Last weekend I had a timely reminder that there’s so much more to me than my ADHD and that thriving is possible. This is not about super powers but rather connecting to the deeper part of us that has more in common with other humans than not. Read on to learn more about the Hoffman Process. […]
When people think of ADHD, they usually think of distraction or forgetfulness. But the women I work with rarely come to me because they can’t focus or misplace their keys (although of course this often happens as well). They come because they frequently feel overwhelmed and dysregulated. And when they’re in that state, they often […]
In this month’s blog I am talking about what coaching is and what it isn’t, and how and when it can be helpful. Coaching is sometimes in the news for all the wrong reasons. As it is an unregulated industry, not every coach is properly trained or cares about your wellbeing. This is why it’s […]
January often arrives with a loud bang. New year, new you. Fresh starts, big goals, ambitious resolutions. And yet for many women I work with, especially those who are postnatal, perimenopausal, neurodivergent, or simply exhausted, January can feel like the worst possible time to overhaul your life. As a Scandinavian who pays close attention to […]
Have you ever noticed how your energy, motivation, and patience seem to come and go in waves? Just like our menstrual cycle moves in monthly cycles of spring, summer, autumn and winter, so do our lives and life stages. Some weeks you’re on it: meals prepped, workouts done, washing folded. Other weeks… everything feels heavier. […]
Hello Spring! Well, not quite yet, but the longer days and occasional rays of sunshine definitely hint at better things to come. Many people use the new year as a time to set resolutions, but I prefer a different approach. Instead of January 1st, I use the spring equinox (March 20) as my opportunity to […]
In this blog, I’m joined by Christien Bird, physiotherapist and owner of the White Hart Clinic in Barnes. I’ve collaborated with Christien & her team for several years and I know my clients are in safe hands when they go for their appointment, be that a pregnancy pelvic floor check, postnatal return to strength or […]
Health is such a broad topic and as a health and mindset coach, I often ask my clients: what does health mean to you? And here are some of my clients’ answers. Health means: –Waking up fully rested –Not being in physical pain –Having enough energy to play with my children –Not needing constant coffees […]
My initial reaction after my formal ADHD diagnosis in early 2023 was sadness, frustration and disappointment mixed in with some relief. At least I knew what was wrong with me! I looked back at my entire life – personal as well as professional – and saw so many missed opportunities, ruined opportunities, relationships destroyed, and […]
Fast like a girl is one of my favourite women’s health books! You see, I used to be anti-fasting. I tried it at the age of 20, lasted about half the time that I was supposed to, and broke the fast with a feast of pancakes and jam. I got into intermittent fasting by accident after I […]
When hearing the word health, many people think of eating well and moving their bodies. But what if I told you that stress will undo many of the benefits of a good diet and regular exercise? Stress is all-pervasive in our Western society and it is often even seen as a hallmark of success. Running […]
If someone told you that oestrogen has over 400 functions in the body and when it starts to drop, you’re going to potentially notice a lot of changes – would you stop what you’re doing and take notice? Do you know how well you might cope with these potential changes – both at work, socially […]
The world of what to eat can be so overwhelming and confusing, leaving a lot of women frustrated at best and doing things that can be downright harmful at worst. This blog is designed to help you understand some of the key aspects of eating well to fuel both your body and your brain for […]
Last January, as I was running a challenging half-marathon race in cold, strong winds and rain in Richmond park, I saw a sign that said ‘Breathe & Believe’ (thanks Run Through UK) and this became my mantra for the year. It helped me achieve my goals on more than one occasion and got me through […]
Have you ever wondered why you act like a different person at different times of the month? Maybe you’re full of energy and good vibes, renovating your house and applying for a promotion at work one week, and the next you’re low on energy, losing confidence and wanting nothing more than to crawl under the […]
One of the frustrating things about being a new mum is that you often pick up a cold or two and it can really knock you out, which is not ideal when you’re on 24/7 duty. So what can mums do to support their immune system? Well, we know that sleep is number 1 when it comes […]
This summer I’ve learnt a very valuable lesson: I want more softness in my life, not more hard, tough and strong. Every mum I meet is strong, capable, competent. She can do – and is already doing – hard things. *She’s gone through pregnancy, perhaps a really tough one full of sickness, or possibly several […]
Many mums I meet are confused about strength training – what it actually means, how often to do it and what exercises to do. So in this blog, I thought I would demystify this by giving you my top 6 strength exercises. First of all, strength training simply means using resistance to build stronger muscles […]
The biggest lesson I’ve learnt on my marathon journey is that I CAN DO HARD THINGS! This has given my confidence such a huge boost which has carried over into both my professional and personal life. I’ve learnt that I can have a laser-sharp focus, work consistently towards a clear goal and don’t give up […]
*Being diagnosed as neurodivergent at the age of 46* Have you ever had one of those moments when you look back on your entire life and all of sudden it all makes sense? This is what happened to me as I received my formal ADHD diagnosis earlier this year. Having been told more than once […]
Back when I was working for big corporates, I was often sent on presentation courses to help improve my public speaking skills. They didn’t help much as the focus was nearly always on what I was doing wrong. They kept saying: practice makes perfect. But I never felt that I improved, despite practising lots. A […]
-Are you eating well and exercising three times a week but still not seeing any positive changes? -Perhaps you’ve got stubborn fat around your lower tummy? -Maybe you’re not getting stronger despite increasing the weights in your regular strength session? -Or perhaps each run feels slower than the previous one? If this sounds like you, […]
You may be used to seeing people at the gym pushing out butterfly crunches, mountain climbers and Russian twists and thinking: is that what I should be doing? For me as a non-gym goer, core strength has always been about function. Can I walk on a log in the forest without losing my balance? Am […]
I talk a lot about how you are fuelling your body through nutrition and movement and now it’s time to turn our attention to how you are fuelling your mind. Because let’s face it: as mums, we are often our own worst critic and all that negative self-talk and energy has to go somewhere. Perhaps […]
Growing a baby is a big deal and it uses up an extraordinary amount of energy and nutrients. After going through pregnancy, birth and possibly breastfeeding, a mum’s body is low on calcium, zinc and other vital nutrients and it can take a long time to restore it to optimal levels, especially if you’ve had […]
Last November I ran a 10k in 53 minutes with minimal running under my belt. I had a good level of general fitness but I had only run a couple of 5k before race day so I wasn’t sure how I was going to fare on the day. As you can imagine, I was pretty […]
This month I wanted to write about a subject that affects us all namely how to change unwanted habits. For many mums that I work with this could be related to nutrition, exercise, mindset or parenting. The online world is flooded with tips on how to eat better, move more or be more confident or […]
Like many of you, I’ll be taking time off this August to rest and recuperate. But that doesn’t mean that exercise has to stop. In fact, I view holidays as a chance to move my body in different ways to what I normally do and experience my destination at the same time. Here are three […]
One of the questions I get asked the most as a postnatal trainer is how do I regain my abs after having a baby. Many mums hope for an easy answer or are looking for a couple of exercises that will make all the difference. However, it’s much more complicated than that. Nutrition, hormones, sleep […]
One of the things I love about working with mums and pregnant women is changing (and challenging!) their mindsets. Here are some of the things I often hear: “I don’t think I can do it.” “I’m so weak.” “My body is broken.” “I don’t feel strong enough.” “I’m not sure I’m able to do it.” […]
A few of my social media followers have asked me for guidance on returning to exercise post-baby. If you’re currently pregnant, there is a lot of work that you can do now, especially on your pelvic floor (more on that in a separate post), to prevent some common issues and/or recover better post-birth. Here is […]
A year ago I had my third umbilical hernia surgery along with diastasis recti repair. The latter involves stitching together the most superficial layer of abs (which are usually connected with a bit of fascia). I thought it might be helpful to others to document my journey so far. Unfortunately my first two hernia surgeries […]
Has COVID-19 made you consider a complete career change? I’ve had a few career changes in my life but my latest one, two years ago, is the only one that felt 100% right. Why? Because it was where ‘push and pull’ came together and suddenly, the right career became bleedingly obvious. More about that later. […]
I don’t usually talk about losing weight in my blogs or on social media as it’s not my primary focus. My aim is to empower you to be strong and pain-free, and to help you achieve your goals. However, the topic comes up a lot amongst my mums so I wanted to add my two […]
Spring is here! I hope you are all feeling a little bit lighter thanks to the longer days and beautiful blossoms. Today I would like to talk to you about the power of tiny gains, inspired by the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. This is quite relevant to us as mothers, as we often […]
Plenty of people ask this question so I thought it would be interesting to dive deeper to see when and why it might be worth it. PERSON A: Used to be active and fit but a sedentary desk job and no exercise has left them with a few kilos too many, several postural issues and […]
Last month I talked about diastasis recti (DR) and this month it’s time for the closely connected pelvic floor; these are the two most common postnatal topics I get asked about. From, do I have to do Kegels every day to, will I ever be able to do high-impact exercise without risking a leak? I […]
I wanted to dive into one of the two most common postnatal topics that I get asked about: diastasis recti (DR) (the other one is pelvic floor dysfunction). They are linked as a DR can cause pelvic floor weakness and pelvic floor weakness can worsen a DR. It can also be accompanied by lower back […]
This is a question I ponder regularly. I think it’s safe to say that you cannot change what your body has been through. However, I strongly believe that you can come back stronger than before – different for sure – but maybe even better than before! I also think it’s possible to become more mindful […]
This week in class we talked about looking after ourselves as new mums – asking for help, going to bed early, not trying to do it all. One thing that I found hard when suffering from postnatal depression was the English attitude of “keep calm and carry on”. Put a lid on your feelings. Smile […]
Today is World Maternal Mental Health Day. One in 10 mums will develop postnatal depression within a year of having a baby according to the NHS. Perinatal depression and anxiety also affect mums although they are not talked about as much. This week, the Perinatal Mental Health Partnership is offering several live talks, helpful tips […]
I know many mums are keen to return to running after having a baby. Some mums are taking up running for the first time during lock-down as they need to get out of the house and running is an ‘easy’ form of exercise. I’ve been a runner my entire life and love running outside to […]
Most of us know that exercise is important for a myriad of health reasons – physical as well as mental. But are there specific reasons why exercise (such as Buggyfit group classes) can be helpful for pregnant women and postnatal mums? Absolutely! Read on to learn more. 1.IMPROVE WELL-BEING & REDUCE PHYSICAL PAIN: Moving your […]
Hanging out… Gaining a new perspective… Surrendering and listening to my body… Last autumn, I took some time out (in Ibiza) to reflect on several things, one of them being my hip. I was born with hip dysplasia in my right hip which means a shallow hip socket and improper alignment of the femur bone […]
Hello, I’m Caroline ❤️ The title of this blog could be ‘follow your heart’ but it could also be ‘follow your body’. Either way, as most of us know, it’s all connected. I am a recently-qualified Personal Trainer who specialises in pre- and postnatal fitness. I am also a mum of two girls and have […]