WORLD THROMBOSIS DAY 2026: Movement, Circulation & Women's Health - Why It Matters

This World Thrombosis Day, we're supporting the conversation around women's health by focusing on something central to our work at ISOBAR: movement, circulation and understanding individual needs.

Whether we're training, travelling, working or simply going about everyday life, our circulatory system is constantly working in the background.

For women in sport, that can mean moving between intense periods of training and recovery, travelling internationally to compete and spending hours sitting between periods of high physical activity. For others, it might mean a long flight, a working day at a desk or many hours spent on their feet.

Different lives place different demands on our bodies. But one thing connects them: regular movement plays an important role in supporting healthy circulation.

World Thrombosis Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness of venous blood clots, the factors that influence individual risk and the importance of recognising potential warning signs.

Why movement matters

Blood travelling to our legs must also return towards the heart.

The muscles in our calves play an important role in this process. When we walk, these muscles contract, helping move blood through the veins in our legs towards the heart. This mechanism is commonly known as the calf muscle pump.

During prolonged periods of sitting or inactivity, the calf muscle pump is less active.

Walking regularly, changing position and moving our ankles and calf muscles during longer journeys are simple ways to support circulation.

Understanding thrombosis and women's health

Thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms inside a blood vessel.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a clot that develops in a deep vein, most commonly in the leg. If part of the clot travels to the lungs, it can cause a pulmonary embolism (PE), a potentially life-threatening condition.

Although DVT can affect anyone, certain health conditions, medications and life stages can increase the likelihood of developing a clot.

For women, relevant factors include:

• Pregnancy and childbirth: Blood clot risk increases during pregnancy and remains elevated after delivery, particularly during the first six weeks.

• Hormonal treatments: Oestrogen-containing contraception and some forms of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can increase clot risk. The risk varies by treatment. For example, NHS guidance distinguishes between HRT tablets, which can increase risk, and oestrogen patches, gels and sprays, which do not carry the same increased risk.

• Periods of reduced movement: Recent surgery, hospitalisation, prolonged bed rest and long-distance travel may increase risk.

• Personal health factors: Previous blood clots, smoking, obesity, certain medical conditions and clotting disorders can also influence risk.

These factors do not mean someone will necessarily develop a clot. However, understanding them can help individuals have informed conversations with healthcare professionals.

From performance to recovery

Through our work with female athletes and elite sporting organisations, we recognise that performance involves much more than training and competition.

Recovery, travel, sleep, nutrition and individual health all contribute to an athlete's wider wellbeing.

We recognise the importance of understanding the whole athlete rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach, particularly when it comes to women’s sport.

And it's a principle that extends beyond sport when considering how different lifestyles and circumstances influence our health.

Travel changes how much we move

For athletes and teams, international travel is often part of the job. Training camps, tours and competitions can involve long periods sitting on planes, trains and coaches.

The same applies to anyone taking a long journey.

Travel lasting more than four hours is recognised as a potential risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes DVT and PE.

For most healthy travellers, the absolute risk is small. However, it may increase when other individual risk factors are present.

Understanding personal risk is particularly important for people who have previously experienced blood clots, have recently undergone surgery or have other relevant medical circumstances.

Practical steps to support prevention

Although not all blood clots can be prevented, there are practical ways to help reduce risk:

• Move regularly: Take opportunities to walk, break up prolonged sitting and move your ankles and calf muscles during longer journeys.

• Support your general health: Avoid smoking, maintain a healthy weight and drink enough fluids to avoid dehydration. Hydration alone does not prevent blood clots.

• Understand your individual risk: Discuss relevant medical conditions, contraception or HRT with a healthcare professional.

• Follow medical advice during higher-risk periods: After surgery, during pregnancy or following hospitalisation, healthcare professionals may recommend specific preventive measures, including prescribed medication or medical compression.

Do not start aspirin or other blood-thinning medication for clot prevention without medical advice.

Recognising the warning signs is essential. New pain, swelling or warmth in one leg may indicate DVT and requires urgent medical assessment through a GP or NHS 111.

Sudden breathlessness, chest pain, coughing up blood or collapse may indicate a pulmonary embolism and require emergency medical attention. Call 999 in the UK.

Understanding the role of compression

Alongside regular movement, compression plays an important role in supporting venous circulation.

Graduated compression should apply external pressure to the legs, generally with higher pressure around the ankle, helping support venous blood return to the heart.

Research involving compression stockings during long-haul air travel for example has demonstrated reductions in leg swelling and symptomless DVT. However, individuals with medical conditions or an increased risk of blood clots should seek professional advice about appropriate preventive measures.

At ISOBAR, Personalised Compression Therapy is built on the understanding that effective compression is not one-size-fits-all. Individual anatomy, defined pressure, precise fit and intended use all play a critical role in delivering the right compression for each person. Equally important is maintaining that pressure over time to support consistent, continuous therapy.

But effective compression isn't just about pressure. It's also about how the therapy feels and how easily it can be used.

Two common concerns are: “Will I be able to get it on and off?” and “Will it be comfortable?”

At ISOBAR, these considerations are central to our approach. Each product is anatomically shaped to the individual, while our innovative NeoMesh fabric, with its unique Dynamic Power Stretch technology, is designed to combine controlled compression with flexibility, helping make the therapy more comfortable and easier to put on and take off.

Because compression therapy needs to be practical as well as precise. A product that is comfortable and manageable to use is more likely to become part of a consistent routine.

The pressure matters. The fit matters. The purpose matters. And lasting performance matters.

Our focus is on moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to compression, whether supporting athletes with their recovery routines or helping individuals understand the role compression may play in their wider wellbeing.

This World Thrombosis Day, the message is simple:

Keep moving. Support your circulation. Know your individual risk.

World Thrombosis Day | 13 October 2026

From Head to Toe, Take Control.