The conversation around breast augmentation has changed. A decade ago, many patients walked into consultations with photos of dramatically enhanced results. Today, the women sitting across from our surgeons at Edina Plastic Surgery are far more likely to say some version of the same thing: “I want them to look like they’ve always been mine.”
This shift toward natural, proportionate results is especially strong among active women. Runners, CrossFit athletes, yoga practitioners, weekend hikers, and gym regulars all want fuller breasts that don’t interfere with their workouts, look obvious in a sports bra, or compromise their performance. The good news? Modern breast augmentation surgery makes that possible in ways it simply couldn’t 15 years ago.
What “Athletic” or “Natural” Breast Augmentation Actually Means
There’s no separate surgical procedure called “athletic breast augmentation.” The term refers to a specific approach to a standard augmentation mammoplasty that prioritizes proportion, subtlety, and functionality. The goal is a result that enhances your frame without overwhelming it and that moves naturally whether you’re lying on a beach or doing burpees.
“The majority of women I perform breast augmentations for prefer results that look 100% natural,” says Dr. Michael Philbin, a board-certified plastic surgeon at Edina Plastic Surgery. “We’re still aiming to increase fullness, correct asymmetries, and enhance the shape of the breast, but women want their results to be subtle and in proportion to the rest of their bodies.”
For athletic patients, this means careful attention to implant size, profile, placement, and type. Every one of those decisions influences how the result looks in motion and at rest.
Implant Choices That Keep You Moving
Silicone vs. Saline
Fifth-generation silicone gel implants are the most popular choice for patients seeking a natural feel. These “form stable” implants, sometimes called gummy bear implants, are less prone to visible rippling than saline, which matters for leaner patients with less native breast tissue. Silicone implants are FDA-approved for patients 22 and older, while saline implants are approved for patients 18 and older.
Edina Plastic Surgery also offers FDA-approved Motiva® Ergonomix silicone implants, which are designed to shift shape with your body’s movement. “When you are lying down, a Motiva Ergonomix implant settles into a more rounded shape, distributing evenly across the chest wall,” explains Dr. Christine Stewart. “When you are standing or upright, the gel shifts subtly into a teardrop profile, similar to how natural breasts respond to gravity. The natural look of these implants is truly remarkable.”
Size and Profile
Here’s where the art meets the athlete. Choosing an implant size that complements your frame is the single most important factor in achieving natural-looking and feeling results. “As a rule, the larger the implant, the longer it will take to settle and look and feel as natural as possible,” explains Dr. Brian Kobienia. “Once the ratio between natural breast tissue versus implant becomes overly skewed, you won’t get a natural feel to the breast either.”
For active women, a moderate profile implant often strikes the right balance: enough projection to create visible fullness without the exaggerated roundness that reads as “done.”
Your surgeon will help you evaluate different implant options using Edina Plastic Surgery’s Vectra XT 3D imaging system, the only one of its kind in the Twin Cities, so you can see a simulated preview of various implant choices on your own body before surgery.
Submuscular vs. Subglandular Placement: Why It Matters for Athletes
Implant placement is one of the most discussed topics in athletic breast augmentation. There are two primary options: submuscular (under the pectoralis major muscle) and subglandular (above the muscle, under the breast gland).
The surgeons at Edina Plastic Surgery place implants submuscularly most often because muscle coverage hides the edges of the implant and produces a more natural transition from the chest wall to the breast. For lean, athletic women with minimal breast tissue, this extra coverage makes a meaningful difference in how natural the result looks.
The trade-off? Submuscular placement involves the pectoralis muscle, which active women rely on for pushing movements. A study published in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery surveyed 81 athletic women with breast implants and found that 92.6% were very satisfied or satisfied with their breast aesthetics at rest, and 79% were satisfied during training. The study also found that the majority of participants maintained or improved their pectoral strength after augmentation, regardless of placement plane. The one notable difference was that submuscular implants were 2.5 times more likely to show visible movement during pectoral exercises.
This is the kind of nuance your surgeon should discuss with you during your consultation, because the right placement depends on your body composition, how you train, and what matters most to you aesthetically.
Beyond Implants: Fat Grafting for a Natural Boost
For women who want a subtler increase (roughly half a cup to one full cup size), breast fat grafting offers an implant-free alternative. Fat is harvested from another area of the body via liposuction and transferred to the breasts. The result feels entirely natural because it is your own tissue.
Fat grafting can also be combined with implants. When the two are paired, the transferred fat softens the implant edges and creates an even more natural appearance. Candidates for standalone fat grafting typically need a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or above to have enough donor fat for the procedure.
Recovery for Active Patients
Breast augmentation at Edina Plastic Surgery is an outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia, typically lasting about one hour. Most patients return to work and light activities within five to seven days.
Here’s the part active patients care about most: aggressive exercise and high-impact activities should wait six to eight weeks. That timeline gives the implants time to settle into the breast pocket and allows the incisions to heal properly. Pushing it too early risks complications and can affect your final result. Your surgeon will clear you for a gradual return to training based on your individual healing progress.
Once you’re cleared, most women find that their implants don’t hold them back. Running, lifting, yoga, and high-intensity interval training are all fair game once recovery is complete.
Why Your Surgeon Matters
Breast augmentation is one of the most customizable procedures in plastic surgery. Implant type, size, profile, placement, and incision location: each of these variables influences your outcome, and the combination that works for a 5’2″ marathon runner is going to be very different from what works for a 5’9″ weightlifter.
The board-certified surgeons at Edina Plastic Surgery, including Dr. Kobienia, Dr. Stewart, Dr. Philbin, Dr. Leigh, and Dr. Wilke, have been consistently recognized as “Top Docs” by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, and the practice has been consecutively named Best Plastic Surgery in Edina Magazine. Edina Plastic Surgery was also selected by the FDA to participate in clinical trials for silicone breast implants, a distinction that speaks to the level of expertise here. All surgeries are performed in their onsite AAAASF-accredited surgical facility, which meets the same safety standards as a hospital.
Your Results Should Feel Like You
To learn more about athletic breast augmentation and what options would work best for you, book your appointment online or call 952-260-0055.
