WHEN

Giving women the power to decide how they use and move their bodies Education

09/05/2026

WHEN has released a position statement on abdominal exercises and diastasis recti in pregnancy.
Here’s the short version.
WHEN encourages caution around loaded abdominal exercises such as loaded flexion exercises during pregnancy. Recent research found these exercises did not significantly increase muscle separation. This is useful but it is not the whole picture.
The studies measured one thing. They did not measure pelvic floor load, intra-abdominal pressure, or how women felt in their bodies. The pregnant body is a whole system. One measurement cannot tell us whether an exercise is safe for that whole system.
WHEN supports women moving throughout pregnancy. This position is not about limiting exercise. It is about ensuring decisions are based on the full picture, not a partial reading of the evidence.
For the full position statement and evidence base visit when.org.au

07/05/2026

New data just dropped.
86% of young women don't feel their GP always takes them seriously.
76% of older women feel the same way.
It doesn't get better with age.
This isn't about your doctor. This is about a system that was never built for women.
Has this happened to you? Tell us in the comments.
Source: The Australia Institute, Medical Misogyny in Australian Healthcare, April 2026.

02/05/2026

WHEN was at the Pilates Expo this weekend. Peta was a keynote speaker.
So good to see so many instructors in the room investing in further training.
A standout was Kira-Leigh from Body Form Pilates Training and her presentation.
Thank you to Cheryl Burg for your ongoing support of WHEN.

29/04/2026

We've just reviewed and rereleased our Exercise and Pregnancy Guidelines, and we want to tell you why that matters.
These guidelines were only released last year. We reviewed them again because the evidence didn't wait. A significant volume of new research landed in the last six months, and it deserved a proper response.
So we did the work.
7 new articles reviewed and integrated. 2 lead authors. 10 clinical governance reviewers. 16 contributors. All focused on the short and long-term physical health of women during pregnancy.
This is what evidence-based care looks like in practice. Not waiting years for a scheduled review. Responding when the evidence says to.
WHEN Exercise and Pregnancy Guidelines. Updated 2026.

15/04/2026

Many women hold their breath when lifting.

But breath holding increases pressure through the abdomen and pelvic floor.

A simple habit can help.

Exhale as you lift.

07/04/2026

Perimenopause can change the way your body responds to deodorant.
Most women are never told this.

So they spend a fortune trying to fix something that was never their fault.

Try men’s deodorant. Seriously. It often works.

Share this with a woman who needs to know.

31/03/2026

This is what happens to women in healthcare.
You say what is happening.
But instead of being listened to, it is interpreted.
Reframed.
Responded to as something else.
You correct it.
And still, the same version comes back.
After enough of that, you start questioning yourself.
Not because you were unclear.
Because you were not listened to.
To the doctors who listen, thank you.
The system that teaches doctors to decide instead of listen is the problem.

26/03/2026

This doesn’t have an expiry date. Whether your baby is 3 weeks or 15 years old.

18/03/2026

Much of exercise science has been built on male bodies.

Yet the same advice is often given to women.

Bodies that change across puberty, pregnancy, postnatal recovery and menopause.

Bodies that respond differently to hormones, load and recovery.

No wonder it doesn’t always feel right.

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Hobart, TAS
7000

Website

http://www.when.org.au/

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