The Female Body Bible

Did you know women:

* can harness their hormones to improve menstrual cycle symptoms, work productivity and exercise habits.
* are up to six times more likely to suffer a joint injury than men.
* lay down all our bone density by the age of 30, after which it starts to decrease.
* are 40% more likely to suffer insomnia than men.
* can achieve a 4% increase in performance by wearing a well-fitted sports bra - when running a marathon this means finishing by a mile earlier.

The data gap in women's health remains huge: in sports science and medicine in 2020 as little as 6% of research was conducted exclusively on women. Worse still, of that 6%, only 8% was found to be of high enough quality for the outcomes to be trusted.

Women go through various life stages, with each moment bringing a new set of challenges and opportunities. Yet we rarely speak openly about these, or share our knowledge and solutions with each other. We use euphemisms to describe periods rather than saying the word. We don't acknowledge leakages or admit that we don't know how to find our pelvic floor or even what it does. We buy trendy sports bras without thinking how they work for breast health or exercise performance. We see young women giving up exercise in their teens to the detriment of their health at an older age. We barely mention the menopause.

Body literacy is something every woman is entitled to. Health and fitness are not the same as aesthetics and photogenics. Instead of prioritising how a body looks we need to focus on how it feels and functions. How it works. When we listen to the body, embrace it and nurture it, health and fitness will follow.

Merging the expertise of sports research scientist Dr Emma Ross, athletic coach Baz Moffat and NHS doctor Bella Smith, The Well HQ champions the non-negotiables when it comes to understanding our health and wellbeing as women, throughout all stages of our lives.