While it’s not the case for those of us in Argentina, much of the northern hemisphere is vaxxed and waxed and ready to party. Schools are back in session, offices are re-opening, much-needed vacations are booked. We’re going back to certain activities, habits, and routines that we haven’t done in over 15 months. We’re finally swapping out the sweats and slippers and rifling through the “real clothes” sections of our closets.
But before you strap on a pushup bra, wiggle into skinny jeans, and strap on some heels let’s consider for a moment how these articles of clothing affect your body and overall health.
Underwire bra:
Your breasts were made to move. They swing, bounce, and jiggle. They move up and down, side to side, and in and out (yes, you read correctly!). During walking, for instance, breasts move evenly in all directions.
An underwire bra counteracts the natural force of gravity acting on your breasts and limits the amount your breasts move.
If the tissues of your breasts are not asked to work to support the natural movement, they become lazy (read: saggy). One comprehensive study showed that “women who never wore bras had nipples on average seven millimeters higher in relation to their shoulders each year than regular bra users.” AM
I realize that not everyone is comfortable without a bra but I would ask you to consider a style of bra that allows for some natural movement in your breasts. Consider the amount of support your bra provides and whether you’re asking your tissues to respond to gravity. Try bralettes from Hanky Panky or Thirdlove. Certain bras that provide more support are going to be more comfortable for higher intensity activities and sports. For Sports Bras, I love Athleta.
Tight waistbands:
Whether you are on team low rise, team high waisted, or are refusing to take off your yoga pants altogether, take heed with the tightness of your waistband. If our waistband is tight and we are constantly engaging the abdominal muscles in a "sucking in" kind of action, there's less likelihood we can access a deep diaphragm (belly) breath. Breathing with a soft belly helps reduce stress and anxiety by sending signals of safety to the nervous system and should be easy to perform in clothing that fits well.
Yoga pants can cause discomfort as they compress your legs, knees, and abdomen. Dr. Andrew Weil, integrative medicine pioneer, has even termed “tight jean syndrome" to the compression of a sensory nerve called the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve that runs from the abdomen through the thigh. The compression can cause numbness, tingling, and a burning pain in the legs above the knees.
Consider wearing waistbands that allow for your belly to be soft and you to access deep belly breaths. As for pants, you want to be able to move your knee and hip joints in all ranges of motion to allow for more movement (hinge, squat, lunge) throughout the course of the day.
Restrictive footwear:
If you're sensing a theme here, you're onto something. We're talking less restrictive clothing in general, including shoes! Whenever I consider the feet (it's more frequent than you might think), I am reminded of a quote from Women Who Run with Wolves. Clarissa Pinola Estés writes, "This idea that the skin of the foot is sentient had the ring of truth, for an acculturated Kicke tribeswoman once told me that she’d worn her first pair of shoes when she was 20 years old and was still not used to walking con los ojos vendados, with blindfolds on her feet." This image of shoes as blindfolds on our feet has stuck with me and influenced the shoes I choose to wear.
The foot is comprised of 26 bones, 30 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments, all of which work together to provide support, balance, and mobility. Similar to using an underwire bra, using restrictive footwear that doesn't allow for the tissues of the feet to react and respond to the input means the feet are underused and weak, blindfolded even.
Restrictive footwear (tight, stiff, high heels) can cause issues like hammertoes, bunions, stress fractures, and Morton’s neuroma.
I’m not saying pick up barefoot running, but human feet are adapted to function best when they interact directly with the ground under them. If you can’t be barefoot the next best thing is a pair of natural shoes with a thin sole and wide forefoot. I find that Allbirds feel great on my feet. I wear them without laces. I also think Softstar and Earthrunners are super cute minimal footwear options.
So while I don't expect you to burn your underwires and take your next walk barefoot, I do want to call your attention to how our clothing can limit our movement and therefore our wellness. Natural movement of body parts that swing or hang asks the tissues to respond, which isn't a bad thing. A good thing is the ability to access deep, soft belly breaths. Another good thing is allowing your complex feet to stretch, strengthen, and adapt to the shape and texture of the ground beneath them. If your clothing choices impede any of these natural movements, I hope you'll reconsider next time you shop!