When women exercise, the force of repetitive movement can place significant strain on various parts of their breasts. In turn, exposure to this strain can trigger the onset of significant breast-related pain. You can help reduce your chances for breast pain during exercise by wearing proper supporting garments and protecting yourself from direct physical trauma.
Breast Displacement
When you jog or run, the movements of your arms and legs displace your breasts up and down and laterally. While women with larger breasts may be particularly prone to these position changes, women with smaller breasts also are affected. In fact, according to a study by the University of Portsmouth, breast pain in these circumstances stems from the speed of these changes, rather than the overall degree of displacement. Changes in the speed of breast movement typically reach their peak when you start and stop running or jogging.
Additional Causes
Running or jogging can produce friction between your clothing and the surfaces of your nipples. In some cases, this friction can generate enough force to cause a painful condition called jogger's nipple. If you participate in exercises or sports that feature use of balls or racquets, you may develop breast pain if these items make direct contact with your breast tissue. Participation in martial arts or other contact sports or exercises can result in impacts that cause this type of pain. Direct impacts on your breast can trigger bleeding in the breast itself or in associated muscles. In turn, this bleeding can lead to the development of significant bruising and swelling in your affected tissue.
Prevention
You can help ease or prevent motion-related breast pain by wearing a sports bra that fits your body properly. Instead of buying a sports bra that tries---typically unsuccessfully---to prevent movement by flattening your breasts, buy one that cups each of your breasts individually. To help protect yourself against direct breast trauma, wear a bra that has sufficient padding or wear a special plastic protector on the outside of your normal bra. You can help prevent jogger's nipple by wearing an appropriate sports bra or by covering your nipples with zinc oxide tape or petroleum jelly.
Treatment and Considerations
You can treat exercise-related breast pain by applying a cold source to the affected area and properly supporting your breast. In addition, suspend the activity that triggered your problems until your pain resolves. If you have significant or unresolved pain in your breast, see your doctor for an examination and accurate diagnosis. Be aware that jogger's nipple, which actually affects more men than women, is more likely to occur in wet and/or cold weather.
