The Method - Health in the Real World

In the gym, there’s often a pattern: women on the cardio machines, men in the weights section. It's a divide that says a lot about how we think women should train, but how much of that is science, and how much is just habit?

This week, Greg and Charlie sit down with Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, a researcher specialising in female physiology and strength training,to answer the question: should women train like men? Lauren is also the co-owner of the MASS Research Review, which helps bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and practical fitness strategies for coaches and trainers.

As always, we’ll start with the science, unpacking the key biological differences between the sexes and what they actually mean for how women should train, their risk of injury, and their relationship with exercise across different life stages. From hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle to the effects of menopause symptoms, we explore how the body changes and what that means for getting the most out of your training. 

From there, we move into the practice, where Lauren, Charlie, and Greg discuss tangible ways to improve our training routines. They discuss:

  • How socialisation shapes women's access to sport from an early age (19:08)
  • Why resistance training is conducive to healthy aging (26:23) 
  •  What should we consider before pursuing Hormone Replacement Therapy? (31:52)

Lauren walks us through what physical training can look like across different life stages, including how contraception and menopause factor into the picture. 

Finally, in the experience section, we turn to your questions. How to get back into training post-partum? Can pilates and stretching help relieve period cramps? Are there exercises we should be prioritising to better manage our cycles? Tune in to find out. 

While we’re here, just a note on language: throughout this episode, we use the term "women" for accessibility, but this episode makes an important distinction between gender and biological sex.


To explore further:
If you’d like to send us your health questions for future episodes, you can email us a voice note, or simply write in with your question at themethod@thriva.co


About Thriva:

Thriva is a proactive health platform built for the modern age. The promise of longevity often comes with years spent in poor health. We want to bridge the gap between lifespan – how long we're living – and healthspan – how well we're living. We combine powerful at-home blood testing with wearable insights and expert guidance. So you can know exactly what’s going on inside your body - and what to do about it - before issues arise. With this podcast, we hope to bring listeners confidence in everyday health decisions. 

To learn more about Thriva’s values and services, visit https://thriva.co/. 


What is The Method - Health in the Real World?

There’s no shortage of health advice out there, but how much of it actually works? Cold plunges, glucose monitors, protein timing, strength training, avoiding microplastics… How do we figure out what’s worth our time? Now there’s a method.

The Method – Health in the Real World unpacks the science and real-world application behind modern-day health. We speak with leading voices to help you make sense of your health, and we find out how we can live better now, and for longer.

Each episode, long-time friends Greg Potter and Charlie Edmondson will interview leading experts to put key health topics under the microscope, and unpack health questions through three lenses:
- The science: What the experts, data, and scientific research say.
- The practice: How to turn theory into habit and sustainable behaviour change.
- The experience: How the practice lives up to expectation in real life.

In an often chaotic world, we want to keep an eye on the long game: maximising your healthspan, not just your lifespan.

Whether it’s eating better, moving with intention, or getting quality sleep… We help you build good, evidence-based habits that stick. Let’s find out what works for you. The Method gives you the tools to chart your own path towards health confidence.

Expect deep dives into the science of health. We’ll cover topics like: supplements, brain health, personalised nutrition, biomarker tracking, zone 2 training, stress management, but also explore psychological wellness, the power of social connection, and good emotional resilience.
Whether you’re new to proactive health, or already experienced and looking for nuanced conversations and fresh insights, The Method will empower you to push what really matters when it comes to your health.

About your hosts:
Dr Greg Potter is a health consultant with a PhD in sleep, nutrition, and metabolic health, and a master’s in exercise physiology. A real chameleon in the health world, he works across product development, coaching, scientific advisory, and science communication. He also loves meeting people, exploring new places, and spending an unreasonable amount of money on specialty coffee. On this show, Greg is here to cut through the noise of the wellness world and help listeners focus on what truly moves the needle for long-term health.

Charlie Edmondson is a proudly Northern outdoors lover, with a growing passion for what it means to live well. She spent years firing her health questions at Greg over voice notes; a habit she now conveniently brings to the show. A real sports addict, Charlie has tried everything from swimming, to hockey, and cycling, to endurance racing representing Team GB in triathlon and duathlon across the globe. She is also a dog mum and doesn’t say no to the occasional Guinness. She brings her warmth to the Method to champion the voice of the everyday listener, who might not be an expert in health, but is brimming with questions.

About Thriva
The Method is brought to you by Thriva, a proactive health platform built for the modern age. The promise of longevity often comes with years spent in poor health. We want to bridge the gap between lifespan – how long we're living – and healthspan – how well we're living. We combine powerful at-home blood testing with wearable insights and expert guidance. So you can know exactly what’s going on inside your body - and what to do about it - before issues arise. With this podcast, we hope to bring listeners confidence in everyday health decisions.

To learn more about Thriva’s values and services, visit https://thriva.co/.