One of my non-bra related resolutions for the New Year was to exercise more. Not to lose weight – I’m very happy with my curves – but for two reasons. The first being that I am dreadfully unfit and the second that my curves are actually very squidgy. I haven’t got enough will power to go on a diet, and so my 2012 is to get healthy. This was all well and good until I realised that I can’t run for a bus without being in agony, how was I going to cope if I went for a jog?! Luckily for me, Brastop have just expanded their sports bra range…

It’s a pretty overwhelming decision, choosing a sports bra, especially if you’re an exercise novice like me. I’m not exactly lazy, but I haven’t done ‘proper exercise’ since I was in school and even though I wasn’t so well-endowed in the chest area, any slips were hidden by an unshapely beauty of a jumper in a ghastly shade of yellow, so my modesty was safe(ish) through an array of netball and hockey matches.

In the end I decided on two styles as I couldn’t quite decide what would be better for me. Like most reviews I do, this really was a case of trial and error.

Bra: Freya Active Underwired Sports Bra in Nude.

Product description:

• Inner sling to reduce the bounce and enhance overall support.
• Shapes and supports your curves without compression.
• Adjustable, comfortable padded straps fasten with three hooks at the back, across three columns.
• 69% Polyester 28% Polyamide 3% Spandex

My size: 30G

Fit: I won’t lie – I had no idea where to start when it came to the fit of this bra. As we all know, our sizes can fluctuate between brand, style etc. but I thought I’d be safe with my standard 30G. Thankfully, I was. The back comes up fairly tight, although not uncomfortably so, and I wasn’t sure if this was all part of the supportive package of a sports bra. The cup size, however, was spot on. The wires taper off but kept me in place and the ‘sling’ kept them from sloping off to the sides, making it feel like I was wearing a standard bra (albeit a restrictive one). The cups are obviously cut very high and there was a tiny amount of cleavage poking through, I imagine as a result of my boob shape and the nature of the bra. All in all, the size was pretty much spot on and I would advise you don’t deviate from your ‘true’ size too much.

Comfort: All things considered, this was a pretty comfortable bra. I felt very supported (more on the actual act of exercise later) but never uncomfortable, which I thought was highly likely given how constrictive the bra looked. I wore it for a whole day, to see how it felt in between exercising and it was very wearable. Attractive? No (although didn’t give too horrible a shape under clothing, just a bit of ‘pointy boob’) but completely wearable. After 8 hours I was happy to take it off, as it is very firm, but if you were to wear this for longer than you were exercising, you would be fine. Like I said before, the back does come up small, but it’s not unbearable.

Colour: OK, so perhaps nude wasn’t the best colour choice, but I thought it’d be quite versatile. It’s still no match to my deathly white skin, but as far as nudes go it’s not that bad. The bra is also available in black and white, but still, I always feel underwhelmed by the choices out there. I’m not asking for a print, and maybe this is the girl in me, but something a little different wouldn’t go amiss. Perhaps a flash of colour? That would be nice! The basic colours are just that but still, lets face it, the appeal of these bras are NOT aesthetics. When it arrived I did have a good chuckle because I am both immature and a completely novice when it comes to sports bras. Well, they’re hardly pretty, are they? I know, I know – they’re not supposed to be pretty, they’re practical! But a girl can dream of a slightly more adventurous colour palette…

Occasion: So, here it is, my tales of exercise. I tested three ‘types’ wearing this bra – power walking, yoga and running. I am a dog owner, which is a perfect excuse to stretch my legs and get some fresh air. I have tried to do some power walking in the past with the dog (not REAL power walking, but not exactly dawdling) but even then I found I was bouncing out of control. Not this time – I stayed completely still, even when I frantically had to chase my terrier across a field to stop it from chasing rabbits. I never really thought about wearing a sports bra for walking dogs before, but have noticed the difference and if I remember I always try and change my bra before going out.

For yoga, it was perfect. As some of you may know, the downside of yoga with big boobs is they can, quite literally, get in the way. They reach the ground before I do, they can get caught under my arms ever so slightly, and quite frankly they’re a bit of a burden. Again, not this time! Whilst the bra doesn’t give you a flat chest, it certainly helps to squash them a bit, giving a ‘smooth surface’ (it sounds like I’m talking about plastering…) and minimising them without any discomfort. Once again, they stayed in place perfectly and I felt a lot more relaxed, knowing I wouldn’t have to shove them out of the way. A relief! Yoga may not instantly make you think ‘I need a sports bra!’ but it certainly helps.

And now onto running. I dreaded this – what better way to highlight how unfit I am, coupled with the fact that I look like and over excited child when I run. But I’d do anything for a good review! I got up early and took myself off to the local park with my mp3 player, anticipating a whole world of chest pain. Starting off with a gentle jog but not quite making it to a sprint, I took off and by some miracle, stayed in one place. I’ll never quite understand the technology but all I can say is thank you Freya! Miraculously the bounce was limited to the small area at the top of the bra where my minuscule cleavage poked through, but it wasn’t painful or annoying. I couldn’t actually believe that all of a sudden I was able to exercise, because for so long my 30G’s had been a huge factor as to why I didn’t before. It was great to not have to worry and it’s certainly made me optimistic about my exercise plan. Come on willpower, don’t fail me now!

Price: The Freya Active underwired Sports Bra is £29 on the Brastop.com website, whatever colour you go for, and whilst it is at the pricier end of the scale, I’d say it was definitely worth the cost. We all know how important it is to look after our boobs, especially during exercise, and for me the price is completely justifiable. Change from £30 for well supported boobs, even with my ridiculous running? Priceless.

I don’t know if it’s because it’s my first sports bra and I have nothing to compare it to, but I was absolutely thrilled with the Freya Active. When you’ve spent years avoiding anything too strenuous because of your bra size, you’ll know how I feel. I’m a complete novice and I admit that, but I have always wanted to lead a more active lifestyle. And finally I feel I can do this, with a bra that’s not only supportive but defies nature to keep me near enough completely still in the chest region. Well done Freya!

(All prices are subject to change – correct at the time of blog)