woman wearing EVB sports shorts in gym

EVB Sports Shorts: an active mum’s best friend?

Is running making you feel leaky, heavy or vulnerable? EVB Sports Shorts could be your new BF.

Unfortunately, these garments are no longer being manufactured. There are some odd sizes and stock still available online & e-bay. SRC support shorts, an Australian brand, is a great alternative now widely stocked in the UK. See my updated article: EVB & SRC: support shorts for bladder leaks & prolapse: professional review

What are EVB Sports Shorts?

EVBs (as they are affectionately called) are sports kit – shorts, capris or leggings. Specially designed for women who feel vulnerable when they run or take part in higher impact activities.  Women’s health physiotherapists recommend them for those who need to find discreet ways to manage a bladder or prolapse problem. They add an extra layer of support to your body from the outside. Special panels lift and protect your bladder and pelvic organs.

Would you benefit?

Do you find your bladder leaks a few kms in? Or get a feeling that your entire lower half moves about too much as you pick up your pace?  Or that you beloved run is counterproductive at the moment – straining and fatiguing your core muscles? Do you finish feeling leaky, achey and with vaginal or anal heaviness, spoiling the rest of your day?

Sound familiar? Specialised sports shorts/leggings have helped mums with these symptoms.

EVB sports shorts for urinary incontinence when running

How do they work? More support everywhere that matters…

EVB support shorts (and similarly SRC brand) are made of a specialist high quality stretch material. This is designed to create more lift and support for the perineum and abdominal wall.  They aim to BE your essential support muscles while you work on recovering yours (with your pelvic floor exercises).

They are not just guess work or cosmetic.  Their inventor, Yvonne Brady, is a chartered engineer (as well as mum of 3 and regular marathon runner).  Her company have invested over a million in R & D, including projects with physios, to design-in specialised support panels. These are in the gusset, to support the pelvic floor and in the front panel to support the abdominal wall.

Ultrasound studies have shown they mimic the role of the pelvic floor muscles. They lift the bladder neck and prevent the anterior vaginal wall from moving down.  Also it may be that better positioned muscles and tissues will themselves function better. Or the better positioning will train them to do what they should be doing when you run.

Reality Check – I tried them out..

I had seen and heard physios rave about these. But I like to try things out for myself before highlighting them here.  I asked Yvonne to send me a pair to try and to show my mums in clinic.    

Sizing – do it properly – no guessing

You size yourself by measuring your waist and hip size.  NB: Not guessing!! It’s really important that you have the right size for NOW. Not who you would like to be! They need to be really tight to work well. However, if they are too tight they will they be horribly uncomfortable. And I worry that you would risk the waistband pushing down into your tummy.  There is a useful video guide to sizing on their website

Styles:

The shorts, capris and leggings are intended as outerwear (knickers on underneath) – available in black

The “Boxer Brief” is available black or nude to wear underneath other clothing.

Getting them on:

They come beautifully packaged with clear instructions.

They warn that fitting into them first time can take a few minutes due to the technology they supply.  Everything reassures you that you can pull them hard. “they will not rip”, it says, but I had to read that twice to have confidence!  It really is a wiggle process to get them over your hips and pulled right up to give gusset support. Once you get there (!) they do fit like a second skin (with benefits) and were entirely comfortable.  

Initially I wasn’t sure about the “look” for going out out. I am not normally a tight tight shorts person and a more fairweather jogger. But you will see on the website pictures & happy testimonials of proper mum runners! They are meant to be worn as your outerwear, shorts or capri style, with normal underwear underneath.  However, the bottom-conscious could easily fit another pair of leggings/looser clothes over the top.

Returns & Exchanges

Yvonne is passionate about her EVBs and wants women to feel confident to make an investment in themselves.  Win-health customer support is quick and responsive with generous & fair exchange & returns policies.

I support women designing for women.

I firmly believe that self-care is not self-indulgence. Looking after our bodies after birth is essential. Exercise is fundamental to both physical & mental wellbeing. Fit mums enrich their own and their kids’ lives.

We live in a modern world. With amazing technological inventions to help us enjoy our sports & hobbies and care for our bodies. Mums need Good Kit too. Even happier to recommend them now I’ve tried them

Content Disclaimer:

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of my blogposts, articles and my videos are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of if you are not a face to face client of mine. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. Amanda Savage disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, blog or video.

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