Health

Even Without Summer Sun, Exercise Keeps Vitamin D Active

As Memorial Day weekend kicks off the unofficial start of summer, many people head to the beach, ready to soak up the sun—and with it, some vitamin D. But a new study suggests you don’t necessarily have to rely solely on sunshine or supplements to keep your vitamin D levels up. Simply moving your body […]

Published

4 weeks ago

May 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Even Without Summer Sun, Exercise Keeps Vitamin D Active

Simply moving your body throughout the year, especially in the darkest months, may be just as critical as UV exposure when it comes to activating this crucial vitamin.

Published in Advanced Science, a new study (Perkin and colleagues, 2025) found that regular, moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week can help preserve the body’s active form of vitamin D, even during winter when sunlight is scarce. That’s important because the active form—1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)₂D₃)—is what your body uses to support bone density, immune function, and more.

Vitamin D Seasonality: Higher in Summer, Lower in Winter

For this study, researchers in the UK compared a group of participants who did four weekly cardio sessions (for example, walking on a treadmill, riding a stationary bike) to a control group that didn’t do aerobic exercise. Perkin and colleagues found a striking pattern: People who worked out four times a week were significantly more likely to maintain optimal levels of active vitamin D, regardless of the season. In contrast, those who were inactive saw their levels decline, especially in the darker, less sunny winter months. As the authors explain:

“Many adults become vitamin D deficient or insufficient during winter at northerly latitudes when cutaneous vitamin D synthesis does not occur. [Our] randomized controlled trial demonstrates that regular exercise completely maintains serum concentrations of the active vitamin D metabolite 1,25(OH)₂D₃ over winter.”

These findings are a potential game-changer, especially for those of us living in northern climates, where sunshine can be scarce from late fall through early spring. While physical activity will never entirely replace the need for sunlight, these findings highlight that movement is a practical, cost-effective tool for maintaining healthy vitamin D levels year-round.

Why Active Vitamin D Matters

To understand why this matters, it helps to know more about how vitamin D works. Most of the vitamin D we get—whether from sun, food, or supplements—is in its inactive form. To make it active, our bodies must convert it twice. First into 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the form typically measured in blood tests. Then into 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, the biologically active version that works best in our cells.

The latest study shows that even though vitamin D metabolites typically experience seasonal declines during winter, physically active participants could better maintain the active form. And this wasn’t just a minor blip—it was significant enough to be considered clinically meaningful.

While the exact exercise-induced mechanism of action isn’t yet known, researchers suspect that cardio may help regulate the enzymes involved in activating vitamin D, possibly by reducing inflammation that otherwise interferes with the inactive-to-active conversion process.

A Bonus Benefit: Slowing the Aging Clock

If preserving vitamin D isn’t enough motivation to get you moving, another new study offers an extra nudge: Higher vitamin D levels may help slow the aging process.

Another new, soon-to-be-published study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Zhu and colleagues, 2025) found that, on average, people with higher vitamin D levels had longer telomeres. These tiny protective caps on chromosomes’ ends usually shorten with age. Think of them as the plastic tips on shoelace ends; your DNA becomes more vulnerable to damage when these caps wear down.

Researchers tracked thousands of adults and found that those with higher vitamin D levels had biologically “younger” telomeres. Though the findings were observational, they align with earlier research linking vitamin D to lower inflammation and reduced cellular stress—factors that influence telomere length.

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And because the first study showed that exercise helps preserve the active form of vitamin D, there’s a logical connection: Moving more could indirectly support longer telomeres by maintaining higher bioavailable levels of vitamin D. Exercise isn’t just good for heart health, bone strength, or trimmer waistlines—it may also help keep our cells youthful.

4 Workouts Per Week: A Simple, Powerful Goal

You don’t need to become a gym rat to reap these vitamin D benefits. The UK study focused on moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking or cycling, with one weekly high-intensity session. As long as you’re getting your heart rate up for about 30–45 minutes per day, four days a week, not only are you meeting recommended physical activity guidelines (150 minutes a week), you’re also helping your body sustain active vitamin D.

What About Supplements?

Vitamin D supplements still have their place, especially for people who are deficient or at higher risk for osteoporosis or bone loss. But the new findings suggest that supplementation alone might not be enough if you’re sedentary.

That’s because supplements provide vitamin D in its inactive form. Without regular movement, your body may be less able to convert it into the active version it uses. Rather than thinking of vitamin D supplements and exercise as either or, consider them teammates: One supplies the raw material, and the other helps your body activate and use it more effectively.

Take-Home Message

As summer begins and people head outside, it’s easy to think of vitamin D as a sunny seasonal bonus that fades around September’s autumn equinox. But new research flips that script: Regular physical activity can preserve active vitamin D year-round. And, by doing so, exercise may also help protect your body from the effects of aging on a telomeric level.

Health

(BPRW) The Ad Council, Huntsman Mental Health Foundation and Amazon Announce “The …

(BPRW) The Ad Council, Huntsman Mental Health Foundation and Amazon Announce “The Mind Set” to Support Mental Health Elite Athletes Skylar Diggins, Laurie Hernandez and Chaunté Lowe Appear in National “Love, Your Mind” PSAs to Remind Audiences Why the Mind is the Real MVP (Black PR Wire) New York – The Ad Council, Huntsman Mental Health […]

Published

7 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

(BPRW) The Ad Council, Huntsman Mental Health Foundation and Amazon Announce “The Mind Set” to Support Mental Health

Elite Athletes Skylar Diggins, Laurie Hernandez and Chaunté Lowe Appear in National “Love, Your Mind” PSAs to Remind Audiences Why the Mind is the Real MVP

(Black PR Wire) New York – The Ad Council, Huntsman Mental Health Foundation and Amazon Ads have collaborated to launch “The Mind Set,” an interactive experience designed to show audiences how taking care of their mental health can help them reach their goals. As part of the “Love, Your Mind” campaign, “The Mind Set” leverages the stories of three inspiring athletes – Skylar Diggins, Laurie Hernandez and Chaunté Lowe – in national public service advertisements (PSAs) and a new online experience, YourMindIsTheMVP.com.

“The Mind Set” website showcases each athlete’s journey with mental health and allows users to explore “Love, Your Mind” mental health resources like breathing exercises, gratitude journaling, and meditation. Through the campaign activation, users can also engage with mental health resources by saying “Alexa, make my mind the MVP,” to their Echo device or the Alexa app. Users can also explore bespoke Amazon Music playlists inspired by the athletes’ qualities of determination, bravery and resilience.

The new PSAs, directed by Babak Khoshnoud, director at Bryght Young Things, and developed pro bono by the Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab, will appear in donated media across Amazon throughout 2025, including Prime Video, in the Amazon store, and on the Fire TV landing page.

Throughout the experience, the three athletes vulnerably share how taking care of their minds has contributed to their successes. Each athlete has selected a personal object that represents their inspiring journey with mental health:

● Skylar Diggins: Six-Time WNBA All-Star features her Childhood Basketball as a symbol of her determination.
● Laurie Hernandez: U.S. gymnastics gold medalist features her Comeback Leotard as a symbol of her bravery.
● Chaunté Lowe: U.S. high jump record holder features her Survivor Bell as a symbol of her resilience.

To encourage fans to take care of their minds, users who interact with three resources on the site can enter into a giveaway for a chance to win one of the personal objects of their choice. The items have been generously donated by each athlete and professionally authenticated. The giveaway is open now through July 7.

“Mental health is a critical component of overall wellness that affects millions of Americans daily,” said Alan Moss, vice president of global advertising sales, Amazon Ads. “By leveraging the Amazon universe—from Alexa to Prime Video to Amazon Music—we’ve created an immersive experience that doesn’t just raise awareness but provides actionable resources through the voices of these inspiring athletes. This campaign demonstrates how technology can be a positive force in addressing the mental health challenges so many face today.”

“These iconic athletes are demonstrating their true passion for mental health awareness by generously sharing their moving stories with the world,” said Huntsman Mental Health Foundation President, Miranda Barnard. “These women have achieved such significant feats of athletic greatness in their respective sports, and hearing them talk about their challenges and coping strategies truly helps create a more open dialogue around mental health.”

“We are grateful to Amazon for activating its extraordinary range of touchpoints in support of mental health awareness,” said DJ Perera, chief media officer, the Ad Council. “Our audiences look to athletes for inspiration, and through this collaboration, we can show how taking care of our minds helps us all perform at the top of our game, both physically and mentally.”

“The Mind Set” is part of the national “Love, Your Mind” campaign, which has driven over 1.6 million visits to LoveYourMindToday.org for free mental health resources since October 2023. For more information about the “Love, Your Mind” campaign, follow “Love, Your Mind” on Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok.

Giveaway rules: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to legal residents of the 50 US/DC, 18 years of age and older who have or create an Amazon.com account. Creating an account is free. Void where prohibited by law. Sweepstakes ends at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on 7/7/25. Subject to Official Rules, including how to enter, prize details, odds, and restrictions, see https://seerules.com/mindset. Sponsor: Amazon.com Services LLC, 2021 7th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121.

About the Ad Council
The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change. For more than 80 years, the nonprofit organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country’s most iconic social impact campaigns – Smokey Bear, Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more.

In November 2022, the Ad Council announced a Mental Health Initiative, uniting brands, marketers, media companies and nonprofits to address the mental health crisis throughout the U.S. at scale. With a founding donation from Huntsman Mental Health Institute, the multi-year initiative aims to change social norms and create a society that is more open, accepting and proactive when it comes to mental health.

To learn more or get involved, visit AdCouncil.org, join the Ad Council’s communities on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X, and view campaign creative on YouTube.

About Huntsman Mental Health Foundation
Huntsman Mental Health Foundation supports Huntsman Mental Health Institute and its mission to transform mental health care through community, research, clinical, and education initiatives. Huntsman Mental Health Foundation is working toward a world where mental wellness is accessible to all and where funding is not an obstacle on the path to well-being by leveraging the power of philanthropic support to break down the barriers that hinder mental wellness, both regionally and nationally. Learn more at: hmhf.org and join the conversation on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Ben Dorf
The Ad Council
bdorf@adcouncil.org

The information contained in this Press Release represents the views and opinions of the author(s) and/or original creator of this Press Release and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Black PR Wire. The mere appearance of this Press Release on the website does not constitute an endorsement by Black PR Wire or its affiliates of this Press Release.
This Press Release has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. The author(s) and/or represented companies are solely responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the content of this Press Release. Black PR Wire does not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness or completeness of this Press Release. Black PR Wire does not warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of any sites or products mentioned, listed or linked to in this Press Release.

Health

Team Fiji prioritises athlete well

As Team Fiji athletes are counting down the days to leave our shores for the Pacific Mini Games, they are not only focusing on their physical preparations but on the mental as well That is because qualified ppsychologist Peni Tove is engaging directly with the athletes like he did during the Team Fiji Assembly. Team […]

Published

18 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

As Team Fiji athletes are counting down the days to leave our shores for the Pacific Mini Games, they are not only focusing on their physical preparations but on the mental as well

That is because qualified ppsychologist Peni Tove is engaging directly with the athletes like he did during the Team Fiji Assembly.

Team Fiji says Tove’s session focused on the importance of safeguarding in sport, ensuring every athlete feels safe, respected, and supported both before and during the Games.

They say Tove shared practical strategies on how athletes can identify and respond to safeguarding concerns, manage pressure, stress and emotional challenges and also protect their mental health while striving for excellence.

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They add that as part of their holistic approach for the athletes, a dedicated safe space will be made available to athletes during the Games and at the accommodation – a place to release tension, reset focus, and let go of any negative energy that may affect performance or well-being.

The 2025 Pacific Mini Games will be from Sunday to July 9th.

Health

India Tops Global Doping Violations List for 2023 with 214 Cases, Govt Moves to Amend …

India has topped the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) global doping violations list for 2023, registering 214 Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) from 5,606 samples a positivity rate of 3.8%, the highest among countries with over 1,000 tests. This troubling development has sparked concern among athletes, officials, and sports fans, prompting the Ministry of Youth Affairs and […]

Published

1 day ago

June 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

India Tops Global Doping Violations List for 2023 with 214 Cases, Govt Moves to Amend ...

This troubling development has sparked concern among athletes, officials, and sports fans, prompting the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to announce a renewed crackdown on doping. The government is set to amend the National Anti-Doping Bill and ramp up testing and awareness campaigns in a bid to restore the integrity of Indian sports.

India’s Doping Challenge: Numbers, Reactions, and Human Impact

According to WADA’s 2023 report, India surpassed nations like China, the USA, France, Germany, and Russia in doping violations, with 214 positive cases detected. Of the 5,606 samples collected, nearly half were during competitions, and the 3.8% positivity rate is significantly higher than China’s 0.2% and the USA’s 1.0%.

The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has increased its testing efforts, collecting more samples than ever before. “Any amount of doping is unacceptable but we have to acknowledge that our testing is vigorous and with every year the sample size is increasing.

With our aggressive awareness campaigns, we intend to bring the numbers down in the next two years,” a Sports Ministry official told the media. Many athletes, meanwhile, have voiced frustration that the actions of a few are tarnishing the hard-earned reputations of the wider sporting community.

The news has also led to calls for better education and support for young and grassroots athletes, who are often most vulnerable to inadvertent violations.

Policy Overhaul: Legislative Changes and New Initiatives

In response to the alarming report, the Sports Ministry has revived and amended the National Anti-Doping Bill 2022. The revised legislation, soon to be tabled in Parliament, will drop the criminalisation of athlete involvement with doping syndicates, following WADA’s objections.

The proposed National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports has also been scrapped to avoid excessive government interference. Instead, the focus will shift to stricter penalties, enhanced testing, and robust education for athletes and coaches.

The Ministry is also pushing digital tools like the “Know Your Medicine” app, designed to help athletes check substances and avoid accidental violations. “We are determined to fight doping. It is not acceptable. That’s why we have increased the sample size every year. If you see the result, there is a decline in the rate over the last few years from over 5 per cent to three per cent. We have been transparent in our policy,” a senior official stated.

The government’s multi-pronged approach aims to balance deterrence with education and support, acknowledging that lasting change will require both systemic reform and cultural transformation.

The Logical Indian’s Perspective

India’s repeated appearance at the top of the WADA doping list is a sobering moment for the nation’s sporting community. While stricter enforcement and legislative changes are necessary, the real solution lies in building a culture of integrity, transparency, and empathy.

It is vital to support athletes not just with testing and penalties, but with education, mental health resources, and guidance especially for those at the grassroots who may lack access to information or support. True sporting greatness is rooted in fairness, discipline, and respect for the rules. As a society, how can we collectively support our athletes to compete clean and uphold India’s sporting honour?

Health

Olympic hero Camille Cheng to bring IOC mental health mission back to Hong Kong

Hong Kong Olympic hero Camille Cheng Lily-mei’s work outside the pool was recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) earlier this month, when she was named one of the body’s first mental health ambassadors. Advertisement Cheng, who has represented Hong Kong at three Olympic Games, travelled to Lausanne, Switzerland, for the IOC Consensus Meeting on […]

Published

2 days ago

June 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Olympic hero Camille Cheng to bring IOC mental health mission back to Hong Kong

Cheng, who has represented Hong Kong at three Olympic Games, travelled to Lausanne, Switzerland, for the IOC Consensus Meeting on Mental Health for Elite Athletes in early June after being invited to serve as the female representative for Asia.

The IOC’s mental health ambassador scheme is a new initiative aimed at putting athletes’ voices and lived experiences at the centre of efforts to address mental health challenges and disorders in elite sport.

Cheng is the co-founder of Hong Kong-based mental health charity Mind the Waves.

“There’ll be 12 representatives: a female representative and a male representative from the Americas, Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa, and then two more,” Cheng said.

“It is up to the ambassador to be very proactive in how we bring what the IOC is doing in this space to our own region.

Health

Powell Selected to Participate in MLB Breakthrough Series for Second Consecutive Year

Story Links BOWIE, MD — Bowie State University head softball coach Ed Powell has been selected to participate in the MLB Breakthrough Series, held at the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy from Saturday, June 21 through Thursday, June 26 in Kansas City, Mo. This marks the second consecutive year Powell has received this prestigious invitation. “I’m […]

Published

2 days ago

June 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Powell Selected to Participate in MLB Breakthrough Series for Second Consecutive Year

BOWIE, MD — Bowie State University head softball coach Ed Powell has been selected to participate in the MLB Breakthrough Series, held at the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy from Saturday, June 21 through Thursday, June 26 in Kansas City, Mo. This marks the second consecutive year Powell has received this prestigious invitation.

“I’m truly honored to be part of the MLB Breakthrough Series once again,” said Powell. “This program is so much more than a showcase, it’s an opportunity to empower and uplift some of the most talented and dedicated young softball players in the country. Helping these athletes grow not just on the field, but as leaders and individuals, is what makes this experience so meaningful. It’s a privilege to contribute to a platform that opens doors and leaves a lasting impact on their lives.”

Powell will be one of two head coaches from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) selected to participate in the Breakthrough Series, joining Bluefield State head coach Chelsea Holliday.

About Softball Elite Development Invitational
The Elite Development Invitational is a multi-day, 18 and under training camp that features intense on-field softball development and game play along with various off-field development sessions covering topics such as college recruiting, mental health and women in sports.

The event is coached by current and former USA Softball Women’s National Team athletes, professional softball players and college coaches. Participants represent some of the top athletes from the MLB Youth Academy and Nike RBI network.

For more information about the MLB Breakthrough Series, please click HERE.

For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 13 varsity sport teams, visit bsubulldogs.com.

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Health

Letting Transgender Kids Play Sports Can Benefit All Kids

President Donald Trump’s raft of anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders affects many aspects of the lives of LGBTQ+ people, including their sports participation, access to healthcare, and ability to serve in the military. One executive order seeking to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports, is surprisingly picking up some Democratic support. Recently, Senator […]

Published

2 days ago

June 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Letting Transgender Kids Play Sports Can Benefit All Kids

One executive order seeking to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports, is surprisingly picking up some Democratic support. Recently, Senator Ruben Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona said banning trans students from girls’ and women’s school sports might be “legitimate” and argued that trans girls put cisgender girls at risk during sporting events. However, this is a damaging myth that fuels anti-trans stigma, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination and reinforces misogynistic stereotypes that girls are weak and need protection.

It’s not the first time a Democrat has capitulated to Republican anti-trans messaging. In Oct. 2024, during his long-shot attempt to unseat Senator Ted Cruz in Texas, Democrat Colin Allred released a campaign ad in which he seemed to oppose the participation of trans girls in sports. And in March 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom, speaking on the first episode of his new podcast “This Is Gavin Newsom,” said it was “deeply unfair” for trans athletes to participate in women’s sports.

We are not totally naïve—we get why a handful of Democrats are joining Republicans in wanting to ban trans kids from participating in sports teams consistent with their gender identities. These democratic legislators likely think their stance will appeal to “centrist” voters; recent public polling suggests that about two-thirds of U.S. adults support such bans. But we still firmly believe that such bans are misguided, harmful, and built on falsehoods, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and inequities.

Democrats should not be willing to throw transgender kids under the bus just for electoral considerations. Trans kids face higher rates of multiple physical and mental health difficulties than their cis peers—largely due to how our society treats the transgender community. But when they’re allowed to play sports, these rates fall. What’s more, states with policies allowing trans girls to play sports have seen increased rates of sports participation by cis girls. In other words, letting trans girls play sports benefits all girls. Shouldn’t politicians be championing the benefits of sport for all?

To understand why such bans are damaging, let’s back up and consider the lives of trans youth. A study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law estimates that there are about 300,100 trans kids (ages 13-17) in the U.S., making up just 1.4% of all youth in that age range. The Center for American Progress notes that trans youth face “high rates of family rejection, violence, discrimination, and suicidality.” Suicidality is shockingly common: the Centers for Disease Control conducts a national survey of high school students every two years to explore health-related behaviors, called the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), and the 2023 survey found that 53.8% of trans youth had seriously considered suicide, compared to 20.4% of the general youth population. Research has shown that trans kids are also at increased risk of depression, anxiety, substance misuse, and impaired quality of life.

The good news is that sports can be a real lifeline. The research is clear: when trans youth are allowed to participate in sports, these mental health risks fall. For example, trans students in states with fully inclusive athletics policies are less likely to have considered suicide than students in states without such policies. Megan Bartlett, founder of the Chicago-based non-profit The Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport, told The Guardian that sports “can be life-saving—especially for marginalized young people – because it can actually change your brain.” When kids are in sports teams, she said, the positive relationships help make them “feel safe and practice being stressed but being able to deal with that stress,” which builds lifelong resilience. Trans kids at inclusive schools are also less likely to experience harassment and victimization. For all adolescents, participating in a sports team can reduce anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness.

Letting trans kids play sports also improves their physical health. Trans kids have worse physical health than their peers—including higher rates of obesity and of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, like abnormal cholesterol levels—which are thought to be due to the stress of marginalization. But research has shown that playing sports lowers their risk of obesity and improves their cardiovascular health.

The benefits go even further. Trans kids who are allowed to play sports in accordance with their gender identity are more likely to feel like they belong at school and more accepted by their peers. Sports help all kids gain skills in team building, management skills, commitment, and leadership. And there’s even evidence that LGBTQ student athletes have higher grade point averages than those who do not play sports.

Unfortunately, several myths about trans student athletes are being promoted by supporters of school sports bans. We believe these need to be challenged.

The first myth, pushed by Senator Gallego, is that anti-trans sports bans are needed to protect cisgender girls. There is no evidence that trans-inclusive policies are harmful to cis girls; indeed, trans boys and girls have been openly participating in high school sports for many years now, with no documented evidence of any harm to cis kids. States that have adopted inclusive policies have seen steady or increasing rates of participation by all youth. For example, California and Connecticut, which have allowed trans kids to play sports on the team of their choice, have seen participation of all girls increase. For instance in California, participation among girls in sports has increased by almost 14% from 2014 to 2020.

The second myth, peddled by Governor Newsom, is that trans kids have an unfair advantage in sports. Trans kids vary enormously in their sporting ability, just like cis kids. Some play well and some play poorly, just like cis kids. Trans kids are all different heights, sizes, and strengths, just like cis kids. Whether any kid excels at sport is most often related to factors like how hard they train and what kind of access they have to good coaches. As the ACLU argues, when a trans kid does well at sport, they should be “celebrated for their hard work, not demonized because of who they are.”

Other myths abound. For instance, some conservative politicians and organizations push the fiction that massive numbers of trans kids are now “dominating” high school sports. In reality, one study using CDC data found that only 40.7% of trans kids in grades nine through 12 played on at least one sports team. If we apply this percentage to the 300,100 trans kids aged 13-17 in the U.S., only 122,000 trans kids are playing sports out of a total of about 21 million kids in this age rage. This means that trans kids make up an extremely tiny fraction of those in sport.

Another false narrative claims that inclusive policies change the nature of girls’ sports. But as the ACLU notes, that trans girls’ “participation in the girls’ category does not change the nature of the category.” Inclusive policies do not undermine Title IX protections, and girls’ sports have thrived in states that adopted such policies. This is why many women’s rights advocacy groups support inclusion of trans people in sports.

Trans kids just want the same opportunities as their peers. They want to be on sports teams to have fun, get exercise, and hang out with their friends. Just like any other kid. When we deny them that right, we are actively causing harm that could easily be avoided. And, in the end, this discriminatory behavior hurts us all.