Movement Logic: Strong Opinions, Loosely Held

Does Diary of a CEO’s discussion of hormonal birth control help women make informed choices—or give them more reasons to fear effective medications? We examine Steven Bartlett’s roundtable with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Dr. Natalie Crawford, Dr. Vonda Wright, and Dr. Stacy Sims, comparing the panel’s claims with research and expert guidance.
We unpack claims about ovulation, menstruation, cycle tracking, and the supposed need for a monthly pill break, explaining why medically suppressing menstruation differs from losing your period because of an underlying health problem. We also examine birth control described as a “crutch,” symptom relief dismissed because it isn’t a cure, and cold exposure proposed for endometriosis based on pilot data.
Drawing on our interview with Dr. Kemi Doll and writing from Dr. Jen Gunter, we examine how alarming anecdotes, “natural” versus “synthetic” hormones, and benefits followed by a big BUT shape the message. We ask who benefits when legitimate failures in women’s healthcare become opportunities to build distrust, sell alternatives, and undermine informed reproductive choices.
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RESOURCES
The Diary of a CEO roundtable: Hormone & Fertility Experts: We’ve Been Lied To About Women’s Health! If This Happens, Call A Doctor
Our interview with Dr. Kemi Doll: Birth Control, Hormones, and Menopause: When Medicine Fails and Wellness Cashes In
The Vajenda by Dr. Jen Gunter
Movement Logic ep 113: Debunking Menopause Grifters: Dr. Mary Claire Haver and Dr. Vonda Wright
Movement Logic ep 111: Make Stacy Sims Make Sense
Article: Study Suggests Increase in Deaths During or Within One Year of Pregnancy in States that Imposed Abortion Bans
2020 paper by Naj-mabadi et al
Catholic church story - “The 7-day contraceptive hormone-free interval should be consigned to history” from 2018

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Kemi Doll, a double board-certified OB-GYN and gynecologic oncologist, about endometriosis, fibroids, uterine cancer, PMOS, and hormonal birth control. We examine how wellness influencers exploit real experiences of medical dismissal to promote fear, undermine trust in established treatments, and sell alternatives.
We discuss what hormonal contraception offers beyond preventing pregnancy, why suppressing ovulation or menstruation isn’t automatically harmful, and how language like “hormone balancing” and “treating the root cause” can misrepresent effective medical care. Dr. Doll also explains the recent renaming of PCOS to PMOS and raises concerns about estrogen regimens that extend beyond what has been adequately studied.
Drawing on her book, A Terrible Strength, Dr. Doll explains how women’s suffering, especially Black women’s suffering, becomes normalized and undertreated, and how gaps in research and diagnostic practices contribute to delayed care. She makes the case for better medical communication, meaningful informed choice, and taking women’s symptoms seriously without turning their health into a wellness trend.
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RESOURCES
Dr. Kemi’s website | Instagram | LinkedIn
Dr. Kemi’s Book A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing by Dr. Kemi Doll.
The GRACE Center
ACOG patient resources for gynecologic health information.
ECANA for uterine cancer and abnormal bleeding information.
UpToDate patient education for more detailed explanations of conditions, treatments, and evidence.
The Menopause Society
Dr. Kemi Doll’s Instagram Reel challenging birth control misinformation
Dr. Jen Gunter’s conversation with Dr. Kemi Doll

In this episode, Sarah Court and Laurel Beversdorf investigate the bone supplement company AlgaeCal and ask whether its marketing claims are supported by good evidence. They unpack the company's promotion of algae-derived calcium, its use of strontium supplements to claim increases in bone density, and why improvements on a DEXA scan don't necessarily mean stronger bones. Along the way, they explain how appeals to nature, authority, and fear are used to sell expensive supplements to women worried about osteoporosis.
The conversation also examines the growing "doctor-to-brand pipeline," using Dr. Vonda Wright as a case study in how medical authority can become intertwined with supplement marketing. Sarah and Laurel discuss why they declined an invitation to collaborate with AlgaeCal, why exercise remains the cornerstone of bone health, and how consumers can recognize misleading health claims before spending hundreds of dollars on products that may not deliver meaningful benefits.
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RESOURCES
92: Make Dr. Loren Fishman Make Sense
91: LIFTMOR, Not Less: An Interview with Belinda Beck
93: Should You Avoid Spinal Flexion with Osteoporosis?
113: Debunking Menopause Grifters: Mary Claire Haver and Vonda Wright
Doctor vs Brand Instagram Post

SIGN UP Lift for Longevity. Enrollment closes Sunday, September 20th. Classes begin September 28th.

In this episode, we talk with Lift for Longevity participant Julie Wright about beginning strength training in her mid-sixties after an osteoporosis diagnosis. Julie had never touched a barbell before joining the course. After completing Lift for Longevity three times, she has progressed from deadlifting 28 pounds to 100 pounds for reps, increased her bench press from 20 to 53 pounds, built visible muscle, returned to jumping in ballet, and become more hopeful about aging, traveling, and continuing to dance.
We also examine Julie’s follow-up DEXA, which initially appeared to show a dramatic improvement from osteoporosis to osteopenia at nearly every measured site. We explain why scans performed at different facilities can’t provide a clean comparison and how raw bone-mineral-density values, machine calibration, arthritis, and strontium complicated the results. Julie’s story shows why DEXA matters—but also why strength, muscle, power, confidence, and the ability to keep doing what you love might matter more.
SIGN UP Lift for Longevity. Enrollment closes Sunday, September 20th. Classes begin September 28th.
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RESOURCES
Lift for Longevity
Julie's website
Listen to Dr. Lora Giangregorio on the Movement Logic Podcast

In this episode, we look back at how our thinking about exercise has changed over the years, from our beginnings in yoga and physical therapy to strength training, bone density, power, fall prevention, and longevity. We talk about the ideas we stopped believing, the evidence that changed our minds, why “lift heavy shit” was an important corrective but ultimately an incomplete message, and how all of this has shaped the newest version of Lift for Longevity.
We also get into what we’ve learned from teaching the course four times, why we’re removing exercises that create unnecessary friction, why AMRAPs are becoming a much bigger part of the program, and how we’re incorporating more power, balance challenges, and structured impact training.
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RESOURCES
107: Does It Have To Be Heavy?
49: You Don’t Know How Strong You Are, Says Research
36: Somatic Dominance
Loren Fishman et al.: Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss paper
LIFTMOR Trial
Kistler-Fischbacher Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis
91: LIFTMOR, Not Less: An Interview with Professor Belinda Beck
Dr. Lora Giangregorio on the Movement Logic Podcast
Dr. Stuart Phillips on the Movement Logic Podcast
Stu Phillips post
Korpelainen paper