As part of our recent Made to Move campaign, we commissioned a survey to uncover the barriers faced by women when it comes to sports and exercise.
Created to raise awareness of women’s involvement in sports, while empowering more to pursue its health benefits, Living360’s Made to Move campaign focuses on three key barriers:
- Training
- Nutrition
- Menstruation
The campaign, which launched in July 2025, presents deep dives into each topic through a series of online features. These are complemented by interviews with leading women in the sport, including Olympic medallist Lizzie Deignan, professional sailor Hattie Rogers and former player for the Lionesses, Fara Williams.
The campaign opened with an exposé on how men were mainly considered in research for the effects of nutrition on sporting performance, including insight from registered nutritionist Dr Hazel Wallace on how to fuel properly as a woman for high-intensity movement.
Following a series of articles focused on training advice, how-to guides and top tip for exercising around your cycle, Living360 launched its Made to Move survey to uncover the issues women face today.
Key findings:
- Only 11.8% of women are a part of a local sports team or club.
- Over half of women who exercise (52.7%) have not received proper nutritional guidance.
- 33.1% of women are embarrassed to begin a sport as an adult.
- Two thirds of women (78.3%) are not sure how best to train during the different stages of their cycle.
- 47% of women said that menstruation has prevented them from exercising at some point.
Read more: Hattie Rogers on sailing, the surprising sport made for women’s fitness
Despite growing female interest and involvement in fitness and sport, the survey found that only 11.8% of women are a part of a local sports club or team, with 33.1% of women feeling embarrassed to begin a sport as an adult.
When asked about barriers to entry, over half of respondents (52.7%) said that they were concerned about the cost of joining a women-only sports team or club, while 32% of women are worried that they wouldn’t be good at any sport.
And despite 84.4% of respondents claiming that they exercise regularly, only 21.7% feel confident that they know how and when to train during the different stages of their cycle. This lack of education extends further, as only 22.4% of respondents have received proper guidance on nutrition.
Read more: Everything you need to know about strength training as a woman
The findings, from a survey of over 700 women, highlight an urgent need for better education around women’s menstrual cycle and nutritional advice. Of those that exercise, 46.7% said that their period has prevented them from engaging in fitness and sports and 31% fear leaking on their clothing while exercising. Despite this, 79.6% of women have never used a period-proof product.
The insights demonstrate an urgent need to spread awareness of how women can tailor sports and exercise to their bodies – from nutritional advice to hormonal education – as well as better understanding of the products, local clubs and communities available to support women and encourage participation in sports and exercise.
Living360 has worked to address these issues throughout its campaign, from highlighting how to train for every stage of a cycle to interviewing an Olympian to find out their top tips to swimming during a period.
Anna Evdokimou, acting editor of Living360, said: “The Made to Move survey results highlight a clear need for better education around the menstrual cycle, as well as a wider gap in accessibility when it comes to female sport. Through in-depth articles, interviews and thoughtful editorial, Living360 has helped to bridge this gap, and we hope that the information spotlighted will better inform women of all ages and solidly their confidence in sports and exercise.”
Discover the trending stories from the campaign:
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Hattie Rogers on sailing, the surprising sport made for women’s fitness: Professional sailor Hattie Rogers reveals why women tend to be better at this sport than men — as well as why sailing is an underrated sport in the UK. Read more here.
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A beginner’s guide to squash, the trendiest sport right now — Living360 speaks to squash pro Annie Openshaw about the buzz around the sport and why it deserves a place in your workout routine. Read more here.
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Understanding injury risks across your cycle — From ACL tears to fatigue-related strains, women face unique injury risks when exercising, and hormone fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle may play a key role. Here, Living360 speaks to experts to learn how women can train more safely. Read more here.
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Everything you need to know about strength training as a woman — Oner Active athlete Hayley Madigan separates fact from fiction when it comes to strength training and reveals the one thing all women should know. Read more here.
Find out more about the campaign here.
Feature image: APL Media
