Celebrate Muliebrity with Michelle Lyons

Hello & Welcome! I'm so excited to share this discussion with a leader in the field of sports medicine, who brings her personal experience as a high performance athlete, her vast clinical experience and her research insights to today's conversation. I'm talking about Dr Fiona Wilson,who as well as all of the above is also a Deputy Editor of the BJSM; the highest ranking sports and exercise medicine journal globally. She is also a professor of physiotherapy in Trinity College Dublin, as well as Deputy Editor of the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, leading their Injury Prevention subsection, and she is on the editorial board of the Journal of Sport Sciences and the German Journal of Sports Medicine.
Her research focus is the role of sport and exercise on low back pain (LBP) and on brain health, and she's published many clinical practice papers that are changing how we manage back pain in athletes, as well as a growing interest in menstrual pain in athletes (she was a coauthor on the Harrison 2026 paper that I discussed in a recent episode on menstrual pain, as well as a co-author on Dr Ciara Everard's paper on menstrual health (check out episode 113 where I chatted with Ciara about that paper)
In today's episode, Fiona shared her personal journey from becoming an elite rower to transitioning into sports medicine research, including her experience with a career-ending back injury that motivated her to study athlete-specific approaches to back pain management.
Our conversation focused on how athletes' back pain differs from general population back pain due to the unique nature of using their bodies as tools for performance, and the importance of keeping athletes' voices centered in research rather than relying solely on average population data.
We discussed the specific challenges female athletes face with menstrual pain and pelvic health issues, highlighting gaps in knowledge and the need for better support systems. Fiona emphasised the importance of precision rehabilitation approaches that consider multiple factors including biomechanics, systemic inflammation, and the athlete's individual circumstances rather than using generic interventions like static exercises (planks - we are talking to you!)
Our conversation also covered the stigma surrounding menstrual health in sports and the need for athletes to lead conversations about normalising these issues, with Fiona noting that better support could help retain female athletes who might otherwise drop out of sports during their periods.
Some of Fiona's publications that we talked about today include:
Whittaker JL, Schulz JM, Galarneau JM, Moore IS, Ackerman KE, Butler M, Dane K, Dubé MO, Ferraz Pazzinatto M, Gomez CD, Hayden KA, Marmura H, Mizuta R, Mosler AB, Schneider G, Schneider KJ, Sharma S, Trease L, Wilson F, Thornton JS, Crossley KM, Emery CA., Prevention strategies and modifiable risk factors for spine, chest, abdominal and/or pelvic injury and pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis for the Female, woman and/or girl Athlete Injury pRevention (FAIR) consensus., British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2025
"The pain isn't the hardest challenge...it’s the frustration at how much it affects my day-to-day life, my mental health and my ability to train”: a qualitative thematic analysis of elite athletes’ lived experiences of persisting low back pain'' Trease et al 2026
'“I'm breaking my back for this sport and they're not supporting me” Trease et al 2024
Fiona is an absolute legend in the world of sports medicine - for good reason, I'm sure you'll agree after listening to this episode!
Want to learn more about supporting female athletes? When you join the online course 'The Menstrual Detective'. you'll get access to the bonus course 'Pelvic Health for the Young Female Athlete' for free! All the details are at CelebrateMuliebrity.com
Until next time, Onwards & Upwards! Mx #celebratemuliebrity

Hello & Welcome to today's episode, where I'm delighted to welcome my friend & colleague Hannah Poulton back to the podcast, to continue our discussion about all things scar assessment and treatment
This was a very comprehensive discussion about scar assessment and management, and we discussed the effects that scars can have on both physical and mental health.
Hannah, who owns HLP Therapy in Leicester and is pursuing a part-time PhD at Loughborough University examining C-section scarring, detailed the key components of effective scar assessment including asking the right questions, identifying the patient's primary problem (P1), using validated outcome measures like POSAS and SCAR-Q, and taking proper photographs.
We discussed the high C-section rates (40-45% in some areas reaching up to 70%) and how women are often not adequately informed about post-surgical care and scar management.
Hannah shared her approach to prehabilitation for C-section patients, including hydration, nutrition, and preparation strategies, while emphasizing the importance of proper assessment rather than routine compression garment use.
The conversation covered Hannah's upcoming international work, including free webinars and a course at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, as well as the launch of her Scar Therapy Network platform and upcoming appearances at the Therapy Show and SCAR Symposium.
Hannah's links:
Three Free Webinars and Johns Hopkins Course: https://www.hlp-therapy.co.uk/usacoursesScar Therapy Network (free patient platform and private membership for scar professionals):www.scartherapynetwork.comScar Symposium (March 12th 2027):https://www.hlp-therapy.co.uk/scar-symposium-2027
Want to learn more about a bio psychosocialand lifestyle approach to women's health, with an evidence based clinical toolbox to translate the research into practice? I have a suite of online courses, from The Menstrual Detective (with FREE access to Pelvic Health for the Young Female Athlete, Perinatal Pelvic Rehab, (pre-conception, pregnancy & postpartum recovery), The Menopausal Toolbox, Hysterectomy Prehab to Rehab, Women's Health & Bowel Health, Women & Back Pain, Female Pelvic Pain Rehab, Female Pelvic Oncology Rehab & Breast Cancer Rehab - all of the details are at CelebrateMuliebrity.com and you can follow my continuing adventures in women's health on instagram @michellelyons_muliebrity
Until next time, Onwards & Upwards! Mx #celebratemuliebrity

Hello and welcome to today's solo episode!
I recently came across two 2026 articles that really got me thinking about how menstrual pain may be the missing link in phase based training...and so I thought a podcast episode would be a good idea!
In this episode, I discuss the overlooked impact of menstrual pain on female athletic performance, arguing that pain may be a more significant performance variable than hormonal cycle phases that currently receive much attention in sports science.
My goal was to highlight that primary dysmenorrhea affects approximately 60% of female athletes, with 50-100% reporting performance limitations due to period pain, yet this issue is often addressed through medication rather than comprehensive treatment approaches.
I wanted to emphasise that pelvic rehabilitation should be incorporated into discussions about menstrual cycle management, as pain affects brain processing, movement, breathing, and decision-making in ways that can substantially impact sporting performance.
I propose a "menstrual audit" consisting of seven simple questions to better assess and address menstrual pain symptoms rather than focusing solely on cycle phases, and of course if you want to learn more...this is exactly why I created my online course "The Menstrual Detective" for clinicians and coaches working with female athletes - to improve menstrual literacy, to understand how to have the MC health conversation and how to identify and manage menstrual dysfunction - when it hurts, when it's too much and when it disappears.
All the info is at CelebrateMuliebrity.com - or if you have questions about the course, you can find me on instagram at @michellelyons_muliebrity
Until next time, Onwards & Upwards! Mx #celebratemuliebrity

Hello and Welcome to this episode of the podcast, where I'm in conversation with Elizabeth Davies, author of 'Training for your Old Lady Body'
We had a great chat, covering the dangers of 'skinnytok' and the mythology around 'bulking up' with strength training, as well as discussing strategies for behaviour change and strength training for women approaching menopause.
Elizabeth shared her personal journey from a non-fitness background to becoming a personal trainer after experiencing a mortifying incident of incontinence during exercise in 2016. They discussed practical strategies for overcoming barriers to gym attendance, including starting with small achievable goals, using specific scheduling rather than general plans, and implementing "domino actions" that trigger the full exercise routine.
Unsurprisingly, we discussed the importance of addressing pelvic health concerns and how to normalise the conversation around pelvic health, as well as signposting women on how to get the help they need - I was so delighted that Teresa Waser's brilliant paradigm ,TIIPPSSFC, can really help bring about change - if you're not familiar, go back and have a listen to the interview I did with Teresa in Episode 30!)
We also talked about demystifying strength training for women who may be intimidated by gym environments (spoiler - its more about asking for help and less about worrying what other people think!)
The conversation also covered how to make exercise sustainable by pairing it with enjoyable activities and being compassionate with oneself when plans don't go perfectly.
So many pearls of wisdom, not only about the benefits of strength training at menopause but also about using behaviour change strategies to make exercise realistic, sustainable and enjoyable
Make sure you're following Elizabeth on instagram @thiswomanlifts and her book is available for purchase - highly recommended!
And...if you're listening on the day this drops, you're running out of time to take advantage of my summer sale - make sure you are using the code JUNE26 at checkout to apply a €100 discount on any/all of my online courses - you can find them all at CelebrateMuliebrity.com
Until next time, Onwards & Upwards, Mx #celebratemuliebrity

Hello and welcome to today's episode where I'm delighted to share my conversation with Dr Rachel Selman, all about better pelvic health conversations with athletes.
Rachel is a physical therapist and coach, who shares her experience integrating pelvic health into sports medicine practice and discussed her upcoming book aimed at educating athletes about pelvic health issues.
We explored challenges in communicating with athletes about pelvic health topics, including the need for sport-specific subjective questionnaires and annual in-services (for sports AND pelvic health pro's) to normalize these discussions. Rachel explained her approach to making complex pelvic health concepts accessible to athletes and coaches, emphasizing the importance of connecting pelvic health to overall performance rather than treating it as a separate specialized field.
We discussed the role of stress and anxiety in exacerbating pelvic floor symptoms, particularly during high-stakes competitions. Our conversation also highlighted the need for better integration between pelvic health and sports medicine professionals, emphasising the importance of training coaches and athletes to recognise and discuss these symptoms preventatively, comparing it to how they would address other orthopedic concerns. Rachel is doing her part to change the narrative, and is planning to release her first book, Floor It, this autumn and it is available for pre-order now!
Make sure you're following Rachel on instagram @dr.rachelselman for her amazing anatomy education and exercise strategies
Aaaaand...don't forget, my Summer Sale is still on for a few more days, so if you're interested in helping female athletes with their pelvic health, check out The Menstrual Detective, which includes the course 'Pelvic Health for the Young Female Athlete' for free! The code JUNE26 can be used for a €100 discount on ALL of my online courses, from Perinatal Pelvic Rehab, The Menopausal Toolbox, Female Pelvic Oncology and more - but only until June 30th!
All of the course info is at CelebrateMuliebrity.com or you can find out more on my instagram feed, a haven for women's health nerds, @michellelyons_muliebrity
Until next time, Onwards & Upwards, Mx! #celebratemuliebrity