A bouncing chest is far from being as glamorous as it looks on “Baywatch.” In fact, it’s a real problem for many women during exercise. Not only can a large chest get in the way of performing certain exercises, excessive bouncing pulls on the shoulders and can be very painful.

Many women resort to squeezing into a smaller sports bra, or even wearing two or more sports bras at one time, just to get through their exercise routine without the added chest pain. While this isn’t always cause for concern, compressing the chest during exercise can be dangerous if it’s putting too much pressure on your lungs.

If you must wear extra support, it’s important that you make sure your chest isn’t being compressed so much that breathing becomes more difficult during exercise. Think about it – behind your chest are your lungs. Put too much external pressure on your chest and breathing becomes labored. Less oxygen in your lungs means less oxygen to your brain, which means you could become dizzy and pass out during exercise. Wear an extra sports bra if you need to, but experiment with different styles that can provide support for your chest without making breathing difficult.