Are we doing enough to support female athletes? Doctor Emma Ross, co-founder of The Well HQ, gives us the lowdown.
Research shows that a staggering 64% of girls will have quit sport by the time they finish puberty, with 1 in 2 girls stopping sport due to periods. Makes for stark reading, doesn’t it. But, it doesn’t have to be this way. Supporting girls and helping them understand their body can help them thrive in school sport.
Sport in her Shoes is an amazing initiative run by The Well HQ and they’ve teamed up with The Mary Erskine School who has brought schools and students from across Edinburgh together to help raise awareness of the impact of puberty on young women playing sport. The aim is to break down barriers and stop young women turning away from sport, with workshops to help girls get the best from their bodies, learn more about their cycle and how it can affect physical exercise.
Doctor Emma Ross, co-founder of The Well HQ, explains: “We get caught up about the mechanics of the body, but how do female hormones affect us? What happens when we develop breasts and what do we do with them?”
“We have a generation of mid-life women who are demanding to know more about menopause. We are demanding to know more because we can’t go through this life stage without understanding its effect on our health and performance. The same thing is happening during puberty.”
She adds, “We weren’t taught those things. People just muddled through. A report in 2019 by the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists concluded that women are woefully uneducated about their bodies at every life stage. There is a lack of communication, not validating experiences and not normalising the fact we have a female body in an appropriate way… We need a sporting system that recognises these issues.”
And the best thing we can do is talk. “There is so much to be gained by opening up dialogue and by embedding better practices that speak to the specifics and the positives of the female body”, explains Baz Moffat, former Team GB rower and co-founder of The Well HQ. “By rewiring training and cultural norms, we not only improve confidence and performance in the individual, we evolve the system in ways that’ll resonate for decades to come.”
Top tips from The Well HQ to help support girls in sport…
· Use the correct language for girl’s bodies and what's happening to them. Use the word period, menopause, bloating, sports bra, pelvic floor. We often use euphemisms but we need to be comfortable using the right language.
· A sports bra is an essential piece of kit. A brilliant well-fitting sports bra can make a huge difference to how they feel and perform.
· Track a menstrual cycle and exercise regularly. Ask them to record when their period comes, and what they feel like on different days of their cycle. This helps girls understand their bodies. Research shows that premenstrual symptoms and period pain is reduced with regular exercise too.
· Talk openly and freely to help educate girls and women about their bodies. For some young athletes who aren't eating enough calories, menstrual periods may not start when they should. After a certain age, this can be a serious condition so a doctor’s advice may be needed.
To find out more about the recent events please visit The Well HQ who are leading change in female health across the country within Education and Sport. Read more about the Sport in her shoes event here.