Syd Young

Meet Syd Young (they/them), the owner of OutWellness! They are dedicated to the health and wellness needs of the LGBTQ+ community, especially those undergoing gender-affirming surgeries and managing chronic pain. Follow OutWellness on Instagram @outwellnessatx or swing by and say hi if you're in Austin, TX!

A single fern frond growing up through blackened, ash-covered ground, symbolizing recovery and new growth

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy After Vaginoplasty: What the Research Actually Shows

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy After Vaginoplasty: What the Research Actually ShowsBy / Insights on Gender-Affirming Care

If you’re weighing vaginoplasty, counting down to your surgery date, or a few weeks into recovery and wondering whether you actually need pelvic floor physical therapy, this post is for you.   Most pre-op checklists cover your dilation schedule and your follow-up with your surgeon. If you have not already worked through the 5 questions

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy After Vaginoplasty: What the Research Actually Shows Read More »

A woman sitting quietly on a gym bench, pausing before her workout

Why Feeling Safe at the Gym Isn’t Optional: The Science of Hypervigilance and Your Workout

Why Feeling Safe at the Gym Isn’t Optional: The Science of Hypervigilance and Your WorkoutBy / Feeling Safe at the Gym

If you’ve ever caught yourself scanning the room before you’ve even touched a weight — who’s watching, which door is closest, whether today is a day you can just be a person working out — this post is for you.   That scanning isn’t in your head, and it isn’t separate from your training. It’s

Why Feeling Safe at the Gym Isn’t Optional: The Science of Hypervigilance and Your Workout Read More »

A person gripping a black dumbbell mid-workout, hand and forearm in focus

Grip Strength: The Simple Strength Test That Predicts More About Your Health Than You Think

Grip Strength: The Simple Strength Test That Predicts More About Your Health Than You ThinkBy / Strength Workouts

If the only strength number you’ve ever tracked is how much you can bench or squat, this post is for you.   Grip strength sounds like a minor stat, the kind of thing you’d only care about if you climb rocks or open stubborn jars for a living. The research says otherwise. How hard you

Grip Strength: The Simple Strength Test That Predicts More About Your Health Than You Think Read More »

A pen and money scattered across paperwork, representing the real cost of navigating healthcare expenses

Your HSA or FSA Covers More Than You Think: What Actually Qualifies for Physical Therapy and Gender-Affirming Care

Your HSA or FSA Covers More Than You Think: What Actually Qualifies for Physical Therapy and Gender-Affirming CareBy / Navigating Healthcare Affordably

If your premium just jumped and you’re wondering what you can actually control right now, this one’s for you.   If your ACA premium jumped this year, you’re not imagining it and you’re not alone.   The extra subsidies that kept a lot of marketplace plans affordable expired at the start of 2026, and subsidized

Your HSA or FSA Covers More Than You Think: What Actually Qualifies for Physical Therapy and Gender-Affirming Care Read More »

A person sitting with a laptop and a stethoscope nearby, representing the work of looking up and understanding your own health insurance coverage

Your Gender-Affirming Care Coverage Just Got Protected Again: What the New Court Ruling Means for You

Your Gender-Affirming Care Coverage Just Got Protected Again: What the New Court Ruling Means for YouBy / Navigating Healthcare Affordably

If you’ve spent the last year bracing for your gender-affirming care coverage to disappear, this post is for you.   Here’s some real, concrete good news for once: a federal judge just blocked the rule that would have made that fear come true. Not “under review.” Not “pending appeal with no timeline.” Blocked, as of

Your Gender-Affirming Care Coverage Just Got Protected Again: What the New Court Ruling Means for You Read More »

A person taking notes while on the phone and looking at a laptop, representing the work of documenting a healthcare visit and following up afterward

What to Do If a Healthcare Provider Refuses to Treat You: Your Rights in Texas Right Now

What to Do If a Healthcare Provider Refuses to Treat You: Your Rights in Texas Right NowBy / LGBTQ+ Politics and Health

If you’ve ever left an appointment replaying exactly what was said, wondering whether you were just treated differently because of who you are, this post is for you.   A provider hesitates. A receptionist’s face changes when you say your name. A doctor suddenly finds a reason to refer you somewhere else. You know the

What to Do If a Healthcare Provider Refuses to Treat You: Your Rights in Texas Right Now Read More »

A person mid-lift with a barbell in a gym, representing informed, careful strength training for every body

Is It Safe to Exercise in a Chest Binder? What the Research Actually Says

Is It Safe to Exercise in a Chest Binder? What the Research Actually SaysBy / Strength Workouts

If you’ve ever skipped a workout because you weren’t sure your binder made it dangerous, this one’s for you.   For years, the standard advice was blunt: take your binder off before you exercise, no exceptions, no questions. That advice came from somewhere real — binding does put real, measurable pressure on your ribs, your

Is It Safe to Exercise in a Chest Binder? What the Research Actually Says Read More »

A doctor and patient shaking hands and talking at a desk during an appointment, representing the trust an affirming provider relationship should feel like

How to Find an LGBTQ+-Affirming Doctor in Austin: A Vetting Guide for Right Now

How to Find an LGBTQ+-Affirming Doctor in Austin: A Vetting Guide for Right NowBy / LGBTQ+ Politics and Health

If you’ve ever sat in a waiting room rehearsing how you’ll explain your own body before a doctor even walks in, this post is for you.   This year has given LGBTQ+ people a genuinely reasonable question to ask before every appointment: will this provider still be treating people like me next year, and will

How to Find an LGBTQ+-Affirming Doctor in Austin: A Vetting Guide for Right Now Read More »

A woman performing a barbell deadlift in a gym, representing the resistance training that protects bone density on hormone therapy

Hormone Therapy and Bone Health: What Trans and Non-Binary People Should Know About Osteoporosis Risk

Hormone Therapy and Bone Health: What Trans and Non-Binary People Should Know About Osteoporosis RiskBy / Insights on Gender-Affirming Care

If someone has ever told you hormone therapy is quietly wrecking your bones, this post is for you.   It’s a fear that gets passed around a lot, sometimes by well-meaning providers who read one outdated study, sometimes by people who just want another reason to make you doubt your own care. Here’s the more

Hormone Therapy and Bone Health: What Trans and Non-Binary People Should Know About Osteoporosis Risk Read More »

Scroll to Top