October: dem bones dem bones dem weak bones

And why FemTech minus Fem = money

1. Working Well

‘Twas six weeks ago. ‘Twas quiet. ‘Twas twoo quiet

The spooky summer lull lifted as Emma toured some unis, leading sessions at Cardiff Met’s second annual ArcHER event and launching a new programme at Northumbria Uni. From there, combinations of Emma, Baz and Orna took Adidas Breaking Barriers Academy workshops to Manchester and London.

Still in the capital, Emma last week kicked off a series of major female athlete health workshops with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. Addressing super-engaged young footballers would be sweet enough, but the level of buy-in among coaches and support staff is truly amazing. This is walk the walk stuff.

Still on the good news kick, we can announce — with beaming pride and pleasure — that The Gym Group will stay on with TWHQ into 2025 and continue pioneering work that’s making TGG facilities fit for women … in every sense of that word.

Lastly, Baz and Johnny Wilkinson Rock-Paper-Scissored for headline spot at the HCM conference, but Baz went Rock when she shoulda gone Paper. Even so, Baz spoke at length to 300 fitness industry CEOs from all over the world about female health … the first time the topic has been on the agenda ever. Like ever ever.

2. The World at Well

The female founder’s best kept secret? Don’t be female

A child dressed as an aardvark or some drywall knocks at your door. They’ve prepped a highbrow Halloween routine that goes something like this:

“Do FemTech businesses get more or less investment if a woman’s on the team?”

“More, of course,” you say, “what a quirky routine, young drywall, have a Mars Bar.”

Nope.

See, new research has found that female-founded FemTech companies in the UK, US, and Canada have raised 23% less capital per deal compared to male-founded counterparts since 2010.

Oh and arguably it gets worse still. When female-founded businesses use terms such as ‘empower’, ‘equality’ and ‘gender gap’ in their marketing and investment literature, they’ll be seen more as mad feminists and less as serious businesspeople and inevitably, once again, less investor cash comes their way.

Yep.

Here’s Baz and Sue Anstiss on a new episode of The Game Changers podcast with more on health, tech and being a female founder.

3. Community voices

Edwin Doran Sports Tours to ensure she’ll bring her best self back

For over five decades Edwin Doran have brought inspiring experiences to young athletes via sport tours that sharpen skills, open minds, and cultivate trust.

Committed to supporting girls in sport by providing opportunities to compete internationally, broaden horizons, and grow in confidence, Edwin Doran will now — inspired by The Well HQ — equip coaches, teachers and athletes with better knowledge and insights so girls can thrive on and off the field.

It’s another example of a business recognising the unique challenges young female athletes face and the potential that lies in wait when she’s allowed and encouraged to be her.

4. Here Comes the Science Bit

Musculoskeletal Syndrome – not just another symptom

As you’re about to read in Dr Bella’s column, bone density issues in menopause are common and can be hugely, hugely debilitating. With that, a paper out in July of this year wants to raise clinical and general awareness of its severity – and authors see that starting with a change in language.

See, there are dozens of symptoms associated with menopause. We all know about hot flashes, brain fog, insomnia and so on. When listing menopause symptoms out, one can get tricked into thinking that musculoskeletal issues are just another symptom when bone problems can be devastating, life-limiting and permanent.

Hence why this paper wants to promote a new nomenclature to bring the issue more light and awareness. Report authors want to introduce the term The Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause to describe the precipitous drop in oestrogen and the collection of risks and associated conditions it captures: pain, arthralgia, loss of lean muscle mass, loss of bone density, fracture, injury and so on.

Given the significant impact of bone issues in mid- and later-life women, and all it means for one’s physical, mental and financial wellbeing, we don’t disagree that it’s time to reclassify.

5. Medical BS

Should I be worried about osteoporosis

Dr Bella says: We need to be much more aware of our bone health. The historic lack of knowledge (RED-S, overexercising, diet), the quest to be skinny and HRT politics are a perfect storm of reasons why osteoporosis is like a timebomb.

In our younger years, bone health is maintained by the flow of oestrogen and lifestyle in general. From roughly 35 years old, oestrogen supplies start tapering down and by menopause a woman’s bone density can be seriously weakened.

Thin and thinning bones is called osteopenia, and fragile, crumbly bones is called osteoporosis. Stats say circa one in two women over 50 will break a bone and, unfortunately, that’s often what it takes before she gets a diagnosis.

As ever, the best defence is lifestyle now: maintaining a healthy weight (not too big nor too skinny), and a healthy diet. The menstrual cycle is a good marker of both and note that HRT can be massive in maintaining bone health as we age.

But the kicker is that, ideally all through life, we need to challenge our skeletons more. Due to stereotypes and probably a lack of confidence, most women don’t lift weights or aim to build muscle but it’s important we do. We need to build strength into our skeletons while we can – so there’s less chance of them buckling later on.