{UAH} We need to talk about boobs. Stop giggling

We need to talk about boobs. Stop giggling

A new study has found that women are being put off exercising or doing sport because of their breasts. Emma Barnett couldn't agree more and explains why it's anything but a pathetic excuse

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Not being able to find the right sports bra and being embarrassed by excessive breast movement were cited in a new study as some of the most influential factors preventing women from doing sport. Photo: THETATATOP.COM

By Emma Barnett, Women's Editor

8:00AM BST 25 Jun 2014

There are very few times I really wish I was a man. But when these rare moments occur, they usually have something to do boobs or high heels.

For while I think breasts are wonderful and magical orbs, they are also a royal pain in the arse – as are high heels. (No animal was meant to be able to walk happily on mini stilts, especially during formal occasions when the embarrassment stakes are the highest). But we must return to boobs, as a new study has confirmed something about them which I've long suspected.

Quite simply they are putting women off exercising or doing sport. According to a survey by the University of Portsmouth's Breast Health Research Group, nearly one in five say their mounds of mammary are a barrier to exercise. But before any health nuts start playing down this issue as a pathetic excuse, I can fully attest it is a genuine problem.

Not being able to find the right sports bra and being embarrassed by excessive breast movement were cited as some of the most influential factors preventing women from doing sport. These are not things to scoff at. And definitely don't forget about that week every month no woman anywhere feels like raising a finger, never mind hauling their sorry selves into a gym.

I have written before about my absolute contempt for the daily brassiere, not to mention the strapless kind. I resent having to put one on every morning. But don't even get me started on the contraption that is the sports bra.

Mine is so tight that heaving it on is a mini workout in itself. I remember the first time my husband saw me in my white large apparatus. "Wow. What the hell is that?" he laughed. Then, seeing the unimpressed look on my hot face, he tried to salvage the moment with: "You actually look bit like Madonna during her conical bra days – but a less sexy version." Cheers love.

And then he bounded out of the room, in his loose sports shorts and t-shirt, ready for our tennis match. Huffing and puffing I followed him out.

Fast forward two hours, after a good match of bouncing balls and boobs, I peeled off said contraption, highly aware of the red marks it had created on my skin. My husband was obviously totally unmarked by his baggy attire.

I am no longer as sporty as I used to be when I was at school and mostly that is down to sheer laziness and working and playing too hard. But while I still enjoy a good game of tennis, I can attribute part of my reticence to the pain and discomfort breasts do cause during exercise.

Back in the day, I adored cross country running. I really did. And, to the shock of my pretty sedentary family, I was good at it. But then when I turned 13, and sprouted two new pals, I pretty much gave up. It actually wasn't down to embarrassment of them moving around in my nearly see-through aertex – as many people would probably presume of a teenage girl – it was because it no longer felt the same to run. That same feeling of freeness and speed had been replaced with an uncomfortable cumbersomeness. I didn't feel like I could fly anymore.

And so I turned to team sport; but soon university beckoned and my adult laziness began in earnest. However, the fact still remains that whenever I do sport now, breast uncomfortableness is a real issue.

Professor Joanna Scurr, who leads this Research Group in Breast Health, says that if women do not wear the right sports bra, they risk harming the fragile Cooper's ligaments which, once damaged, are irreparable.

How many women do you know, with a decent sized breast, are actually satisfied with their sports bra? A straw poll of my well-endowed female pals returns very few positive responses.

Prof Scurr continues: "When the breasts are not supported appropriately and there is tension on the ligaments and skin of the breast, it can result in strain and over time this may lead to a stretching of the breasts' natural support, which could lead to permanent breast damage."

_{Cheerleading anyone?}

This is serious stuff. And while I don't back the idea of getting more women into sport by offering 'feminine' pursuits – such as cheerleading –as per sports minister Helen Grant's misguided suggestion earlier this year, I would very much welcome a greater openness and awareness of this issue, which solely affects us girls. 'Boobs' and the many issues they present are still terribly taboo.

This latest survey, also found that those women who know more about breast health are more likely to participate in physical activity and more likely to wear a sports bra. Those with lower awareness were not as active.

Last month, official figures revealed British women to be the fattest in Europe. I am fully aware that we cannot lay total blame on boobs, but they are most definitely a barrier to women keeping fit and losing weight, as this university study proves. And while I implore bra companies to up their game for women with larger boobs in need of a decent sports bra, we women need to educate ourselves about our breasts – and bust the taboo around them for once and for all. So stop your giggling and save your blushes; British women's health now depends on us talking about breasts, sharing our tales of woe and coming up with some workable solutions. Get involved below.

The University of Portsmouth Research Group is currently recruiting for female volunteers to participate in a new study investigating breast pain. Those interested can contact: emma.burnett@port.ac.uk

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Gwokto La'Kitgum

"Even a small dog can piss on a tall Building", Jim Hightower

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