Of all the things I took out of this article, the one I appreciated the most, lol, is the admission that flexibility, particularly sit and reach, is overrated in fitness evaluation. I was always an athletic girl and then athletic women, playing soccer, volleyball, and jogging, cycling, and swimming in my spare time. And I was never that flexible, never able to touch my toes. Not until I took pilates (which I hated so we began weightlifting). And I was still one of the best players on the team!
Hi Julia. A couple of years ago, I published an evidence-based review titled, "The Case for Retiring Flexibility as a Major Component of Physical Fitness."
I recall how as a girl even though I had endurance and could outlast all but one kid, the fastest sprinters were boys. And in tag, they always did the quick misdirections the best, so I could catch the girls and unathletic/ slower boys, but the most athletic boys were always out of my reach. Which is the point of sports - only the best compete.
If only parents would have the understanding that encouraging a male child to "transition" is going to rob him of strength, bone density (if estrogen is on the schedule) and his sex life. I just helped a teen boy out of Pink Mist Land, with a 6 week program of weekly email communication regarding his response to my Wellness Checklist. An important item on the list is an exercise program now online, called Primal Fitness. "Paul" really took to this do-anywhere routine and reconnected mind and body. He's also worked on having normal chit chat conversations with Mom and Dad, getting over the grief of his mother's recent miscarriage of a female child and limiting his screen time. The last time we communicated, he said, "There's not much to say. I realize these doubts about myself came from early exposure to pornography." Bingo.
It's been observed from time immemorial that only women give birth, and in doing so their joints need to be flexible, especially in their hip and pelvic area to allow the birth canal to open up enough to accommodate the birth of a big-headed baby. My physical therapist told me that being able to touch one's toes is genetic. Hmm, maybe so, but being a woman or a man is also genetic.
Gender ideologues are in a total bind over this. They assert "trans women are women", which locks them into policy positions that are...well, extremely difficult to defend. If trans women are women, then they *should* be able to compete athletically against "cis" women, or be housed in women's prisons, but of course most Americans disagree. Trans rights activists, perhaps sensing this, apply more pressure--getting people fired, calling them bigots, etc.--which turns more people away from their cause. It's like one of those finger-pullers, where no matter how mightily you tug, you can't escape without dislocating your fingers.
Of course, there's an easy way to escape a finger-puller: stop pulling. If activists were to move away from maximalist positions on prisons and sports and children, and towards housing and employment and the like, they'd find more Americans sympathetic to their cause. I guess it's just human nature that, when presented with opposition, not to back down but to double down.
Of all the things I took out of this article, the one I appreciated the most, lol, is the admission that flexibility, particularly sit and reach, is overrated in fitness evaluation. I was always an athletic girl and then athletic women, playing soccer, volleyball, and jogging, cycling, and swimming in my spare time. And I was never that flexible, never able to touch my toes. Not until I took pilates (which I hated so we began weightlifting). And I was still one of the best players on the team!
And here is an interview where I summarise what is in the paper:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyS_phAhPpY
Hi Julia. A couple of years ago, I published an evidence-based review titled, "The Case for Retiring Flexibility as a Major Component of Physical Fitness."
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-019-01248-w
I recall how as a girl even though I had endurance and could outlast all but one kid, the fastest sprinters were boys. And in tag, they always did the quick misdirections the best, so I could catch the girls and unathletic/ slower boys, but the most athletic boys were always out of my reach. Which is the point of sports - only the best compete.
This just goes to prove that science is a system of oppression and needs to be purged of White empiricism.
If only parents would have the understanding that encouraging a male child to "transition" is going to rob him of strength, bone density (if estrogen is on the schedule) and his sex life. I just helped a teen boy out of Pink Mist Land, with a 6 week program of weekly email communication regarding his response to my Wellness Checklist. An important item on the list is an exercise program now online, called Primal Fitness. "Paul" really took to this do-anywhere routine and reconnected mind and body. He's also worked on having normal chit chat conversations with Mom and Dad, getting over the grief of his mother's recent miscarriage of a female child and limiting his screen time. The last time we communicated, he said, "There's not much to say. I realize these doubts about myself came from early exposure to pornography." Bingo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz0Zy-J5OYc&t=13s
Good for you. You are helping confused and deluded kids.
Thanks. This filing by detransitioner Isabelle Ayala says it all.
https://www.cmppllc.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/1303610/2023/12/202310231612AyalaOriginalComplaint.pdf
It's been observed from time immemorial that only women give birth, and in doing so their joints need to be flexible, especially in their hip and pelvic area to allow the birth canal to open up enough to accommodate the birth of a big-headed baby. My physical therapist told me that being able to touch one's toes is genetic. Hmm, maybe so, but being a woman or a man is also genetic.
Gender ideologues are in a total bind over this. They assert "trans women are women", which locks them into policy positions that are...well, extremely difficult to defend. If trans women are women, then they *should* be able to compete athletically against "cis" women, or be housed in women's prisons, but of course most Americans disagree. Trans rights activists, perhaps sensing this, apply more pressure--getting people fired, calling them bigots, etc.--which turns more people away from their cause. It's like one of those finger-pullers, where no matter how mightily you tug, you can't escape without dislocating your fingers.
Of course, there's an easy way to escape a finger-puller: stop pulling. If activists were to move away from maximalist positions on prisons and sports and children, and towards housing and employment and the like, they'd find more Americans sympathetic to their cause. I guess it's just human nature that, when presented with opposition, not to back down but to double down.
What are references 1 and 2?