That time of the month where your fatigue levels go up, your motivation plummets, cravings go up and the idea of working out for some is completely a no go 

But can exercise help our menstrual symptoms?

How can we approach working out around this time to ensure we don’t over do stress on our bodies?

Progesterone and estrogen levels are at the lowest during our cycle which means we feel sluggish, tired and pretty unmotivated. All women’s hormone levels fluctuate at different times. Some may feel like they were hit by a bus the week before their actual cycle begins and some may feel it during the first couple days etc. Everyone is different so getting to know YOUR body is key to knowing how to adapt your routine to ensure it works best for YOU 

Scientific studies have shown that exercising during your cycle can actually decrease the most common complaints like energy fatigue and cramping. 

When you exercise your brain releases endorphins...

The short answer is NO

Lets talk about protein powder first. Protein powder/shakes are glorified on social media as holding the secret to building muscle and its made out to be superior to other protein sources. 

This is not reality - protein powder is simply just another form of protein, its not superior, in fact in some cases it is inferior to other sources. You will get the same effects from a protein shake as you will from a chicken fillet. Its just protein - its not magic 

Now a protein shake can be a super easy and quick source for people on the go. It can also be a great way to hit protein targets if you find yourself short after breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

However - protein shakes need to be used carefully. They are branded ‘healthy’ and are usually people’s go to post workout, but you need to be cautious of the amount of calories in some. A lot of protein shakes come with lots of added things to make them...

This may not be the answer you are seeking but there is no golden workout, no ‘perfect’ amount of time you should workout for. The best workout routine for YOU is the one you can stick to CONSISTENTLY!! 

How do you ensure you create a workout routine that will be consistent?

Ensure it actually fits YOUR free time and its something YOU enjoy 

TIME 

Firstly, It is all about quality over quantity. It’s not about finding more time, that's never going to happen, it's about using your time more effectively. So many people are stuck in the ‘all or nothing’ mentality. If they can’t do 5x1hour sessions then they allow that to become an excuse and end up doing nothing. 

Moving your body regularly is the secret. We all have ‘time’ - it just comes down to how you are using yours. 

Are you lying in bed hitting snooze in the morning and getting up 30mins later? That 30mins could have been a workout...

Fed up of that overhang when you put on your favourite pair of jeans? Fed up of shying away from wearing a bikini because of how your stomach looks? Fed up of doing lots of sit ups but never seeing any definition?

Having a toned stomach is one of the most common goals I hear when speaking to women starting off on their fitness journey. However the vast majority of people use ineffective methods to see definition around their core and end up never seeing the results they desire. 

Lets break down the 3 most common mistakes people make when trying to work towards a flat stomach 

1. ABS ARE MADE IN THE KITCHEN - This is something I am sure everyone has heard but yet so many people still try to out train a bad diet. Everyone already has abs, if you didnt you literally wouldn't be able to stand up. So you don’t need to ‘build abs’ - you simply need to remove the extra body fat covering them. The most effective way to lose body fat is going into a...

“What's the best kind of workout?”

Something I get asked on a daily basis 

 Firstly, my go to answer is ALWAYS “The one you can do consistently” 

 CONSISTENCY is the vast majority of people’s problem. You will not get results overnight and you will not get any results if you keep stopping and starting when it comes to your workout programme. 

Secondly, it depends on your body type and the goals you are trying to work towards. Some people’s bodies react better to heavier weight with lower rep range and others to lighter weight with a higher rep range but there are some features that should appear in everyone’s workout routine IF you are looking to tone up and build some lean muscle 

Aside from consistency The 4 main reasons holding people back from seeing results are 

1) Not working hard enough and getting their heart rate high enough. Generally speaking the higher your heart rate...

“You are going to fail” - “I give you 6 months”

"A woman who is told she can’t do something is one of the most feared individuals on the planet" - a quote every woman should remind herself of.

In Jan 2020 I was told by a male that I was going to “fail” when I told him I was going to start my own business and that females don’t belong in the world of running fitness businesses. This individual was someone who had up until then help shape me as a person and someone I learned a lot from, someone I had foolishly believed supported me in bettering my life. 

In Feb 2020 when I decided to leave my full time job in Finance I was met with the comment from a male colleague “We will see you by the summer, I give you 6 months”

Typically these types of comments would be enough to stop someone in their path, enough to make them doubt their dreams, enough to make them second guess what they were about to do....

When I decided that a career in Finance was no longer for me I felt incredibly lost in life. At a time in life when I should have felt excited about a whole new chapter about to begin and a new adventure that lay ahead, I felt nothing but fear and self doubt. I remember crying down the phone to my mum one night saying I just wished this period of my life was over. 

I wanted to know my path, I wanted the clarity of knowing my next step and the step after that and I simply didn’t. I didn’t know where I was headed, I didn’t know what life had in store for me and that was incredibly frustrating. 

From a very young age I have always had a ‘plan’, I always knew exactly what I wanted to do and how to make it happen. I strived for a job in finance, I wanted to be successful in the corporate world but when I achieved that I felt nothing, I felt like an imposter. I had this great job, a well-respected position at work and the career I had worked...