Ideally, wear a commercially made binder with compression fabric that is on the front of the body and a looser fitting fabric across the back (rather than the same tightness of compression all the way around).

Always use the sizing guidelines to find your correct size and wear the correct size. Not only will your body expreience fewer painful symptoms but the appearance of a flat chest will be improved by the correct size. Yes, you will look better in a larger size.

Massage and stretch your body after each time that you wear your binder.

Practice deep, rib-expanding breathing when your binder is off. It will help you to have better capacity to breath when you are wearing your binder which will make wearing it more comfortable for longer periods of time.

Take days off from binding. It will improve your overall health and is one of the few things that our research says will allow you to bind with less health complications for longer.

Hydrate constantly, binding will make your body sweat more than you think. Being dehydrated will make you ache more than you think. It's a no-brainer.

Work out or play sports in a less compressive garment than you wear regularly. Sports bras are designed to promote movement better so if you are able to wear a sports bra and a baggy shirt, that is a great option. If not, wear a binder that is a size larger than you need or an older binder that has stretched out.

Learn the warning signs of serious problems and don't mess around if you experience them. Get the binder off immediately and get to a medical professional if the symptoms don't go away promptly.

Keep your binder clean, bacteria and fungal infections are common when people do not wash their binders.