Podcasts about womenswellbeing

Today's episode we have Linda Stephens, a health and wellness expert who specializes in women's health and empowerment. Linda shares her personal journey from being a senior television producer to becoming a health and wellness advocate, driven by her life experiences, including the birth of her premature children and her own perimenopausal journey. Linda passionately discusses the importance of understanding and adapting to our changing hormonal bodies, especially during midlife. She dives into the implications of health on overall wealth, emphasizing that our well-being directly affects our ability to work, provide for our families, and achieve financial security. Linda highlights the idea that the core health of a person, particularly women in midlife, is their core wealth. Throughout the conversation, Linda offers practical advice for improving health and well-being. She shares the importance of incorporating protein into one's diet, finding the right exercise regimen, prioritizing sleep, and learning stress management techniques. She also underscores the necessity of seeking professional help when needed and the value of learning about one's body and hormonal changes. Moreover, Linda discusses the impact of societal pressures on women's health and how the traditional work structure often neglects women's hormonal cycles, insisting on the need for a more equitable system. She encourages women to find joy in life, explaining that filling life with joy can lead to overflowing positivity and better health. This podcast episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in women's health, particularly those navigating their midlife phase. It offers valuable insights, practical tips, and motivational encouragement to prioritize health and well-being.   Be sure to connect with Linda further: ​​* www.TheBathroomBootcamp.com - FREE! 5 exercises for posture & pelvic floor to tack onto a loo break.  Download the reminder cue sheet and watch the ‘How To' video. * www.WomensWellbeing.me online yoga and well-being studio for menopausal women * Join our private Facebook group Women's Wellbeing with Linda https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenswellbeingwithlinda    

I want more connection in my life, and I'm taking steps to make that happen. Good quality connection. Where we come together around a common cause or interest. Where everyone is present and engaged. Where there is an excitement about creating growth. Because something is afoot in our society, which is creating isolation. The loneliness epidemic is upon us. Australia and the UK now have a minister to tackle it. Lack of social connection is the new smoking. It carries a greater health hazard than smoking 15 cigarettes a day and can decrease life expectancy by 15 years. Join me on the podcast and in the Facebook group, Creating Vibrant Happiness for Midlife Women    

It can be really easy to find excuses not to do a workout: I'm too busy,  I'm too tired, I'll do one tomorrow,  I need to make dinner… I'm not saying those excuses aren't valid, but sometimes we are creating an excuse so we just don't have to do the workout. If you are in that energy of not wanting, then this is the episode for you. Listen to it, remember the messages and come back to it anytime you need a little kick up the bum! What You Will Learn: - How to get the support you need to push yourself into action - The difference between genuinely needing rest and just making another excuse - Think about why working out is important to you and about the choice you're making - Making sure that what you're expecting of yourself is realistic - How to create a habit and benefit from a workout plan Remember that you are not alone in this. I'm inviting you to stop procrastinating, put some faith into yourself and join us. There's so much out there that can help you get those workouts done regularly, build your confidence and getting frustrated with yourself for finding excuses not to work out.  Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

All of us have a mixture of feminine and masculine energy within us. We express ourselves through these energies in our day-to-day lives, as well as in the way we judge ourselves and our actions or our non-actions. This also feeds through into our health and wellbeing. Our culture and society puts the masculine energy on a pedestal, while the feminine energy appears weak, lazy and undesirable. In this episode, I will talk about the difference between the feminine and masculine energy, and how finding a better balance of the two can serve us and our wellness. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - In which areas of your life you need masculine energy most - Why you need feminine energy and where it shows most in your life - How to reflect on the balance of these energies within your own life - How to slow down so you can listen and allow yourself to just ‘be' - Why it's helpful for you to learn to work with your cycle - Allowing yourself to have ups and downs of energy, motivation and drive I am still very much a work in progress on this myself. After almost 45 years of being conditioned to exist mostly in the masculine, I'm learning to allow more feminine energy in.  There is real beauty in slowing down and allowing more to come into your life, rather than constantly being on the chase. Once you open yourself to that, your own wellbeing will start to rise up in your priorities. Resources:
 - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit

www.powerupyourperimenopause.com  For way too long the menopause has been seen as a horrible, scary ageing process full of hot flushes and mental and physical decline. We go into this phase in denial, pretending that our bodies and brains aren't changing and trying to carry on as normal. I want to do everything in my power to make sure that we totally flip this and instead start to see this life phase as an awesome opportunity to shine and to make the next part the best part.  What You'll Learn: - How our conditioning plays a big part in our perimenopause and menopause symtpoms - What biopsychosocial model is and how society influences how we view ourselves - How we can use perimenopause signs and symptoms to upgrade our wellbeing - Why this generation of women has a unique opportunity to change the conversation about menopause We still have half of our lives ahead of us - let's celebrate that and make sure that the second half is the best half! I'm ready and waiting to support you all the way through that in my Power Up Your Perimenopause course. You'll get all of the structure you need, with a progressed exercise plan, weekly nutrition and self-care challenges, as well as my support to help you navigate your journey. 
 This is an amazing opportunity to get to work on Project YOU, to finally be able to prioritise yourself and feel fabulous. Just head over to www.powerupyourperimenopause.com to join us!
 Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

I used to have this thought that would go round and round in my head that, if I could just lose those last 7 lbs, everything will be okay. I truly believed that 7 lbs was the difference between me feeling too big and me feeling ‘just right'. Losing them would make my confidence bloom and my self-esteem grow. In this episode, I talk about The Myth of the Last 7 lbs and how it affects our confidence, our mood and our self-esteem. 
 What You Will Learn in This Episode: - How to be confident and happy at whatever size you are now - How to stop being anxious about weight gain and actually enjoy food and exercise - How to do more of the things that are going to make you feel good (rather than just make you smaller) - The path to feeling great whether you've ‘got rid' of  those last 7 lbs or not - Which stress reduction, nutrition and exercise strategies will help you be your healthiest self - How to build your strength and confidence and increase your energy and focus Those last 7 lbs represent pleasure. They represent meals out, without having to pick the dish that will be lowest in calories. They represent a  birthday cake with your kids, a few late afternoon bevvies with a friend, a roast and a glass of red wine on a winter Sunday. If we obsess over those  last 7 lbs, we actually lose so much more than just weight. We lose pleasure, freedom and joy. We lose ourselves. Resources: - Join Power up Your Perimenopause http://www.powerupyourperimenopause.com/  - The Perimenopause Minis: Episode 4 -The Key Elements of Midlife Fitness https://apple.co/3UszHTF - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit

Today we're looking at fitness in midlife, what the key elements of that should be, and what to do if you've struggled to exercise the last few years due to stress, busyness, aches and pains, lack of motivation, or not knowing where to start. Because exercise and movement are absolutely non-negotiable at this point in your life, it's more important now than ever that you do things that are going to help you build strength, fitness and resilience.
 What You'll Learn: - The physical and psychological reasons why exercise is vital in midlife - Which steps to take to start getting back to fitness habits - What elements to include into your fitness routines - Why you should focus on resistance and weight training at this time of your life Improving your midlife fitness is a big part of what I teach inside the Power Up Your Perimenopause. I've just opened the doors again to this fabulous 12-week course, and I would love to support you through your transformation into a powerful perimenopause woman. You too can go from feeling confused and overwhelmed about what to do and where to start to feeling awesome, to building your energy, your confidence and a deep knowledge of yourself. 
 Learn more and sign up at www.powerupyourperimenopause.com. You can even claim a 20% discount on the full price of the course - use code PERI20 at the checkout!  See you there! 
 Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

I have a theory that feeling good isn't as easy as it seems. Many of us have to learn how to feel good because our default is to feel anything but good most of the time. That's why we keep going back to more stress by saying “yes” too often, and why we don't exercise even though we know it will make us feel good. The fact is that feeling good takes training. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - How to stop sabotaging yourself and sliding back into your old habits - The importance of having someone to catch you when you are sliding or tempted to stop doing what feels good - How to be aware of your patterns and the way you limit yourself - Using what you've learned to approach things differently next time - How to train yourself to feel good and learn what that feels like, while feeling safe at the same time The aim is not to feel good all the time, but to feel good more of the time. We weren't put on this planet to feel bad, too stressed, too busy or too anxious. We are all allowed to feel good and we are all allowed to seek the things that are going to make that happen. Resources: - Join Power up Your Perimenopause https://chickfit.co.uk/power-up-your-perimenopause/ - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

Final call! Join the free Fatigued to Fabulous Challenge starting on September 18th! https://chickfit.lpages.co/f-to-f-sept Weight gain is part of the experience for a lot of perimenopause women, as well as the struggle to lose weight. I know that the question on everyone's lips is “how do I lose this weight when the old ways aren't working any more," so today I'll talk about the science of this phenomenon. The first thing to know is that this is normal, and I'll talk you through the various reasons why this is happening and what to do about it. 
 What You'll Learn: - Why we are more prone to stress hormones in the perimenopause - How insulin resistance and fluctuating blood sugar affect our weight - Why our metabolism tends to get slower - Why the quality of our sleep diminishes - What gut dysbiosis is - How dieting makes all the things above even worse - What changes to our nutrition and lifestyle we can introduce instead of a diet - Why working on body acceptance is key in this phase of our life
 I hope that this will give you plenty of reasons to not diet and instead to look at other options that you have available to being happy, healthy and confident in the perimenopause.  Resources: - Fatigued to Fabulous FREE Challenge https://chickfit.lpages.co/f-to-f-sept/  
 - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub 
- My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ 
- Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit 
- Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

When it comes to fitness and wellness, making everything smaller so we can get the things that we want for ourselves is something I fully encourage all of my clients and members to do. Aiming for smaller steps in everything can help to take away the overwhelm, and give us a doable and sustainable action plan. In this episode, I will give you some practical tips on how you can make everything smaller in order to finally start hitting some of your fitness and wellness goals. What You Will Learn: - How to stop making the excuses - How to start making things smaller - What's really stopping you from exercising regularly - Defining what areas of your nutrition you need improving - Deciding on the time you have available or could make available for self-care - How to create time to prioritise your wellbeing - What foundations you need to put into place to allow this to happen All of us try to do too much at once. We think way too big and become overwhelmed by the actions, so we end up not doing anything at all. Even when we have the time, we'll fill it with something else or we just don't know where to start. Just relax and remember - the smaller the better! Resources: - Fatigued to Fabulous Challenge https://chickfit.lpages.co/f-to-f-sept/ - Join Power up Your Perimenopause https://chickfit.co.uk/power-up-your-perimenopause/ - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

September 18th: Join the free Fatigued to Fabulous Challenge! https://chickfit.lpages.co/f-to-f-sept  When we start to notice the early menopause changes, I like to see this as our body giving us a little nudge. Usually at the start, it's nothing to give us too much cause for concern, things just feel a little bit different. Some women have had less subtle signs and gone to their docs, only to be told that they're too young to be in perimenopause. So, it can be easy for lots of reasons to dismiss this and soldier on. But for me, this is a golden opportunity to look at everything that's going on in your life, your habits, your lifestyle, and to start making a few changes right now. So what are those three pillars for lifestyle change? 
 What You'll Learn: - Why you should always start from managing stress in your life - The questions to ask yourself about stress - Why exercise is healing and how to start moving your body more often - Why blood sugar balance is key to regulating your nutrition Now, it can feel overwhelming to take in all these things at once, so I always encourage you to choose one to start with. Usually the stress management piece is the first one to tackle, as that has a knock on effect on everything else. Stay tuned next week to learn more about these three pillars, and be sure to join the Fatigued to Fabulous free challenge starting on Sunday, 18th September!  
 Resources: - Fatigued to Fabulous FREE Challenge https://chickfit.lpages.co/f-to-f-sept/  - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

We all promise ourselves we're going to do certain things, make a good start and then find that our good intentions have fallen by the wayside in no time at all. It can often leave us wondering what's wrong with us. Is it the lack of willpower? Is it because we don't have enough time? Is it because we weren't focused enough? Is it because we didn't find the right diet or fitness programme or trainer?  It's none of this and there is nothing wrong with you. It's all about your nervous system and about creating safety so you can create the healthy new habits you want to. What You Will Learn in this Episode: - How to be more resilient to tiny stressors - How to make more space in your brain to take positive actions - Why you are spending too much time on high alert and how to stop it - How to stop taking the easy route, the one that is familiar but it's not serving you any more - Seeing action or inaction as what it actually is - What's really going on with your nervous system and your life - How to put yourself into the right state for your brain to accept change This stuff is absolutely vital if you truly want to make a change. You have to stop piling more to do's. Focus on spending more time in a place of calm and safety and I promise you - after you've allowed yourself to rest a little bit, you'll find that you have reserves and resilience that you didn't even think you had. Resources: - Join the Fatigued to Fabulous Workshop https://chickfit.lpages.co/fatigued-to-fabulous/   - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

September 18th: Join my FREE challenge to take you from Fatigued to Fabulous https://chickfit.lpages.co/f-to-f-sept/  Welcome to the first of five mini-episodes that are coming your way every Wednesday for the next few weeks. I'm going to be giving you some bite-sized chunks of mega valuable information. This week I'm starting with the question that seems to be on everyone's lips right now - am I actually perimenopausal?  What You'll Learn: - The average duration of perimenopausal years - The obvious and not-so-obvious symptoms of perimenopause - Why the signs of perimenopause often get misdiagnosed - How to get proactive with nutrition, exercise and stress management as you start noticing changes   
 If you find yourself struggling with some of the symptoms I talked about in this episode, join me on Sunday 18th September for my FREE Fatigued to Fabulous Challenge! Over 5 days, we're going to create your very own formula for building your energy and confidence throughout the perimenopause and beyond. We'll be covering nutrition, exercise and stress management throughout the week, and you'll be discovering the key lifestyle shifts that are going to help you feel amazing from your early to mid 40s onwards. Sign up at https://chickfit.lpages.co/f-to-f-sept/  
 Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

I am a huge believer in planning.  By getting clear on what I want and then making a plan for how that's going to happen is the only way I ever achieve anything in life. If having an amazing autumn of fitness and feeling fabulous is on your list, then this episode is for you, because I'm going to help you think about how to make a plan that's really going to work for you. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - How to come up with a personal statement about what you want and why it's important to you - Discovering the specifics of what you want to achieve that relate back to your why - Think about what's going to stop you and what you can do about it - How to calm your nervous system to be able to plan and stick to your plan - How to create an outline plan that you can fill in each week We can't just look at each area of our life as a silo. We need them all to work together as they all interconnect. Sometimes the actions we decide to take can be at odds with how we actually want to feel in our lives. By being aware of the big picture first, we can make better decisions and take more aligned actions to get us where we want to be. Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

I notice I have a tendency to silo certain parts of my life and look at them as separate entities. But over the last few years, I have learnt that there is a much better and more effective way of getting what you want, and that is to actually start looking at your goals in individual areas of your life in relation to all of the other parts of your life.  If you can do this effectively, then you can get amazing things in all areas of your life in a way that feels good for you. In this episode, I'm going to talk about creating your life vision and why this is so important. 
 What You Will Learn in This Episode: - Gaining awareness of what your values are and what matters to you the most - Ask yourself - how do you want to feel? - What do you need to let go of that's no longer serving you? - Who do you need in order to commit to making these changes? - Accepting that the way you do one thing is the way you do everything - Ask yourself - what do you really want out of life, and how do you want to show up for yourself? We all tend to just get on with our lives, get through every day, maybe feel a little bored or uninspired, or maybe even unhappy with certain areas of our lives. But with everything else going on, it can feel overwhelming and unrealistic to make big changes. We think next month or next year we'll deal with it, but we all know that if we keep pushing things down the road, we never actually arrive there. You need to create your life vision and keep your life track, so you can feel good and have that excitement to get you started working on yourself. 
 Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

I started meditating a couple of years ago, and now it's a regular fixture in my life. Meditation helps you slow down and find some calm and peace. It can also help you process your thoughts and feelings. In this episode, I'm going to encourage you to welcome meditation into your life with a simple 10-minute meditation. Before we start, just a couple of prep tips. Try to find a quiet and relaxing space. Do not try to clear your mind, as your thoughts and emotions will come and go, just let that happen. 10-Minute Meditation Steps:
 - Start to settle yourself, make sure you're comfortable - Close your eyes and focus on your breath - Breathe in calm, breathe out tension - Let your body release and melt away tension and stress - Focus on how you're feeling - Remind yourself that you deserve this time and attention - If your mind wanders, very gently bring it back to the breath - Let your attention go for a minute, and then bring it back to the breath - When you're ready, open your eyes and take a deep breathe Keep enjoying meditation and adding it into your life. There is a collection of meditations and visualisations in the ChickFit Members Club, so when you come and join us, you'll have access to those to further your practice. Resources: - 05:05 - The start time of the 10-Minute Meditation - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

Summer offers us an opportunity to take extra good care of ourselves. The light, the sunshine and hopefully some holiday time are the perfect opportunity to take some time out and relax both body and brain. The more time we create for self-care, the more calm and productive we are the rest of the time. When we don't prioritise this, it can feel like the wheels are coming off! What You Will Learn in This Episode: - The importance of a bit of diary management - How the things you say to yourself are as much self care as bubble baths - How to look at your relationship with ‘busy' - How to start doing things for yourself in a way that feels doable - How to make sure that the self-care habits that you pick up now can be carried into the autumn The reason why we should start with self-care in August is that we have a bit more space  this time of the year to focus on ourselves. Start with a couple of small steps and you can build on those steps when you're ready. Even 5 minutes a day can make a difference! Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit

I always think that the summer is a brilliant opportunity to take a step back, evaluate what you've been doing for your body and mind so far this year, and then use that as a springboard for the autumn. It's also a great time to change the intensity, do something different and give your body a little bit of a change / rest! What You Will Learn in This Episode: - Is it time to change the pace a bit for the summer? - How to make a summer fitness plan - What different approach you can take if you haven't done what you told yourself you would do at the start of the year - What you can change if you've been exercising regularly, but not seeing the results you wanted to - Why changing the routine, trying different things and setting new goals might be good for you If you'd like to maintain your fitness in the summer, changing up your routine a little bit might give you some new perspectives. Your body and mind will really thank you for it. Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit

A lot of us feel selfish for putting ourselves first. And when we view our own wellbeing and spending time on ourselves through the lens of being selfish, it's going to be incredibly hard for us to ever prioritise that. Every time we do a workout or any other wellbeing practice, it's going to feel like something we really shouldn't be doing, something that takes away from the other people and things in our lives which we deem to be more important. So, how can we learn to put ourselves higher up the list, without feeling selfish! What You Will Learn in This Episode: - Doing an exercise session or anything else wellness related IS NOT selfish - Why you don't need to always sacrifice yourself for the greater good - How we can show up better for others when we've taken time for ourselves - How to take time out and not spend our lives putting everyone else first We should be able to put ourselves first without any reason. We are human, and therefore we deserve some care and attention in exactly the same way that everyone else in our lives deserve care and attention. So next time that you decide to do something for yourself, feel free to put aside any feelings of guilt or selfishness.  Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit

Moving our bodies in ways that make us feel strong, capable and good not only helps us feel amazing and grow our confidence, but it also translates into all other areas of our lives. We need to change the conversation, find ways to move away from the same old narrative of weight loss, and see how we can find real joy in movement and fitness and look after ourselves in different ways. In this episode, I'm joined by Christine Chessman, Body Neutral Strength & Fitness Coach, founder of Hello Fitness Brighton, teacher of  pilates and kettlebell on a mission to help women move more freely. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - What the body neutral approach refers to and what it means - How to take up space and why it's so important - Why fitness and movement is a great way for women to be able to take up space - How to move away from struggling to stay small and from thinner is better narrative - How to actually listen to our bodies Hopefully this episode has given you some things to think about in terms of how you see your body and how you see fitness and movement. Ultimately, we all want to be able to move with joy, along with feeling confident and strong. Resources: - Find Christine Chessman on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/christine.chessman  - Find Christine on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hellofitnesschristine/  - Get in touch with Christine christine@hellofitnessbrighton.com - Hello Fitness Brighton www.hellofitnessbrighton.com - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit   

Fitness and wellbeing can often come at a distant last place when there are so many other things asking for your attention and time. But the fact is that most of us would like to include fitness in our lives, because we know that looking after our bodies is important to so many aspects of our wellbeing. In this episode, I'm going to give you some of my top tips to getting fitter when you're feeling time poor, so you can improve other areas of your life too, reduce your stress and contribute to your health in many ways. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - Why you should prioritise exercising to become more productive and focused in other areas of your life - How to split your movement or workouts into short snacks during the week - How to organise when you will do the workouts - How to get to know the time of the day that works best for your energy levels - How to make an appointment with yourself - How to let go of “the all or nothing” mindset  Exercise will make you feel good, feel strong and be more productive and focused, but you don't want it to take up loads of your time. If you start with one resistance training session a week, you're starting to create a habit, and that habit is something that will get stronger and be something you can build on. 
 Resources:
 - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

Our identities shape our view of the world, the way we approach challenges, the way we interact with others and how we perceive our potential. We have certain identities around our worth, what we can achieve, what we like and don't like, what we do and don't do. Sometimes, when we try to upgrade our habits or achieve our goals, something invisible seems to hold us back. In this episode, we'll talk about what's going on and why, and I will offer solutions which can shift your identity to help you make fitness and wellness a more important part of your life. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - How to become aware of your identities - How to allow yourself to do certain things - How to tune into your identity around fitness, wellness and your own worth - Reflect on why and where you might have picked up your identity and whether it is true or it's just your perception - How to decide on the new identity you want to create for yourself It's important that we start to dig deeper and understand better our own identity and how that's shaping the things we experience in our lives. This process takes time and it can be uncomfortable and even emotional, but that's okay, because when it feels like that, you know that there's some stuff beneath there that needs to come out. Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

Do you find yourself saying, “I've not done much because I haven't been feeling very motivated”? It's really common and we all do it. We can feel motivated one week and totally tired and unmotivated the next. This can lead to frustration and an on/off approach to our fitness and wellbeing. In this episode, we're going to talk about motivation and how to create our fitness mindset for a regular, long-term fitness and wellness routine. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - How to become a naturally motivated person - How to practice doing things you don't want to do until it becomes a mind muscle memory - Nurturing a vision of what you want to achieve and what you want out of life - How to know when to say no and protect your energy - Don't expect things to happen without a bit of discomfort - Accept that doing something leads to motivation and momentum, rather than the other way around We need to stop waiting for the right time and the right conditions - we just need to get on and do it. Doing creates motivation, creates habits, and builds your mind muscle so that next time you're not feeling motivated you're more likely to do it. And each time you do that, your mind muscle becomes stronger. Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit

There are some life phases and transitions in a woman's life in which it would help us to pay special attention to nutrition. In this episode  I'm joined by Caroline Hill, a freelance dietitian and owner of “Caroline Hill Nutrition”. Together we dive into a couple of areas of the early postnatal period and the perimenopause. We chat about what we need to pay attention to and share some practical advice to start with.   What You Will Learn in This Episode: - How to deal with ups and downs within your life - The main things that good nutrition can help with in early postnatal period and the perimenopause - What a new mum should pay attention to in terms of healing nutrition - What things we need to start paying more attention to in the peri- to post-menopause transition - How to change your mindset on how you view your nutrition and your body - How to deal with menopause symptoms - How to stay on track and what all women should focus on first This is all about how we can make small, manageable adjustments to our nutrition at these important times of transition to support and nurture ourselves through those times in the best way we possibly can.   Resources:   - Caroline Hill's website www.carolinehillnutrition.co.uk - Find Caroline Hill on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/carolinehill_nutrition/  - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

Do you tend to think of your period as something that works against you? Do you get annoying symptoms, mood swings, pain, a lack of energy, a lack of willpower? In this episode I'm going to try to change your mind about that. The annoying symptoms will continue to exist, but there is amazing potential that you can harness within your menstrual cycle. I'll help you understand its ups and downs and recognise your mood and energy change throughout the cycle so you can make it work for you! What You Will Learn in This Episode: - What's going on with your hormones throughout your menstrual cycle - How to organise your month better and take advantage of the three stages of your menstual cycle - Stage 1 – Start of your period: time to slow down, plan, self-reflect, be at home, look after yourself, gather your energy and be creative. - Stage 2 – Middle of your cycle: sociable, confident, good time for being with others and doing things that require confidence. It's also a good time for more moderate intensity training and endurance work. - Stage 3 – Moving towards the period: desire to nest, be at home more, focus on finishing things off, more simple tasks. This is a good time for walking, stretching and generally lighter activities. These stages are going to differ from person to person. The best thing to do is start tracking your mood and energy levels throughout the month for a couple of months. See where you can identify these different stages and that will allow you to start making a plan that serves you better, both for your work life and your workouts. Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

We all avoid discomfort - usually by keeping ourselves busy and buying our way out of anything that does not feel comfortable for us. But if we want to grow, to achieve, to develop, it's necessary to get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. In this episode we'll talk about why we avoid discomfort, why it's important to welcome it into our lives and how to do that in order to make progress towards our fitness and wellness goals.  What You Will Learn in This Episode: - Why we are determined to avoid discomfort - How to accept that discomfort is inevitable and start leaning into that rather than running in the opposite direction - How to work on your mindset to start being okay with discomfort - How to prepare yourself to actually change - Using meditation and journaling to help you with uncomfortable feelings The feeling of discomfort is often a good sign that you are moving in the right direction. I'm sure there are areas in your life where you have worked through and leant into discomfort because you've had to. Now,  apply that to your fitness and wellness and learn where your avoidance of that horrible uncomfortable feeling is holding you back and keeping you stuck in the loop.  
 Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

Staying fit and healthy can sometimes feel overwhelming, not just because there are so many pieces to the jigsaw, but also because there's always a new superfood or super workout that we're getting distracted by. We end up scattered and feeling like we can never do enough. Looking after our health and wellbeing is the most important thing we can do for ourselves, so in this episode I will help you discover ‘Your 3 Core Habits' that make the biggest difference to your health and wellbeing and how to use them to simplify your life. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - How to find and focus on your 3 non-negotiables that will help you stay fit and healthy - How to discover your goals and find what feels doable to you - How to commit to the things that both feel good to you and feel like they contribute the most to how you want to look after yourself I'm sure there are a lot of things you can think of, but you're allowed to choose just three. Forget about all of the others, knowing that whenever you get off track you can always come back to those three. I promise if you can stay focused on those, it's going to make everything run and feel much better, and it will be a great place to build from in the future. Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

I've lost count of the women who have come to me over the years telling me that they don't like what they see, that they feel uncomfortable, that they want to feel like their old selves again. I can't stand by and let us keep beating ourselves up, waiting to become a better version of ourselves. In this episode, we're going to dive into why we use ‘hate' to try and force ourselves into change, and how we can rethink and create a kinder, more gentle way to approach our fitness, nutrition and overall wellbeing. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - Why we use hate to motivate ourselves into change, and how to stop feeling frustration and hatred for ourselves - How to accept your body rather than hate it, punish it, push it and mould it into something you believe it's more acceptable - How to start to reframe and treat yourself with more respect, including the language you use to talk to yourself - Ask yourself: what hating yourself can possibly bring to you? If we hate something, we are not likely to show it much love and attention. Everything will feel hard and like a punishment, and it will just perpetuate the negative mindset. The negativity is going to lead to inaction rather than action. That's why you need to reframe and think about how to look after yourself and all the positive wonderful things you are doing for your body.  
 Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

Like so many women, I don't have an awful lot of time, so when I'm thinking about my own fitness and wellness plan, it has to be simple and efficient, and it has to work. Since this is not only episode 50, but it's also our 1-year podcast anniversary, I've decided to bring together some of the advice from previous episodes to help you create your own simple busy woman's fitness plan. I've picked a four-stage plan for you which is going to get you the best results without needing loads of time. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - How to dial down the stress to be able to make changes, to think more clearly and reduce emotional eating - How to build muscle to increase metabolism, get a cardio response, protect your body as you age and feel awesome - How to do short workouts, but go to your edge to maximise time usage, enhance your life and keep it sustainable - Why it's essential to stop dieting to save time and energy, learn to be okay with yourself and nurture and nourish yourself rather than restrict and punish I hope this will provide you with more detail, advice and help on how you can remove yourself from the diets, work on adding resistance into your routine and reduce the stress. The goal of this little outline plan is to help you create change and build a fitness and wellness plan that works for you. Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

Mindset work is an important part of my life. I realised that if I kept thinking about things in the same way, I would keep getting the same results. If I wanted to change that, what I needed to shift was not trying out new actions, but actually going to the root of it all.  In today's episode I am joined by a wonderful health coach Jayne Hughes. She is not only busy running her own health coaching business, but she is also a health coach inside my ChickFit Members Club, offering all of her expertise to my members, particularly around nutrition and habit change. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - Why having a coach is a good idea and how the coach brings awareness to your mindset work - Why affirmations, visualisations, journaling and quiet time important for your mindset - How to distract yourself from feelings that are like a wild caged animal in your body - Why it's so important that we work on our thoughts before we work on our actions - What a thought ladder is At Home Practice 1. What is the circumstance that you're struggling with? 2. What thought are you having about that circumstance? 3. What feeling is that creating in your body? 4. What actions are you taking from that place and what is the result of those actions? Doing this practice should very clearly show you how the thought you're having is creating the result that you're getting, because it's creating a feeling which is making you take those actions. Once you become aware of this, you can start to change those thoughts to change how you're feeling and ultimately create a different action, which is going to serve you better. Resources: - Jayne Hughes' website – www.livelongandlush.com  - Jayne Hughes' Instagram – www.instagram.com/livelongandlush - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

Have  you ever thought that you're self-sabotaging? I know that I have. Whether it's sabotaging my attempts at weight loss or exercising more, or achieving certain things in my business, I've had a lot of times in my life where I've told myself that self sabotage is the exact reason that I'm not getting where I want to go. Maybe we feel like it's some kind of weakness in our personality and a lack of willpower, but self sabotage is more than that. It suggests that we are actually actively working against ourselves. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - What is self sabotage - The main reasons for self sabotage and how to go through trying to change too much all at once, self soothing or restricting - How to make friends with your emotions because that is the only way to respond correctly to self sabotage - Stop assuming that self care is for others because it's necessary for you too Try to think about self sabotage as an act of self preservation. Though we feel like we're actively trying to destroy all of the good stuff that we've worked towards, what we're trying to do is to look after ourselves. It is in fact our body and our brain's way of looking after us and trying to help us.  Resources:
 - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

Talking about weight gain is really hard, because so many of us are fearful of it. And I personally have spent years trying and failing to fit into that tiny box of what is acceptable to look like as a fitness professional. I'm a woman who has had the same body image struggles, the same negative thoughts about herself that you have had. That's why in this episode I've decided to share my story with you. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - How we've been conditioned to fear gaining weight and not being in control - Why dieting almost always causes rebound - How to focus on other things in life than to waste your energy thinking about food all day - How to slowly create a more relaxed relationship with food and with your body - Learning to accept that what we have is good enough because loving your body 100% isn't actually possible - Are the effort, frustration and hunger actually worth it? My journey to being happy with my body will continue. It will continue to have its ups and downs, but  I'll keep working on it every day, and so can you.  Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

Simple Strategies to Make Nutrition Work for the Whole Family Getting your kids to eat good, nutritious food can feel hard sometimes. They go through fussy phases, maybe for years at a time. And while you're trying to get healthy food into them, they're resisting it with every fiber of their being.  In this episode I'm joined by Sophie Ricard, a nutritionist who has made it her mission to help make sure that kids get the nutrition they need, while making it easier for us parents.  What You Will Learn in This Episode: - The biggest roadblocks for parents when it comes to getting healthy food into their kids - How to break down the eating process into simple steps - The best way to start dealing with the situation in which your child is always asking for sugar - The mindset of balance and varied food vs. the mindset of good versus bad - How to shift the food that your kids are eating from packaged to homemade - How lunch boxes with different sections can help to introduce variety into meals - How to worki with your child's preferred foods
 Every child is unique. It's all about figuring out what they need to make the next step, and what you need as a parent to start getting more healthy nutrition into your kids without it being too stressful. 
 Resources: - Join Sophie's Free Masterclass – Feed Your Child's Brain and Unlock Their Potential https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/feed-your-childs-brain-unlocking-their-potential-with-the-right-nutrition-registration-291683070917 - Sophie Ricard's website https://www.feedmefocused.com/ - Find Sophie Ricard on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/feedmefocused/ - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

Like so many of you, I have spent years and years on a diet rollercoaster. I've gone through being bored, fatigued, totally fed up to moving into a much better place. I'm not as thin as I used to be, but I'm much happier and more confident in my body now. It took a lot of effort, but it was worth it. In this episode I will dive into a few myths that are the most destructive to both our health as well as our confidence and mental and emotional wellbeing. 
 What  You Will Learn in This Episode: - Why believing that once you find the right diet, it's going to be easy is false and how your body reacts to that - Is being overweight always dangerous and bad for your health? - Why it makes no sense to eat the same number of calories every day - Why weight loss isn't as simple as eating less and moving more - Can you make up your lack of confidence with losing weight?  
 The bigger we get, the more we diet. The bigger we get, the more we shame people for their weight. The bigger we get, the more we regulate and restrict. The bigger we get, the more we try and tell people it's easy. It's ridiculous and the diet industry is to blame for all the myths. The good news is that you can escape the misery of never-ending dieting and find a way to be more kind to yourself. 
 Resources: 
 - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/ - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 

It's safe to say that we all want to make progress with the things we work hard at. We want a result, an outcome that makes us feel better, more confident, happier about ourselves. Whether it's getting that promotion at work, improving our tennis game or becoming fitter and stronger, progress is an important factor in keeping us motivated. But progress isn't always easy and we can sometimes get stuck along the way. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - How to reframe the situation when you feel your progress has plateaued - How to judge your progress so as not to lose motivation - Why you sometimes need to re-evaluate your goals in order to get excited to move in the right direction - Getting curious about the message that plateau is giving you - How to make changes in other areas of your life to support your progress Consistency separates those who succeed and those who don't. If you keep going when you're not seeing a result or when you're not feeling particularly motivated, you will actually find the key to success. Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/   - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit

Emotional eating is one of the most challenging habits to unpick when we're trying to improve our nutrition. It's the reason we can do all the right things all week, and then on the weekend when we feel tired and stressed, it all seems to fall apart. And so continues the cycle of restrict and binge. In this episode, I'm joined by Annabella Zeiddar, a therapist, clinical hypnotherapist and a recovery from emotional eating coach. She's sharing some of her own experiences about freeing herself from emotional eating, and help us see how we can do the same, how to ditch the restriction and deprivation and feel more confident. What You Will Learn: - Unpacking emotional attachment both to food and to dieting - How to allow yourself to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, but still feel confident and in control - How to learn to eat when you are physically hungry and stop when you're full - The benefits of eating slowly, mindfully and enjoying your food - Why hypnotherapy is helpful with stopping emotional eating - How affirmations journaling can help you overcome emotional eating Having an amazing relationship with yourself allows you to implement changes in your life. There are many things underneath emotional eating, and when we start to tackle them, we can become more mindful and work on our mindset. It does take time and commitment, but it's really worth it. 
 Resources: - Connect with Annabella Zeiddar https://www.instagram.com/annabellazeiddar/ - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/   - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit

Do you feel constantly on, often stressed and overwhelmed, grumpy and suffering with sometimes extreme mood swings? Would you like to feel calmer, happier and more content? In this episode, I'm going to talk about a couple of  big things which I did to slow myself down, and what you can do if you feel like you're on that perpetual rollercoaster from which you would like to get off. I will share with you my own experience of going from stressed and on all the time to someone who feels much calmer and more in control. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - Why shoehorning something into your overfull life doesn't work even if you physically have the time - Why it's almost impossible to create new habits when you're in a state of heightened anxiety and stress - How to take a big step back and do some foundational stuff, like listing your values - The ways to be with yourself, to be still and without distractions - Consider stopping doing everything for everyone else and start making your own time - The value of being honest with yourself and working towards the life that you want - How to prepare yourself to feel uncomfortable at times Slowing down is much more complex than we give it credit for. It's about what's going on much deeper than the surface. It's about truly understanding our values, motivations, the things we truly want from life and being prepared to change ourselves to get there. It takes time, but I promise it's worth it. Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/   - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit

There's been a big movement in recent years towards going sober. Maybe we've recognised that our habits haven't been serving us that well, or we've seen the positive effect it's had on others and want in on the action ourselves. While it's made it easier for women to both recognise and address their drinking, there is still some taboo around this subject.  In today's episode, my guest is a Sober Coach, Rhian Williams. She's a recovering alcoholic and she is going to share her experience of giving up the alcohol, as well as give us some tips on starting that journey. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - The signs to look out for to know that you've tipped over from having a few drinks to something that's becoming a problem - How to start taking back control of your drinking - What you can expect when you ask for help - The importance of being accountable to someone about drinking - How we can support ourselves through this process in the best possible way - The changes you can expect in your life if you give up drinking Having other people around who can support you on your journey to giving up the alcohol is priceless. Whether you're just feeling the need to cut back or you suspect that you might need to give up drinking altogether, the support is out there for you and you are not alone. Resources: - Rhian Williams' Website  https://inmysoberskin.com  - Reach out to Rhian at inmysoberskin@outlook.com - Find Rhian Williams on Instagram www.instagram.com/inmysoberskin - Power up Your Perimenopause https://www.chickfit.co.uk/power-up-your-perimenopause/ - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/   - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 


I want to wrap up this perimenopause series by talking about the life plan, considering the changes that we experience in our bodies and minds in the perimenopausal years and beyond. It's easy to think that solving all of our symptoms is just about balancing hormones, by eating better and doing the right kinds of exercise, but it is only part of the story. We want to get excited about what's ahead and the opportunities that are open to us.  What We Cover: - Why we should celebrate the wisdom acquired in the first half of our lives - Challenging the westernised cultural perception of women in their 40s and 50s - Seeing menopause symptoms as a signpost to change and to do something new - How to nurture our capacity for change  - Why the time is now to start thinking about the next few decades of your life I hope that through this series, you have gained some great insight into what's going on in the perimenopause, but that you've also got some strategies to help you improve the symptoms and get proactive. If there's one thing that I want to do, it's to help women flourish, embrace change, be excited and make an awesome life plan for yourself in the coming years. Resources: - Power Up Your Perimenopause Course https://www.powerupyourperimenopause.com  - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/   - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 


Dr. LaKeeya Tucker answered questions and discussed topics about menopause,PCOS,fibroids and eating the right diet with medical conditions. The episode is insightful and informative to encourage women to continue to seek medical help, eat a good diet and exercise to feel better. Panel guests Susan Foster, Layla Verela , Toni Howard and Jaki Draper joined host SB Favor for the discussion.

As we get older, it feels like it gets more stressful to do all the things we need to do. We've got kids, stressful jobs, we have to look after the house or ageing parents. We can be lacking in sleep and motivation, maybe we're also putting some weight on. In previous episodes I've covered some key topics, including what the perimenopause is, how to improve sleep and prevent weight gain. Today we will talk about something that is non-negotiable - consistent exercise. What You Will Learn in This Episode:  - How to discover a key component of what you need to do in terms of exercise - Good ways to challenge your body - How to battle with sarcopenia or muscle loss - Which type of exercise can increase your metabolism - How to build an all-around fitness program that's going to work for you - Why consistent and combined exercise is crucial in the perimenopause Remember, you don't have to be perfect, but trying to incorporate exercise on a relatively regular basis is going to help you a lot in this period of life. I promise that you can even learn how to enjoy it and how you're going to feel on the other side. Resources: - Power Up Your Perimenopause Course https://www.powerupyourperimenopause.com  - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/   - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit


In this episode, we are talking about something that a lot of women experience in this life phase, where they're eating the same, they're doing the same kind of exercise, and yet somehow, that weight seems to be piling on. It can be so frustrating, because things that used to work for us in our 20s and 30s just don't seem to cut it anymore. We're often left wondering if we just have to cut back on calories even more or if we have to exercise even more. So today I'm going to talk about what the heck is going on, why it's happening and what we can do about it.  What You Will Learn in This Episode: - Why we seem to gain weight more easily in our 40s and 50s - The impact of the diet culture on gaining weight - The changes in estrogen, sleep patterns and muscle loss we can notice - How to regulate sleep and reduce stress response in our bodies - What we need to pay attention to in our nutrition - Why we need to combine restorative exercise with weight or HIIT training The main thing I want you to take from this episode is, that it's not at this point about running after another diet or adding more exercise to burn more calories. It's about making deeper lifestyle adjustments in all areas of your life, and getting some of the fundamentals like good sleep and stress management absolutely nailed. But have patience with yourself, do it a step at a time, and know that to see change, you are going to have to change as well. Remember to sign up for Fatigued to Fabulous - a 3-day online workshop where we're going to dive into the 3 pillars for a happy, healthy perimenopause - The Mind, The Body and The Soul. Sign up at https://chickfit.lpages.co/fatigued-to-fabulous-may/ Resources:  - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/   - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit

It would be great if there was an easy answer to finally hitting your health and fitness goals and creating a workout routine that actually worked for you. The fact is that, as much as our fitness and health is important to us, it often comes at the bottom of the list. In this episode, I will share with you one thing that you can do to finally make that change and start hitting those fitness and wellness goals. I will help you make a real commitment to yourself and show you how to work on your mindset each and every day. Ask yourself: - What beliefs do I have about my ability to reach this goal? - If I've tried to reach this goal before, what might have held me back? - What can I do to address that this time round? - How can I make my goal more specific? - What new beliefs do I need to create to help me reach my goal? Research has shown that if we write our goals down, they're more likely to happen and we're more likely to achieve them. So write those questions down, spend some time going through them and answering them. There will be ups and downs, but by doing this, you're going to set your intention to go on that journey, and get some ideas on how to work on your mindset to finally reach your fitness, wellness or any other in your life. 
 Resources:  - Join my 3-day online workshop Fatigue to Fabulous - 3 Pillars for a Healthy and Happy Perimenopause https://chickfit.lpages.co/fatigued-to-fabulous/   - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/  - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit

Today, I want to fill you in on what the perimenopause actually is. We've all heard of the menopause, but you might not be so familiar with the perimenopause. We assume that all of this menopause ‘stuff' is something to not start thinking about until our late 40s and early 50s. But the fact is that changes are happening from our early 40s onwards.  
 It's our body giving us subtle (and not so subtle) clues that our bodies need a bit more attention. The perimenopause is our opportunity to get proactive and to make lifestyle changes which will help us to navigate this life stage with positivity and energy.  
 What You Will Learn in This Episode: - The key symptoms of perimenopause - The difference between perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause - What we should do when we start noticing signs of perimenopause - The results of a survey that I ran in my community  
 I'm going to be running a special free event in a couple of weeks, that's going to help you with some of this and show you how you can feel your very best in your 40s and 50s. If you want to make sure you're kept in the loop, sign up to my Priority Perimenopause list at http://eepurl.com/hILwlz.  
 Resources:  
 - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/   - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit 
 - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit

There are so many benefits to adding strength training into your routine. If you haven't lifted weights before, I hope by the end of this episode you'll be dying to give it a go and see what you can achieve. I'll also talk about the whole ‘toning up' myth and how building muscle can be the cornerstone of changing your body in ways you never thought possible. I'll also give you a few tips to help you get started on your strength training journey. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - How strength training gets you better results in less time - How it can give you better results in less time - What toning up really means - Adding variety and cardio into your workout with strength training - Why you will feel awesome if you strength train and how it will protect you as you age Strength training truly can be whatever you want it to be. You could start with resistance bands or body weight exercises - squats, lunges and press ups all count as strength training and you don't even need to lift a weight to do them. But the best way is to get some help so you can enjoy the process more, mix up exercises and keep sessions short with plenty of rest days. Soon you will feel the joy and the huge benefits of strength training. Resources: - Join the ChickFit Members Club for a collection of brilliant strength and HIIT training programmes for every woman - www.chickfit.co.uk/membersclub  - NEW! Perimenopause Sessions each Wednesday on this podcast. Subscribe at https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit  - Join my Priority Perimenopause Mailing List http://eepurl.com/hILwlz - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/   - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit

Welcome to the very first episode of The Perimenopause Sessions. Perimenopause is a phase in a woman's life that can be misunderstood, from the misconception about the menopause being just about the flushes, to the idea that you can't be in your perimenopause until your late 40s.  The signs of perimenopause can start happening from your early 40s, even late 30s, and I believe that us women know our bodies best. Today, I want to share with you a bit of my own story so far. Trust me that I'm right there in the trenches with all of you right now, learning about myself at the same time. What We Cover: - Changes to menstrual cycle that I've started experiencing - My experience with PMT getting worse and worse - Other signs I've noticed like slightly lower energy and motivation, and short periods of disrupted sleep - How acupuncture, self care and self awareness have helped me go through this - How I've changed the way I work, reassessed my values and slowed down I want to help you get proactive and start addressing these subtle or not so subtle clues. In the coming weeks, I'll be covering what the perimenopause is and the symptoms to look out for, what to do about sleep problems and midlife weight gain, what exercises are best in midlife, how to create an exciting life plan taking all of this into account, and much more.    Join my priority perimenopause mailing list for even more great tips, knowledge bombs and some special things I've got coming up for you over the next few months. http://eepurl.com/hILwlz  Resources:  - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/   - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit

When it comes to our stress response and creating resilience, exercise, nutrition, sleep and self care are all vital factors in doing that. And in this episode my wonderful guest Joli Knott, a Holistic Astrologer and a Therapist is going to show us that there's another dimension to all of this that we haven't considered before – how to use energy work and create a higher vibration for ourselves to help us use stress in a positive way, while creating a resilient response that can really help us grow and evolve. We will dive into how we can uncover our unique gifts and understand ourselves better to build better resilience. What You Will Learn  in This Episode: - How to become more aware of yourself in your environment and in your life - Understanding that stress is okay, it has its place and we need to learn how to be more resilient to it - How stress motivates us to change something we're not satisfied with in our life - How to look at discipline not as a punishment, but a point of learning - How to incorporate stress in your daily life so that you can work with it - Understanding stress resilience from a nervous system point of view - The different aspects to our Self in this world Opening our minds up to energetic aspect of ourselves gives us a brilliantly different perspective. Let's think about living more truly to ourselves and how we can respond to stress without the overwhelm. Resources: - Joli Knott's website https://www.bodhimindful.com/   - Find Joli Knott in Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bodhimindful/ - My website https://www.chickfit.co.uk/   - Review and subscribe to my podcast https://www.podfollow.com/chickfit - Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alixchickfit

Sylvia Beirnes and Jonathan Torrens are the duo behind Canadian Content Studios (CCS), the creators of the show Who Do You Think I Am? airing on CBC, Vollies airing on Bell, and the Your Two Cents Podcast. They started CCS because they wanted to change how content is made and make sure the projects they really cared about came to life. In this episode, we talk about how Sylvia & Jonathan met, the TV industry and how projects are made, and about bringing the fun (and snacks) into their everyday work. Ps. We definitely have big Street Cents & Jonovision nostalgia moments in this episode! Connect with Sylvia & Jonathan:  canadiancontentstudios.com @canadiancontentstudios @sylviabeirnes @torrensjonathan on Twitter Thank you to Paradigm Orthodontics for sponsoring this episode! Visit paradigmsmile.com to learn more about Invisalign options. Mention Rival & Queen for a free consult. More at rivalandqueen.com

Sylvia Beirnes and Jonathan Torrens are the duo behind Canadian Content Studios (CCS), the creators of the show Who Do You Think I Am? airing on CBC, Vollies airing on Bell, and the Your Two Cents Podcast. They started CCS because they wanted to change how content is made and make sure the projects they really cared about came to life. In this episode, we talk about how Sylvia & Jonathan met, the TV industry and how projects are made, and about bringing the fun (and snacks) into their everyday work. Ps. We definitely have big Street Cents & Jonovision nostalgia moments in this episode! Connect with Sylvia & Jonathan:  canadiancontentstudios.com @canadiancontentstudios @sylviabeirnes @torrensjonathan on Twitter Thank you to Paradigm Orthodontics for sponsoring this episode! Visit paradigmsmile.com to learn more about Invisalign options. Mention Rival & Queen for a free consult. More at rivalandqueen.com

Season 1 Ep. 5https://youtu.be/oFxZ6PO2ejcLet's talk about sex baby! Examining some raw and uncut methods for assisting a woman in achieving orgasm.Never met with a therapist? Speak with our founder today and let us assist you in beginning your journey to better! Session Length: 30 minutes | Visit: https://mindsempowered.org