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| Image from Ghetto Nurd website |
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| When the Lingerie Addict tried on a pair of weighted 34HH breasts she was amazed how heavy they were. Photo: taken by Darlene at Hourglassy |
The most common posture issue for busty women is hunched shoulders and this is the direct result of physically hiding your breasts. You see it all the time; huddles of teenage girls with rounded shoulders and folded arms. Of course it's an awkward time being a busty teenager but if no-one bolsters your confidence and teaches you to be proud of your body then the shoulder-hunched-arm-cross can plight your life forever.
Shoulders
If you have rounded shoulders then your straps can't lie flat against your chest causing your bra to stand away from your body. This can cause your breasts to bounce up and down in their cups as the strap can't keep them locked down. I see lots of women default to hunched shoulders when they try on bras. When I realign their posture they can see the difference in fit instantaneously.
It can be incredibly hard to re-train your mind as well as your body, but it is possible. You should try to roll your shoulders back in small rotations every day. A little tip I like is to put a red sticker on your computer (one of the culprits for our declining posture) then every time you become aware of the sticker relax your shoulders, and make 10 small, slow backward rotations (make sure not to stretch you neck back, keep your chin down). Over time you can improve your overall posture by moving your shoulders farther back.
Your head should be aligned over the thickest part of your spine so that the weight is distributed evenly down your spine. When your boobs pull your whole body forward your head can move farther forward causing the upper part of your spine to work extra hard as it tries to pull your head back into place. This strain on your upper back causes curvature of your upper spine which affects your height as well as disrupting the blood-flow and nerve message around your upper body.
Physically pulling your head in (tuck your chin in and down as you do so to ensure you don't strain your neck) will align your head and spine. You need to wear a correctly fitting bra (by this I mean a snug band!!) so that the weight of your breasts is transferred from your neck and upper back to your mid and lower back which is much stronger. Click here for some posture improving exercises.
It can never be said enough, wearing correctly fitting bras is so important for your physical and emotional health. In case you don't know if your bra fits, here are the 5 tell tale signs:
1) All of your breast tissue should sit inside your cups (this includes the breast tissue at the side under your armpit) without any gaping.
2) You should be able to get just two fingers under your band. If your band is too loose your bra is completely redundant and probably doing you more harm than good.
3) The centre part of your bra (the gore) should lie flat against your body.
4) Your straps should NOT dig into your shoulders.
5) Your band should be level with the ground at the front AND at the back of your body.
The way you feel about your bust (and your figure in general) is absolutely apparent in your posture. If you think that you should be ashamed of your figure, then you will stand that way. If you feel proud to be busty and healthy then your stance reflects it. Feeling better in your body and your bra starts in your head so I highly recommend reading this post to start piecing together what's holding you back from your embracing your shape and standing with shoulders back xx
Since buying my first right-fitting bra from Butterfly Collection, I've noticed my posture automatically changes. I don't think this has to do with the change in my attitude (though there certainly has been one!); rather, I think the bra itself urges me to stand and sit straight. Less back pain and headaches due to my changed posture have made my life so much better!
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful to hear! A correctly fitting bra will physically affect your posture for sure. I'm so glad you are feeling better. Thank you for sharing your experience xx
DeleteGreat detailed advice that plenty of women should read. So many women out there wear the wrong sized bra (not of their own fault obviously) and it is so bad for your posture which will come back to haunt you in the future. Some women complain that a poorly fitted bra has even led to headaches which only subsided after a well-fitted bra was worn for a period of time. I advise any woman who hasn't been for one to not be shy and go for a professional fitting. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right Claire that the consequences of wearing the wrong bra may not be apparent right now, but in the long term they can be dreadful. Thank you for sharing your thoughts here xx
DeleteI used to have pretty severe scoliosis as a kid- (I was only two degrees away from having to get a back brace!) It's not that severe now, however it's quite noticeable. Will that affect the fit of my bra?
ReplyDeleteAny disruption to the symmetry of your shoulders will affect the fit of your straps and cups. You may find that you can simply shorten the strap more on one side to address the fit. I would advise choosing cups that aren't fixed molded cups so that there's more flexibility in the fit of the cups. Check out our website for information on Skype fittings because one of our fitters would be able to assess your fit needs much better by seeing the severity of the effects of your scoliosis. http://www.butterflycollection.ca/skype-bra-fittings/ xx
DeleteI'm not sure I can even get a bra that's as you describe (and yes, my breasts are completely natural.) Measured wise I'm a 38 around my band size and a 48 around my breasts (at nipple level and level about the whole of my body. I know each inch is a cup size, but I'm not sure if that places me at a cup size G, or what. Since the bras I can afford are only available in up to double D sizes. Thus tend to get 40DD or 42D (depending on the fit, sometimes it's alternating, but needless to say, I'm not sure a bra would even "rest" against my breastbone if it was correctly sized. I do know they make them, and usually charge nearly $100 dollars for them. That's not happening for me.
ReplyDeleteIt's also destroyed my back and neck. At age 35 I had a double neck fusion and now I have so much back pain I honestly have trouble standing for 5 minutes. On pain meds. I have bulging discs and my posture is something I continually fight with. I am even to the point of seeking disability because the pain of trying to work is too much and takes too long to recover.
It really blows me away that there are plastic surgeons that give breast implants over double D, simply for someone's looks or profession. I would love to get a breast reduction, and can't afford it, yet these women are paying to increase their breasts to unhealthful sizes?
Vanity what cost...
As a male with lifelong moderate to severe gyncomastia, for years slumping and hunching over was a way to survive. In my teens and twenties, standing straight up would bring comments of "What size bra do you wear?" or, "Did you forget to wear your bra today?" or worse things. Totally making me feel ashamed of my body and forcing me to hunch over to try and hide my chest. I completely empathize with well endowed ladies. I know first hand how degraded and worthless you can be made to feel over your chest. Body shaming should be a capital offence.
ReplyDeleteFinally, due to years of hunching over with the weight on my chest, the pain that had developed in my back and neck became too much. I needed support and containment. I had to give in and find a bra shop that would agree to fit a man with sizable boobs. After some searching, I did find a small store agreeing to fit me and booked an appointment, and I went.
The immediate relief when I put on the first bra was unbelievable. I didn't want to take it off. I didn't want the pain to return. I also realised that I was mostly standing straight for the first time in a long time. I didn't realise how my body had trained itself. It was also a reality check when I found out just how large my breasts were. I was happy and terrified at the same time. Happy for the pain relief and terrified of the cup size.
Over time, my desire to live pain free overrode my fear of wearing a bra and to a certain extent, my boobs. And these days, a bra is just a part of my regular clothing even though I have learned to dress my torso a little differently so my chest doesn't become the centre of attention. I have also been standing straight more often, but I do catch myself reverting back sometimes if I am in a stressful situation or feel too many eyes wandering down. But the snug pressure of the bra around my rib cage is a constant reminder to me to not do that. Stand up straight. Show some confidence and maybe even a little pride, if I can muster it. And over time I have gained a better self body image which helps me stand more straight more often. It is a process.
While I still get the stare or comment about my chest every so often, and some are from ladies whom complement my chest (thank you nice ladies), living pain free is worth wearing a proper fitting bra for.