest distractions in the world flopping around. Good luck showing those boobs who’s boss!