Lucas-Rodd felt 'trans joy' wearing a binder but are they safe to exercise in?
Binders are popular among trans and gender diverse people, but research is yet to show if they're safe to exercise in. The University of Western Australia has led the largest study so far in the search for answers, and the preliminary results are promising.
Tilly Lucas-Rodd, an AFLW player, recalls the relief they felt when wearing a chest binder for the first time. The binder offered a sense of relief from gender dysphoria they experienced due to their body not aligning with their internal sense of self. Before undergoing top surgery, Lucas-Rodd relied on binders to manage their dysphoria.
However, ill-fitting binders could lead to skin chafing, scarring, and discomfort. There is a lack of research on the safety of binding during exercise, a concern shared by Lucas-Rodd. Australian researchers are now investigating this issue, with a UWA-led study providing some reassurance. In this study, participants who had never worn a binder took part in exercise sessions with and without the binder, and no significant differences were found in their aerobic fitness, muscle strength, or lung function.
The study's lead researcher, Kai Schweizer, emphasizes that this research is just the beginning and that more studies are needed to fully understand the impact of binding on exercise.
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