female Archives - usatoday24

that we take the female anatomy seriously

April 27, 2026 by usatoday24

You just have to swipe your finger for a few seconds on TikTok or Instagram to come across it: luxury sportswear in pastel tones, pristine sneakers and a huge Stanley glass under your arm. It is the aesthetics of Pilates Princess wave Pilates Moma trend that emerged strongly in 2023 to elevate a lifestyle based on luxurious femininity and devotion to Pilates. It might seem like another frivolous internet fad, but behind this facade of branded tights lies a true revolution in women’s health. For decades, traditional medicine failed to educate women about their own anatomy. According togee Women’s Health In the words of Dr. Larissa Rodriguez, a urologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, “we don’t do a good job of informing women (…) most of them only find out about this when they have a problem.” Paradoxically, it has been algorithms and social networks that have removed the pelvic floor from absolute anonymity. The best example is found in the physiotherapist Sarah Percy (@femalephysiosarah)whose videos teaching how to contract and relax the pelvic muscles in blue pajamas have accumulated more than 21.1 million views and millions of likes. A simple home video has achieved more impact and awareness than years of information leaflets in gynecologists’ waiting rooms. To understand the magnitude of the phenomenon, we must first understand what we are talking about. The pelvic floor is not an abstract concept; It is a hammock-shaped muscular structure that supports vital organs such as the bladder, uterus, and rectum. When a woman becomes pregnant, this hammock must support the weight equivalent to “a huge bowling ball”, causing around 50% of pregnant women to experience disorders ranging from constipation to urinary incontinence. However, the problem goes far beyond motherhood. In the sporting field, this muscle is “the great forgotten one.” The figures are alarming: in certain impact sports, urinary incontinence affects more than 70% of female athletescausing one in five women to abandon physical exercise due to embarrassment or discomfort. The real drama has been the silence. As Cristina and Lucía, founders of the Embody clinic, explain, in Women’s Healthhistorically we have normalized symptoms that are not: urine leakage when jumping, pain during sexual relations or pelvic heaviness. The voice of the experts That Pilates works is a fact, but medical science insists on clarifying why. It’s not about doing traditional sit-ups—which, in fact, make the problem worse by pushing the pressure down—but about re-educating the body. Physiotherapist Lola Ibáñez explains in the magazine Woman Today that disciplines such as hypopressive Pilates base their success on breathing: through expiratory apnea and costal opening, the body works “upwards and inwards”, reducing pressure in the abdomen and elevating the tissues. Along these lines, the experts consulted by specialized means The Bump They assure that controlled breathing is the authentic “superpower” to activate the deep muscles and prepare the body for childbirth. But interest in the pelvic floor has transcended future mothers. A report from Wall Street Journal illustrates how an entire subculture of women in his forties and fifties he is becoming obsessed with pilates, sweep and weight lifting. They do it not out of pure vanity, but as an antidote to the symptoms of perimenopause and an “existential panic” about losing their physical independence in old age. It’s a way to take charge of your own biology. However, there is a fine print: all experts agree on a fundamental caveat. Pilates is not physiotherapy. As pointed out Women’s Healthsome women suffer from hypertonia (a pelvic floor that is too tight and rigid) and need to learn to relax it, so doing Kegel exercises indiscriminately would aggravate their pain. Besides, Guardian echoes the warnings of the Pilates Teacher Associationwarning about the danger of massive “reformer fitness” classes taught by instructors without clinical qualifications, which are causing a spike in back and neck injuries. The hidden side: elitism, algorithms and the “wellness” business Every good report requires looking at the shadows, and this trend is immersed in a hypercapitalist market. As we already detailed in Xataka, The industry has left behind the aggressiveness of the traditional gym to embrace the Cozy Fitness and the Strong Elegance. The global Pilates and Yoga studio market is projected to reach $520.61 billion by 2035. The problem is that health has become a class filter. Guardian emphasizes that the classes of reformer They can easily exceed 25 pounds/euros per session, making pelvic floor care an unattainable luxury for many. Added to this is the brutal aesthetic pressure. The magazine Parents warns that obsession to fit the mold of the Pilates Princess It encourages perfectionism and associates well-being exclusively with thinness, sometimes bordering on orthorexia. Algorithms are largely to blame: academic Carolina Are explains that platforms like TikTok and Instagram actively discriminate against diversity, making large, older or disabled women invisible, to crown the white, thin, cisgender woman as a universal reference. Despite this mercantilist packaging, there is hope. At this moment, we are moving towards the era of Body Literacy (body literacy). Women are no longer satisfied with wearing pretty leggings; They want to understand how your hormones work, your stress response, and your deep anatomy. The end of silent suffering It is undeniable that the phenomenon of Pilates Moms It was born wrapped in the posturing of social networks, the hyperconsumerism of sports clothing and exclusive gym fees. However, its impact has achieved a historic and irreversible milestone: democratizing knowledge about female intimate anatomy. The true legacy of this viral trend is the breaking of a deafening silence that has lasted for generations. Today’s mothers are talking openly with their daughters about menstruation, incontinence and pelvic pain. They are educating the next generation to be proactive and demanding with their health. We have left behind the belief that pain or urine leakage is the unavoidable toll of being a woman, being a mother or getting older. Today, thanks in part to a trend From the internet, we know that the pelvic floor is trained, rehabilitated and, above … Read more

half of the female seals have already disappeared

November 15, 2025 by usatoday24

The bird flu It is a disease that is on the lips of many people in Spain right now due to the great impact is having on our birds, causing many pens to have to be confined. But a variant of this virus is also wreaking havoc in Antarctica, causing the death of thousands of sea seals. A broken sanctuary. Antarctica was a frozen and impenetrable sanctuary, until now. The highly pathogenic H5N1 virus, a variant of avian flu, is arriving on the subantarctic coasts to stay. And it has done so by causing a “massacre” according to the scientists themselves, which have determined the death of 50% of reproductive female elephant seals from the south on the island of South Georgia. The discovery, led by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), is not just a tragic figure; It is confirmation that the virus has found a new and effective transmission vector: marine mammals and not just birds. How it was revealed. Quantifying mortality in colonies as dense as this one in South Georgia is not easy. And we are precisely talking about the home of the largest population of sea seals, making counting them a titanic and risky task. This is where technology comes in. The Bamford team used drones to fly over breeding beaches. Comparing population density before and after the arrival of the virus, they documented a loss of half of adult females. This non-invasive method has been key to obtaining accurate data without interfering in an already devastated ecosystem. It is not isolated. What is happening in South Georgia is the chronicle of a death foretold. This event is the continuation of the “first wave” that hit Argentine Patagonia. A previous study, published in Nature Communicationswas the first to set off all the alarms. This work not only confirmed the jump of the virus from birds to elephant seals, but also demonstrated what the scientific community feared most: sustained transmission between mammals. The ideal breeding ground for this virus were the elephant seals that live crowded on the beaches during the breeding season, they became a perfect breeding ground. The virus no longer needed birds to spread. Out of control. In this way, the H5N1 has become a panzootiathat is, an animal epidemic on a planetary scale. Although the media focus right now is on Antarctic mammals, and in Spain on poultry, the reality is that we are talking about a much bigger problem. According to the latest report from the World Organization for Animal Health, the virus is already has affected more than 150 million birds in 84 countries, either by direct death or by the emergency sacrifices necessary to contain it. To monitor this serious problem, the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) maintains an updated database that centralizes all detections of HPAI in Antarctic fauna. And the risk in humans? It is the inevitable question. If the virus has learned to jump from birds to mammals and transmit efficiently between them (as happens in seals and elephant seals), are we humans next? The latest risk assessment from WHO, FAO and WOAH keep calmbut with nuances. Right now, the risk to the general human population is still considered ‘low’. However, the report warns that this is an infection that should be closely monitored as it provides the virus the opportunity to better adapt to hosts. In short, every seal that becomes infected in the Arctic is a new probability that the virus ends up mutating and that it finally becomes a major security problem for everyone. Images | Yuriy Rzhemovskiy Fusion Medical Animation In Xataka | An old hypothesis about the origin of life has received a new boost: solving its “chicken and egg” problem

The female pockets are so useless that they became meme. The serious thing is that they have centuries to be

September 18, 2025 by usatoday24

A trend a little less than two months ago on social networks call Claw Grip It showed how women held several objects – mild, keys, wallet – in one hand, because the pockets are so small that there are hardly any pañuelos package. What seems a fun occurrence is, in fact, a daily photo of inequality in clothing design. “Has pockets”. It looks like a pretty silly phrase, but among women finding pockets in the pants is an almost impossible mission. The expression has become the forced comment, already converted into a cultural meme. In social networks, frustration has become digital activism. With hashtags like #Wewantpocketsthousands of users denounce the absurdity that in the 21st century it is still exceptional to find a garment with useful pockets. The data reflects it. According to the pudding studywomen’s pockets are on average 48% shorter and 6.5% narrower than men. In fact, just 40% of female front pockets can save a smartphone. The consequence is in sight: pockets unable to put a phone, a small wallet or even the full hand. The contrast is even more ironic if we think that, in parallel, many men They start buying bags As a voluntary accessory, while women continue to claim pockets out of necessity. More than fashion: autonomy. The pocket is not a simple aesthetic detail: it allows you to leave home without a bag, with your hands free, without depending on loading an accessory to carry the basics. In a report for the BBC They have detailed that in feminist history it has been claimed as a tool of freedom. At the beginning of the 20th century, the British voters summarized it in a clear slogan: “votes and pockets”, Remember Caroline StevensonDirector of the Cultural and Historical Studies Program of the University of the Arts of London. “It is interesting that a pocket became one of the symbolic forms of counteracting the desire for women’s independence and freedom,” he adds Elizabeth Evitts Dickinsonauthor of a new biography about the American designer Claire McCardell, a pioneer in trying to solve this problem from fashion. For them, having their own space in the clothes equal independence, not to depend on a husband or a bag. The case of little Golden Cameron, eight years old, demonstrates it: indignant because girls’ school pants had no pockets, he wrote to the Sainsbury’s supermarket chain asking for a solution. After viralizing its letter, the company modified its designs. The episode, counted in another BBC report, It shows how even girls detect textile inequality from an early age. A problem with historical roots. In the seventeenth century men enjoyed pockets reited in pants and jackets, while women used Small little bags tied to the waist Under his skirts. That difference implied more than fashion: a woman’s value objects were hidden under layers of clothes, quickly inaccessible and dependent on the design of the dress. The situation worsened in the nineteenth century, when the tight fashion that directly eliminated female pockets was imposed. “Depriving pocket women was also depriving them of liberty,” Explain The Atlantic. In addition, after the years, fashion reinforced the stereotype that the female body should prioritize aesthetics over functionality. Christian Dior verbalized it in 1954 In a phrase that still resonates: “Men have pockets to save things, women for decoration.” The catwalks are pronounced. And it is that the debate continues to speak today. Some brands, such as Chanel or Saint Laurent, have been incorporating pockets as a gesture of modernity for some time. In the 2022 Oscar, Penelope Cruz surprised with a chanel of pockets, something that stood out as an unusual detail On the red carpet. In parallel, independent brands such as The Pockets Project o Sports clothing firms have made a wide pocket an emblem: leggings with mobile space, cocktail dresses with secret pockets. But in Fast Fashion reality is another: false pockets, useless seams or ridiculous sizes. The problem is costs, As the BBC points out: Adding real pockets implies more fabric and more preparation time, something that clashes with the tight fashion margins. The pocket as a social reflection. The debate, in reality, is not just textile. An interesting report by New York Times, deepens more than the absence of pockets is linked to bag dependence. In other words, the bag sector is a global market that moves more than 8,000 million dollars. Fashion seems to have pushed women towards mandatory bag consumption, while men leave home with their hands. It is no accident that in 1937, when Diana Vreeland assumed as editor of Harper’s Bazaar, proposed to dedicate an entire number From the magazine to the pockets. In his autobiography DV remembers that the idea was immediately discarded by the pressure of advertising: “Do you realize that our bags by bags are millions a year?”, Its director warned. The anecdote reveals to what extent economic interests also weighed in what seemed like a simple clothing detail. In itself, the pocket is a mirror: it shows how for centuries the male fashion privileged functionality, while the female sacrificed autonomy in the name of aesthetics. Everything remains the same. Five centuries after men released sewn pockets and women were relegated to hidden bags, the debate is still in force. What is expressed in networks with memes, hashtags or the uncomfortable gesture of the Claw Gripactually points to a deep issue: who has the right to dress with autonomy and who is still conditioned by designs that prioritize aesthetics and the market on equality. Therefore, when a woman proves a dress, pants or skirt, and exclaims: “He has pockets!”, He is not celebrating only a sewing detail. He is celebrating a small triumph in a long struggle: that of being able to keep the same, on the same. Image | Freepik Xataka | From six -digit liftings to a German Viper Serum: Hollywood’s new obsession is “liquid surgery”

Log In

Sign In

Forgot password?

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections