‘You shouldn’t let your heart rate go over 140bpm’

‘You can’t do any work on your core’

‘You shouldn’t lift any weights over your head’

As a pre/post natal personal trainer, I would say that it’s less important to listen to these bits of outdated advice and more important to listen to your body and do what feels good. There are some clear things that you should aim to avoid while pregnant, including not lying on your back after 16 weeks for too long, rotating excessively through the core and anything that looks like a crunch, but there’s also plenty that you can do.

I’m now 17 weeks pregnant and I’ve got to say that I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve been able to continue working out three times a week bar a few weeks where I’ve been away or too busy with work. During my first pregnancy I was simply too tired and sore to workout and I’d just moved to a completely new area and didn’t find anywhere that I felt like I belonged or felt happy working out.

Fast forward to now and I’ve been working out at CrossFit St Albans for just over a year. It made sense for me to just continue working out like I have been when I got pregnant again, just with a few modifications.

Anyway, there’ll be more about doing CrossFit while pregnant in future posts. This post is about using some of the Mirafit equipment to do a variety of home workouts. I’m lucky enough to have a little gym space at home so I picked some equipment to review that I can do a lot with, the wooden plyo box, a set of 7.5kg dumbbells and a speed rope. All of the equipment is solid, well made and the box was relatively easy to put together. While I have a dedicated space, with a bit of rearranging you could use this equipment in your lounge, in your garden or anywhere where you’ve got a bit of space. You could even use the plyo box as a coffee table if you really wanted!

Workout 1 (suitable for trimesters 1 & 2):

8 x elevated press ups (hands on box, keep a straight line from your heels to your shoulders)

8 x goblet squats

8 x knee plank walks (place the skipping rope in front of you, start on all 4’s, walk your hands forwards keeping your hips stable, step your right hand forwards over the skipping rope, then step your left hand forwards to join it, step each hand back to the start position and repeat 8 times)

x 8 rounds

Workout 2 (suitable for trimesters 1 & 2):

20 minutes on the clock

12 x box step ups

8 x seated shoulder press (sit on the ground with your back against the box and your feet flat on the floor wherever feels comfortable, press the dumbbells up overhead and lower back down with control)

8 x box burpees

Workout 3 (suitable for trimester 1, 2 & 3):

6 x elevated press ups (hands on box)

6 x dumbbell deadlifts

6 x bird dogs

x 6 rounds

Things to bear in mind throughout any prenatal workouts:

- breathe out on the effort (eg. standing up from a squat) to avoid holding your breath and creating too much pressure within your mid-section

- listen to your body, if it doesn’t feel good then stop

- stick at a level of intensity where you could still maintain a conversation

All equipment was gifted by Mirafit but opinions are my own. Before exercising whilst pregnant please check with your antenatal caregiver that you are fit to exercise during pregnancy. If you experience any dizziness, bleeding or pain while exercising please consult your GP or midwife.

I was gifted the Perifit for this review but all opinions are my own.

Pelvic floor, pelvic floor, pelvic floor. These are some of the words that you’ll hear the most just after you’ve had a baby and with good reason. To take it back to basics though, what is your pelvic floor? Your pelvic floor muscles act like a hammock to support the pelvic organs, including the bladder, uterus and rectum. FYI men also have pelvic floor muscles but for the sake of this post I’m talking about the female pelvic floor muscles.

Whether you’ve delivered your baby vaginally or via c-section, your pelvic floor undergoes a huge amount of stress during pregnancy, it’s not just the mode of delivery that can affect it. Towards the end of pregnancy you’ll have a fully-grown baby pressing down on your pelvic floor muscles with very little relief which can fatigue the muscles and overstretch them.

The result is that at the end of pregnancy and after birth these muscles can be weak and even non-functional directly after birth. One of the best pieces of advice that I was given when we were sat in hospital for four days after the birth of my son was to do my pelvic floor exercises every time he was feeding, which in those early days was an awful lot. Even still, there were a few mad dashes to the toilet before my pelvic floor muscles woke up and decided to work again a few days later.

However, it’s not just in the early days that it’s important to do your pelvic floor exercises because it’s an ongoing recovery and strengthening journey. Enter Perifit, the Kegel exerciser. While it looks like a sex toy it’s actually a sophisticated bit of kit that can help you to exercise your pelvic floor muscles.

How does it work?

You download the Perifit app and connect the device to it. Then you insert the Perifit with the antennae pointing out (this is how it connects to your phone via Bluetooth) and get ready to workout. There are a number of games you can play where you control the flying character by performing short squeezes and long, sustained squeezes with your pelvic floor.

How big is it?

The part of the device that is meant to be inserted is 3.1 inches / 8.3 cm long, and the diameter is up to 0.8 inches / 2.8 cm

Is it comfortable?

Once it’s inserted it’s fine, they do suggest that you use a lubricant to insert it if needed

When can you use it?

There’s no instructions as to when you can use it but I would recommend waiting until your post-partum bleeding has stopped because you don’t want to introduce anything that could cause an infection. If you gave birth a while ago or have never given birth you can still use it because pelvic floor strength is something that needs to be worked at on an ongoing basis.

Does it work?

It really helped me to zero in on my pelvic floor muscles and activate them properly because if you don’t use them correctly then the device can slide out and you don’t hit any of the targets in the games because the device isn’t picking up the correct muscle movements internally. My pelvic floor muscles have definitely got stronger but I’ve been using the Perifit in conjunction with pelvic floor exercises multiple times a day whenever I remember and working on my core and deep abdominals in the gym

What are the cons?

I found it difficult to find time to use it because I found it easiest to concentrate when there wasn’t anyone around and as a new mum that’s tricky enough. You have to actively set aside time to go upstairs and use it which I was able to do probably once or twice every two weeks

How much does it cost and where can I get one?

It is currently on sale for £106 and you can buy one here

Any final thoughts?

I would recommend the Perifit if you’re struggling to connect with your pelvic floor and I would see it being used as one tool in the toolbox to improve your pelvic floor health alongside regular pelvic floor exercises and core activation. Remember, doing a wee when jumping after having a baby is not just something you have to put up with! If you have any concerns then the best thing to do is to visit a Women’s Health Physio who can do a full assessment.

The mornings are getting chillier and the nights are getting earlier, it can only mean one thing… Autumn is coming!

In preparation for the colder weather I’ve put together my Autumn kit list with all of my favourite layering options.

This is also a lust list so I don’t have everything on this list (obviously)

1) Sweaty Betty Power Leggings £75.00

I love the print on these and from what I’ve heard they are brilliant for pretty much everything, including wearing to brunch! Definite lust item

2) Tenn Outdoor sports bra £19.99

One of my friends, Becca posted a photo the other day in this kit and I had to include it in the list, I like the bright colour. Also, it’s affordable and I kind of love how it would clash with the Sweaty Betty leggings in a good way

3) Hunkemöller HKMX Blogger Caro_E_ The All Star L2 Sport Bra £30

This isn’t my usual style of sports bra but when I wore it I definitely felt like I had more shape! My normal sports bras tend to flatten everything whereas this one is padded with cups. It felt secure although the sizes seem to run a bit big. I ordered my normal bra size and it felt a bit too roomy around the band and through the cups. It looks great though so order a size down and you’ll be the envy of the gym

4) Endurance Conspiracy Tequila t-shirt £22

It’s not always all about lycra in my life and these t-shirts from Endurance Conspiracy are the perfect bridge from sportswear to leisurewear. I have 3 of them in different designs, all in a men’s size small. They’re great for chilling out in after a long cycle, pairing with jeans for a dressed-down look or dressing up with a skirt and some red lipstick

5) New Look Blue Ombre Print Sports Vest £6.00 (in sale right now!)

While I’m normally about plainer colours for leggings (apart from the Sweaty Betty ones above), I definitely like to go bright on top and this ombre top is perfect (and cheap!).

6) Nike Sportswear Tech Fleece £89.95

I’ve been lusting after a Nike tech fleece since they brought them out and this colour way is excellent. It’s simple, clean and totally my colours. It’s also a good one for those in-between days where it’s too warm for a jacket and too cold for just a t-shirt. Definite lust item

6) GapFit ColdControl aerofast puffer hoodie £64.95

I bought this last year in a different colour way and it’s been my absolute saviour. It’s so light to wear but seems to keep you as warm as you need it to. Even in these transitory weeks when the weather can’t make up its mind, you don’t overheat when wearing it. It’s also light enough to tie round your waist or stuff into a bag if you do hit a patch of sunshine

What’s on your Autumn kit lust list?

One of the trickiest parts to get my head round while training to cycle from London to Paris has been the nutrition. I’m not naturally an endurance athlete so I’ve never had to experiment really with fuelling whilst moving. Even during the triathlons I’ve done I got away with a couple of badly-timed gels and powered through on sheer willpower. You can’t quite do that for 7 hours on a bike when there’s an awful lot of hills to climb.

The first few training rides I under-fuelled, leaving my legs completely empty and leaving me feeling really rotten by the end of the ride. Following that I made a real effort to fuel properly during training, starting after one hour and making sure I eat something every hour after that. I would estimate that during training I’ve been getting in 20-30g of carbohydrate per hour in the form of energy gels, carbohydrate powder in my water bottles and ‘real’ food like granola bars and Soreen banana bread loaf.

Having spoken to a specialist from Science In sport at a recent cycling event, I’m now thinking that 20-30g per hour isn’t quite enough. Apparently we should be taking in around 60g of carbohydrates per hour to stay fully fuelled. That’s the equivalent of three gels! My stomach does not agree with a high volume of processed sugar like gels or energy blocks so I’ll be trying to keep these to a minimum.

Here is my ideal plan for nutrition each day:

Breakfast (two hours before we get on the bikes) – high GI foods including cereal, fruit, juice and bagels. I’ll also be getting in some sort of French pastry each day because it would be rude not to.

Every hour on the bike – one Science In Sport energy gel/Clif Blok or one bar of real food + one serving of Tailwind soluble carbohydrate powder with electrolytes in 500-800ml of water. I’ll also have the emergency fizzy cola bottles to hand for a mental and physical boost before hills.

Post-ride – dinner with a focus on carbs and protein keeping fats and fibre to a minimum for obvious reasons, no one needs to be caught short on the side of a French road. Keep drinking soluble electrolytes and carbohydrates throughout the evening to carb load and rehydrate before the next day.

I’ll also be carb-loading for 2 days before we leave to try and fill my muscles with readily-available energy. This will come in the form of high-GI foods again like rice, pasta, potatoes, cereal and bread.

For hydration I’ll be aiming for at least 3 litres of water each day, half of which will have Tailwind soluble electrolytes and carbohydrates in, the other half will be have Nuun electrolytes tablets* in. I get very thirsty when I’m cycling and on one particularly hot training ride I got through 5 litres of water. In hindsight it was potentially a bit too much as for the next few days I felt awful.

Have you got any tips for long-distance nutrition?

*I was provided with the Nuun electrolyte tablets for free

Does anyone else get the desire to scamper up and over things like walls, rocks and urban climbing frames? Excellent, it’s not just me. Everyone Active recently got in touch with me to see if I wanted to try out their climbing wall at the Seymour Leisure Centre in Marylebone, London and of course I jumped at the chance.

I did a bit of bouldering at university but I’ve never really climbed properly so I was excited to learn a bit more about the technical side of it and challenge myself. The leisure centre itself is huge with a swimming pool, massive sports hall and lots of other studios but the climbing wall itself stretches up about 4 or 5 storeys with enough space for 10 or more people to be climbing at once. The hand and foot-holds can be changed so if you go regularly you’d see the routes change.

After a quick introduction to safety, the harness and how to tie a knot for belaying I was presented with the beginners wall and a challenge to only use the red blocks. Up I clambered, feeling that sense of achievement as I hit the top and abseiled back down. Next up was a slightly more tricky route where a couple of times I had to match my feet or hands (put them onto the same hold) which doesn’t feel as stable but enables you to then move up.

On this route I started to feel my arms getting tired but a well-timed reminder to use my legs to push myself up rather than using my arms to pull myself up helped to keep me going to the top. The third route went all the way to the top of the wall and was much more technical including a few lateral moves and some more feet and hands matching. This is the one that gave me a massive buzz as I started struggling towards the top and only realised how high I’d climbed when I reached the very top and looked down. Top tip: don’t look down.

The final challenge was to try out bridging where you climb up a corner rather than a straight wall. In a bridge you’ll regularly find positions for your legs where you’re so stable that you can actually take your hands off the wall and give your arms a break. That’s the idea anyway. I made it halfway up this route before my leg started cramping and I was done for the lesson.

Overall the lesson was a lot of fun, the instructor was incredibly helpful with pointing out which holds to look at for each hand and foot when I got stuck and the facility was quiet, clean and well-maintained. My grip strength was pretty smoked after the session which made applying the brakes on my cycle home a little bit interesting…

If you want to try something new to challenge your body in a new way I’d definitely recommend climbing. It engages your brain to the point that you forget you’re working out and it’s a great upper-body workout. There’s a sense of achievement too every time you reach the top of a route so that post-workout endorphin boost is even bigger.

Details

Seymour Leisure Centre (Seymour Place, London, W1H 5TJ)

Price list here

Equipment is available to hire

I know, the question you want to ask is ‘why would a personal trainer need a personal trainer?’. Well you lucky people, I’m about to tell you!

Since I qualified as a personal trainer just over 2 years ago I’ve had quite a few different focuses for my training including working towards my first 10k, triathlon training, boxing and bodybuilding. When I have something to focus on and someone to be accountable to, my sense of purpose is increased and my brain feels happier.

My focus at the moment is getting my cardiovascular fitness back to the point where I can start a 4 month triathlon training programme. The problem is that I’m not a fan of cardio. Also, having never thought about it before, my lack of mobility and flexibility is making itself known through a series of niggles in my knees, ankles and back.

I decided it was time to get serious about my body, health and training and for me that means that I need to be accountable to someone. That someone is Stu at Fieldworks Gym in Hackney. I went to one of his strength and conditioning classes and was really impressed by his straightforward coaching, no-nonsense approach and his focus on kettle bells, mobility and core strength.

We’ve had a couple of sessions so far and I’m loving how we’re waking up muscles that haven’t worked in a long time (if ever - I’m looking at you posterior chain). I can’t wait to see where I am in another few weeks!

Back to the post, here are my top reasons for getting a personal trainer:

1) Motivation

There’s nothing like someone not taking any excuses to keep you sweating and pushing yourself as far as you can. When I work out by myself I find it easier to push myself when I’m lifting weights and not so easy to push myself when it comes to cardio or mobility. As soon as it’s someone else calling the shots I’m all over it and beyond it (whatever it is)

2) Accountability

I can make all of the excuses in the world to myself about why I couldn’t go for that run (trainers were tied wrong), why I couldn’t go swimming (my legs were stubbly) or why I couldn’t possibly do a circuits workout (Tuesday is a bad day for circuit training) but when there’s someone checking in with you each week about whether you’ve actually done what’s on your plan then it’s not so easy to wriggle out of it.

3) Knowledge

Knowledge sharing is one of my favourite things about working in the fitness industry because everyone has different opinions on pretty much everything. For me the key was finding a personal trainer with similar ideas to me but that would challenge me on a few things (like my squat position)

4) Perfection

As in, I’m not it. No one will ever know everything and as a trainer I still have a lot to learn. That includes learning about my own body and what I need to do to keep it healthy and strong for everyday life.

5) Objectivity

Have you ever tried to evaluate your own technique and movement? It’s tough, especially when you’re the one doing the movements and you can’t watch yourself easily. Having someone who is watching your every move and giving you clear pointers on technique is invaluable.

Have you hired a personal trainer? What were your reasons for hiring them?

If you’ve been a reader of my blog for a while you’ll know that one of the things that I blog about and sometimes struggle with is body confidence. Having suffered from a lack of it nearly all my life why then now can I wake up (nearly) every day and feel positive things towards my body?

Well, it’s taken a while and it’s one hell of a journey. Here are my top tips towards loving your body:

1) Realise that it just doesn’t happen over night

No, I’m not just talking about gaining muscle or fat loss, I’m talking about loving yourself. Like anything else you have to form a habit and that can take a while. Be patient, do your homework and don’t give up

2) It starts in the mornings

Try and wake up every morning and think something positive about your body rather than negative. I know it’s so cheesy but honestly if you can wake up and instantly think ‘today is going to be a good day in my brilliant body’ then that positivity will see you through the day

3) It’s not about only being happy when you reach your goal

True body confidence means that you love your body whatever size or shape it is. I’ll admit, I like the effects of weight lifting on my body but if I can’t do it for a while then it doesn’t mean that I hate my body. Love it when you’re lean, love it when you jiggle, love it when you’re anything in between

4) It’s about function, not aesthetics

Love your body for what it enables you to do, not for what it looks like. Learn a new weightlifting move, run a race, swim across that river, walk all day with your friends, live a healthy life, you can’t do any of that without your body so say thank you to it every day for enabling you to find happiness

5) Stop comparing yourself to others

Your body is your body and their body is their body, they’re never going to be the same. Once you stop looking at other people as ‘body goals’ and only at your own goals you will lose some of that resentment that sometimes comes with a lack of confidence in your own body and how ‘unfair’ it is that they ate that burger and they still have abs

6) Talk about other people’s bodies in a positive way

If you’re constantly bitching about other people and their bodies how can you hope to be positive towards your own? Bodies should be talked about in positive terms and remember, it’s their body, not yours. You don’t know their story, you don’t know what their goals are and quite frankly it’s irrelevant to you and your own confidence

7) Surround yourself with confidence

Not everyone feels body confident every single day but if you can surround yourself with positivity then you stand a better chance of not being negative towards your body. Speak to those in your life that are creating negative feelings and find a way to deal with them so they don’t affect you mentally

8) If you need the bigger size then buy the bigger size

Don’t have those ‘goal jeans’, they’ll just bum you out. Buy clothes that fit you and make you feel fantastic, whatever size you are. There’s nothing wrong with needing a bigger size because guess what? Our bodies change shape as we get older so the chances of you fitting into the same tiny dress that you wore as a 16 year old are pretty slim

You might remember how I took on the Gauntlet Games earlier this year with 4 of my friends (as the Gauntlet Girls) and had one of the best races of my life.

The excitement and joy of running 10k across country with some great friends, laughing so much we could hardly breathe and taking on the gladiators at each obstacle was so much fun that we’re going to do it all over again! It’s such an accessible event with a 5k option too meaning that anyone can get involved, it’s the perfect way to get into obstacle racing.

We’ll be taking on the 10k distance again this year at one of the events as well as being gladiators at the London event.

The Gauntlet Girls are teaming up with the Gauntlet Games to bring you some great training tips, special offers and exciting updates so watch this space!

To start with you can get your hands on one of 200 golden tickets which will give you a 20% discount off the entry price. Solve the anagram in the image below and enter the answer into the promo code box (all capitals) when entering your race online. If the code doesn’t work then have another go at solving the anagram or all 200 of the golden tickets have been redeemed. There will still be plenty of spaces available and you can still enter at the normal price.

The other day I ventured outside of my usual territory and it wasn’t as scary as I thought it might be! I was invited down to try out Core Collective, a new gym in Kensginton that promises no commitment with no membership fees, no sign-up charge and no contract, you just book in and workout.

When I first got there I walked past the gym because on the street it looks like a welcoming and relaxing café, not a gym but when I saw a group of nervous looking women I knew I was in the right place. Continue Reading…

London is hot today. And not just in that ‘aw look at the little Londoners thinking it’s hot’ way, it’s actually really hot. I’m sweating just sitting still.

I’m planning on a couple of hour’s of cycling tonight and a yoga class balanced on surfboards so I’ve got some ways below that you can enjoy the heat and still workout. I’ll be using these later!

1) Hydrate hydrate hydrate

I know it’s obvious but you need to be drinking 2 litres of water minimum everyday, even more on days like these and even more if you’re going to be working out on days like these. A 60 minute workout can dehydrate you by 500ml-1litre so make sure you’re putting this back in your body

2) Pay attention to your electrolytes

Electrolytes (potassium, sodium, magensium, calcium) are lost when you sweat so if you sweat heavily through prolonged exercise you might start to experience fatigue, dizziness, nausea, headaches (my most common symptom) and tummy issues. The best thing to do is to add a rehydration tablet to 750ml of water after your workout and sip on it as you recover. Continue Reading…

Yep, you read that right. SERENA WILLIAMS. Fangirling over here so hard…

I was very lucky to have been given a place at an amazing session at the new pop-up Nike Court in London Bridge. I’ve applied for loads of the Nike events in the past and this is the first time I’ve been given a place. Totally worth all of the other disappointment at not getting places… Continue Reading…

So it’s taken me a couple of weeks to fully digest what happened when this blog post went viral and to write this post in response.

The post went viral across the world being featured on news sites, entertainment magazines and even being posted by celebrities (thanks Zooey Deschanel!) which blew up my social media channels and phone as people got in touch for interviews.

Ultimately it’s a brilliant piece of exposure for me and my new business (www.thefitologyway.com) but it’s been a massive learning curve and a stark reminder of the importance of self-belief and confidence.

As well as some amazingly positive and supportive messages I also received some negative, unpleasant and downright abusive messages.

Yeah, ouch.

Luckily (and I have the fitness world and my friends and family to thank for this) I’ve come to a point in my journey where I love my body and that love is unshakeable enough to deal with people telling me that I’m fat, stupid, ugly and vacuous (that last one is my personal favourite, I mean, really?).

I still stand by my message that fitness and health comes in all shapes and sizes and you don’t need to look like a ripped god or goddess to be fit and healthy (but it doesn’t matter if you are). Continue Reading…

As a Personal Trainer and a fitness blogger I can see a lot of pressure in the industry to look and act a certain way which can be rather stressful and damaging for some people.

The world of perfect abs, long legs and sweat-free faces on Instagram portrays an image of fitness that is fun, easy and full of happiness. It can be all of these things but it can also be tiring, tough, demoralising and grump-inducing when you’re getting up and it’s still dark outside. Plus, no one actually looks perfect if they’re working out properly! Continue Reading…

Life is a battle. We’re constantly fighting against other people growing up, at school, in social situations and in family life. It’s always about getting more attention, being better and just generally winning.

Well I’m here to say STOP. It’s time to start looking at yourself, not at other people. We’re all different and however much we strive and work to look, act or be like someone else it’s not going to happen. Continue Reading…

A 10k race? With gladiators? And obstacles? Hell yes, was my response. Get me there now.

Which is how a group of 5 over-excited intrepid Gauntlet Girls came to be in Trent Park, North London early on a Saturday morning. Continue Reading…

So yesterday I conquered my 2nd sprint triathlon and it couldn’t have been more different to the first one that I did back in 2012. I’d signed up for that one to lose some weight and get moving again, which I did until I went into denial 6 weeks before the event and stopped training. Needless to say that I struggled through the race and genuinely thought that I was going to die in the middle of the swim. Continue Reading…