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Women’s Health, Pre & Postnatal

The menstrual cycle and training, prenatal and postnatal protocols, pelvic floor mechanics, and menopause — covered with the same scientific rigor as everything else on the site.

What this pillar covers

Women's health is under-covered in mainstream fitness writing relative to how much specific physiology applies. We work from the same standard as the rest of the publication: cite the primary research, present the contested points, give practical recommendations that actually scale to real training weeks. No cycle-syncing hype, no menopause panic.

Subjects threaded through this pillar

Articles in this pillar

12 published article(s) matched. Browse the full library →

Educational journalism, not medical advice. This pillar curates The Beachside Reader's reporting on the subject — general information, not specific to your situation. For health decisions, talk to your own clinician. How we work →

Women’s Health

Creatine for Women: What the Female-Specific Evidence Actually Shows

Most creatine research was conducted in male athletes, creating a perception that it’s a male supplement. The female-specifi…

Women’s Health

Diastasis Recti Rehab: Evidence-Based Postnatal Core Recovery

Sperstad 2016: 50% spontaneously resolve by 6 months. Mota 2018, Gluppe 2018: targeted rehab accelerates recovery. The doming chec…

Women’s Health

Exercise During and After Pregnancy: An Evidence-Based Guide

The modern evidence — codified in 2018-2020 ACOG, CSEP, and IOC consensus statements — is unambiguous: regular physical activity d…

Women’s Health

Iron Deficiency in Female Athletes: Why Haemoglobin Misses the Problem

The standard haemoglobin test misses the early stages of iron deficiency - ferritin falls first, and the sports-medicine consensus…

Women’s Health

Menopause and Strength Training: An Evidence-Based Read

Watson 2018 LIFTMOR: heavy resistance + impact training produces bone-density gains in postmenopausal women. The cultural “l…

Women’s Health

Pelvic Floor Maintenance for Runners and Active Women

30-50% of female runners experience pelvic floor symptoms; highly responsive to targeted work. The phase protocol, when to see a p…

Women’s Health

Sports Bras: Fit, Support, and the Biomechanics That Matter

The unsupported breast moves up to 15 cm in three dimensions per running stride. A correctly-fitted sports bra cuts that by 53-75%…

Women’s Health

Stroller Running: Postnatal Cardio Without the Daycare Logistics

Pushing a stroller adds 8-15% to running energy cost, alters trunk lean and arm swing, and concentrates load on shoulders and lowe…

Women’s Health

The Menstrual Cycle and Training: Phase-Based Periodization for Female Athletes

What the research says - and doesn’t say - about training across the menstrual cycle. Practical adjustments without the cycl…

Women’s Health

The Pelvic Floor Drill Most People Skip After 40

Pelvic floor dysfunction is hugely underdiagnosed in men and women 40+. Stress incontinence, lower-back pain, and post-pregnancy c…

Women’s Health

The Perimenopause Lift: Why Strength Trains Estrogen Drop

Estrogen decline in the 40-55 window changes bone density, body composition, and recovery rate. Heavy resistance training is the m…

Women’s Health

The Sports Bra: 50 Years of Engineering

From the 1977 Jogbra to today’s biomechanically-validated high-impact systems - the technology history and what current stat…

Women’s Health

Strength Training vs Cardio in Menopause: Which Matters More After 40?

Both matter, but most midlife women under-do strength. The LIFTMOR trial shows heavy lifting builds bone; cardio protects the heart…

Women’s Health

Creatine vs Protein Powder: Which Should You Actually Take?

Not either/or — they’re complementary. Protein is the foundation; creatine the best-value add-on. Plus the bulk/water/kidney myths, busted for women…

Women’s Health

Pilates vs Yoga After 40: Which One Should You Actually Do?

For women over 40 it’s about goals, not a winner. Roughly equal for back pain and balance; yoga edges stress and sleep; neither builds bone…

Women’s Health

Magnesium vs Melatonin for Sleep: Which One Actually Helps?

Different tools for sleep: melatonin is a circadian hormone (the guideline suggests against it for insomnia) and magnesium’s evidence is thin…

Women’s Health

Collagen vs Retinol for Skin Aging: Which Actually Works?

For wrinkles it’s not close: retinoids have the trial data; oral collagen’s benefits vanish in independent studies; collagen creams can’t penetrate…

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