Lucas-Rodd felt 'trans joy' wearing a binder but are they safe to exercise in?

Binders bring gender-diverse people 'trans joy' but are safe they for exercise? AFLW player Tilly Lucas-Rodd remembers the "trans joy" they felt the first time they wore a chest binder. "It was incredible," they said. "It was so relieving … I remember I put a T-shirt on, and I was like, 'this is life-changing.'" GWS player Lucas-Rodd is non-binary, and has since had top surgery, a procedure that involves the removal of breast tissue. They have spoken openly to the ABC about how the gender-affirming operation brought their body in line with how they had "always seen [themselves] internally". Before top surgery, Lucas-Rodd relied on chest binders to reduce gender dysphoria — a psychological term used to describe the distress that can arise when someone experiences a "mismatch" between their gender identity and the sex they were assigned with at birth. Binding is common among trans men, non-binary and masculine-identifying people who were assigned female at birth. Anecdotally, however, binding can also have unwanted side-effects, including discomfort, pain, overheating, breathing restrictions, skin irritation and more. Many trans and gender diverse people also believe it may be harmful to bind while exercising, a fear Lucas-Rodd shared. They experienced skin chafing and "scarring" under their armpits from a string of ill-fitting binders and took to the internet to try and find information on binding while playing sport. "There wasn't a lot of research," they said. "But my need and desire to bind kind of outweighed [my fears]. "I was like, I feel so uncomfortable that I'll take some of those negative side effects if they happen." Australian researchers are now trying to close the gap on a lack of knowledge about binding and exercise, with preliminary results from one study led by the Mental Health and Exercise Research Group at the University of Western Australia (UWA), providing some reassurance. Largest study yet finds 'comforting' preliminary results The UWA-led project, done in conjunction with Curtin University, The University of New South Wales, The Kids Research Institute and Thriving in Motion, studied a group of 21 people who were assigned female at birth to see if there were any significant differences between exercising with or without a binder. No-one in the group had previously worn a chest binder, and all were issued a commercial binder by researchers who had been trained in correct fitting. Participants took part in two separate exercise sessions — one with and one without a binder — and were put through tests to assess their aerobic fitness, muscle strength and lung function amongst other measures. Researchers found no significant differences when participants were wearing or not wearing a binder, a finding PhD candidate Kai Schweizer says helps dispel the "non-evidence based" perception that binding while exercising is unsafe. "The findings are really interesting and somewhat comforting," he said. "We don't have enough evidence to say anything with certainty yet, but our sample was — believe it or not — the largest collected in this area so far. "Our research is not a definitive answer but it's the first step in trying to better understand the impact of binding on exercise." As Schweizer explains it, trans and gender diverse people already participate in sport and physical activity at much lower rates than the general population. "That then contributes to the really high disparities in things like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis," Schweizer explains. "One of the barriers to exercise we identified was the perception among trans folk that it was unsafe to exercise in a chest binder. "Hopefully this research inspires further, more detailed, bigger studies so that we can try and reduce barriers for trans and gender diverse people to exercise." One limitation of the UWA study is that they only studied the impacts of binding in the short-term. However, Schweizer points to a pilot study conducted last year, which followed a group of eighteen trans and gender diverse teenagers, most of whom had been binding for over a year, and found that wearing a binder did not impact exercise capacity. "We'll need more longitudinal data to really answer the safety question, but I was glad to see that other researchers had started looking at this and their findings didn't substantially differ from ours," he added. The importance of finding the right fit The findings of the Australian study, which are currently under peer-review, come as welcome news to Adam Brownhill, medical director of a gender-affirming care clinic in Melbourne. "A healthy lifestyle is an important lifestyle, so anything we find or learn that helps improve inclusion and participation in sport is really, really important," Dr Brownhill said. "This is a really reassuring piece of research, in that there was no harm found." Dr Brownhill does, however, emphasise the importance of finding the right type of binder, and correct fit, to ensure safety while exercising. He says DIY methods like taping can damage the skin if done repeatedly, and cause harm. "It's like anything — a pair of glasses, a bra, a pair of shoes — you need to make sure it fits properly when you're using it." There are several custom binding manufacturers in Australia, including Sock Drawer Heroes — who supplied the binders worn in the UWA study — and Transform Transwear, a Melbourne-based company created by Simone Kelly. Kelly's stepson Eli came out as trans seven years ago but was unable to find any binders available for sale in Australia. Kelly says she was forced to order items from overseas for Eli that were expensive, took a long time to arrive, and were "cheaply made" and "poorly designed". The experience left her "sad and angry" and fuelled her passion to provide a physical space where trans and gender diverse people could be fitted safely and in private. Since opening their Melbourne-based store in 2024, Transform have serviced clients like Lucas-Rodd, and recently released a binder designed specifically for swimming. "We get people coming in for swimwear and talking about how long it has been since they've been able to swim," Kelly said. "Someone came in recently and said, 'I used to love surfing with my Dad as a kid, but I haven't done it in such a long time. So I'm really excited to get out and surf with my Dad.' "We know young people getting out there and exercising is really fantastic for their mental health, but many are consumed by their dysphoria and don't feel comfortable enough to go and do things like that." While Kelly acknowledges that the preliminary findings of the UWA study are only the beginning, she says research like it is critical for trans and gender diverse people's health. "Right up until this research came out, we were telling our customers, don't exercise in a binder and don't sleep in a binder," she said. "Obviously we need to do more research to help give us more detailed guidance, but this is a great start. It's a step in the right direction."