WHY THIS ONE MOVEMENT MATTERS AS YOU AGE…👌🏽

Here’s something I’d highly recommend making a priority in your life: your strength & mobility…and specifically, your ability to get up off the floor with ease.

Now, of course I don’t expect you to be able to jump up off the floor in this way but the sooner you start working on it, the sooner you’ll get better at it.

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You might be of an age that you think you don’t need to worry about it yet, but this one skill becomes more and more important as we age and also more and more challenging too.

Being able to lower yourself down and get back up again is directly linked to your independence, your confidence, and your long-term quality of life.

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The good news? It’s never too late to improve. You don’t need to do it perfectly, and you certainly don’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. Just start with what you can do right now, and build on that little by little.

Every bit of progress you make adds up to a stronger, more capable version of yourself…the kind of strength that ensures you’ll never find yourself stuck on the floor.

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So today, why not test it? Lower yourself down safely (making sure you’ve got something or someone nearby to help you back up if you think you’ll need it), see how you go getting up, and notice what feels easy versus what feels sticky. Then start practicing regularly. Your future self will thank you.

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And if you don’t know where to start with getting stronger or more mobile, here are some ways I can help:

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4-Week Functional Strength Challenge

These run throughout the year and the next one starts 29th September.

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YOUR MOOV Strength Program

You can jump into my YOUR MOOV Strength Program anytime.

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Mobility Reset Program

The focus is on diaphragmatic breathing and building core stability while improving overall mobility.

IS IT MENOPAUSE OR IS IT AGEING? 🧐

Firstly, you need to be aware that there are many people (more than I can keep track of and mostly women which is sad) trying to monetise menopause and profit off you.

The way they do this is by telling you ALL the bad things that you’ll experience during Perimenopause and they might tell you their experience during Perimenopause and what “has helped them”. They’ll put fear in you about muscle loss, bone density loss and weight gain. And they’ll do it all convincingly to build your trust and then BOOM!💥 They’ll sell you the “solution” to your problems. 💰💰💰

❗️This is Marketing 101❗️

And sure you could say, but Mary, you are selling something too and profiting off women who sign up to your programs. And I’d say, YES! But the difference is I’m selling my precious time, my years and years of knowledge / expertise / figuring out what works. I’m selling a strategy that has been backed by science a million times over and is about the only solid thing proven to:

😃 make you feel better
📈 improve your health
💪🏽 maintain your muscle mass
🩻 maintain your bone density

It’s a program, it’s a direct line to me to help you be the healthiest, strongest version of yourself, regardless of Menopause.

It’s not a product and I don’t use fear mongering to confuse and stress you out to sign up to my offerings. I tell you what works, I am empathetic about your journey, I care, I put thousands of hours into giving away free information and answering every comment or message I get on social media.

A lot of the messaging out there is to say that if you’re not taking every supplement under the sun you’re going to die young or have brittle bones etc. 😏 Which is rubbish! 🚮

A lot of symptoms that have been put down to Menopause are just symptoms of ageing.

The truth of the matter is that we’re all ageing. That is undeniable! We will ALL experience changes in our bodies, in how we feel, in our energy levels. This is NORMAL, NOT something to be feared. 🫶🏽

There is no magic pill to fix this (although you never know if one day science will make us all immortal 😅).

Even taking HRT isn’t always a positive experience for many. Some feel worse on it, others find it makes a huge difference to how they feel.

It’s totally ok to do what you can to feel better but just keep in mind you may not feel like you did when you were in your 20’s and you most definitely are not going to look like you did in your 20’s and that’s ok!

If you keep chasing this idea that something out there is going to make you feel better then I’d encourage you to start focusing on what YOU can do to help make you feel better.

Here are some basics to start with:

💪🏽 Strength training 2-3x a week

🍽️ Eating a well balanced diet including at least 1.6g/kg of bodyweight (or your goal bodyweight) of protein and 25g of fibre daily.

🚶🏼‍♀️ Cardio/walking/moving your body at least 3Omins of the day.

📉 If weight loss is in your goals then you need to be in a calorie deficit (but not undereating).

🛌 Getting at least 7 hours of sleep

🚰 Drinking enough water

So you need to be doing ALL of this consistently before considering that what you’re doing isn’t working. Or looking for alternative measures. 👀

Remember muscle is your best friend as you age! Doing whatever you can to hold onto muscle is the number one key. 🔑

If you don’t know where to start with strength training, here are some ways I can help:

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4-Week Functional Strength Challenge

These run throughout the year and the next one starts 29th September.

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YOUR MOOV Strength Program

You can jump into my YOUR MOOV Strength Program anytime.

---

Mobility Reset Program

The focus is on diaphragmatic breathing and building core stability while improving overall mobility.

SHE DIDN’T NEED TO STOP MOVING, SHE NEEDED TO START 💫

So I had this conversation with one of my clients the other day who’s been training with me for a few weeks…she’d been away on holiday in Thailand for a couple of weeks and said how her knees felt great while she was away doing a lot of walking around (before she started training with me her knees would have caused her pain from the walking).

The last few days of her holiday involved chilling in a hammock reading, with less movement and she noticed her knees and back were more achey then.

She’d been suffering from knee pain (arthritis) and back pain before seeing me in the studio and had noticed after a few sessions with me how much less achey and painful she felt.

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She’s one of many clients who always notice a reduction in their pain levels when they’re doing a regular strength workout practice (even if it’s only bodyweight movements). 
 

Another client who started moving to reduce her pain.

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Building muscle and strength is the best thing for your joints and overall longevity. And the good news is:
 

• you don’t have to “lift heavy”

• it’s not as complicated as a lot of social media make it seem

• you don’t need any past experience with strength training

• starting with just your body weight is highly recommended

And if you’re looking for a guided kickstart to your strength journey, my 4-week Functional Strength Challenge is the perfect place to start…🤗

This challenge is all about building the kind of strength that makes everyday life easier, your joints feel better, and your body feel like yours again.

It’s designed for women who are:

• Sick of cookie-cutter workouts

• Over wasting time on stuff that doesn’t work

• Sick of signing up to Challenges that don't suit your needs or capability level

• Ready to feel strong, capable, and supported

Whether you’ve trained before or you’re starting fresh, I’ve got you covered. You’ll get a well thought out strength program, real-time support, and no fluff — just workouts that work, in a way that fits into your life.
 

And trust me,I know they work because I follow my strength program myself. 💪🏽
 

🗓 These Challenges run throughout the year and the next one starts 29th September 2025 (Preview Week 22nd September).

✅ 4 weeks of progressive, functional strength training

📲 Delivered via an app — do it anywhere, anytime

🫶 Accountability + guidance from me every step of the way
 

I know starting can feel like the hardest part, but you don’t need to be “more ready.” You just need to begin.
 

👀 See what the Challenge is all about…

If you don’t want to wait until the next Challenge then you can jump into my full strength program anytime…

INFLAMMATION STARTS IN THE GUT - ADDRESS YOUR DIET

This article shares some great points regarding foods that are pro-inflammatory and some alternative substitutes.  

I would highly recommend looking at your diet if you suffer from inflammatory conditions such as arthritis; any allergies; crohn's disease; eczema; fibromyalgia; psoriasis...and the list goes on.  
The vast majority of inflammatory conditions begin in the gut.  

Of course, it doesn't stop with just working on diet. You have to also take into account stress levels; movement levels; emotional state & hydration as some additional factors to assess and address. The body is a system, you can't treat the symptom without treating the cause and your body won't heal unless given the right environment to do so.

THE FUNDAMENTAL FLAWS OF CROSSFIT

Dr Stuart McGill, an expert on spinal health, brought up some valid points in this article - https://www.t-nation.com/training/doctors-view-of-crossfit

Here is my opinion:

I had previously been involved in crossfit for about 4 years, mostly training myself and competing in local comps, I joined a box (cross fit gym) for 6 months and then stopped crossfit altogether. This was long before there was a box on every corner and the words “wod”, “snatch” and “kipping” were so commonly known. I’ve seen a lot of different boxes and coaches and experienced them first hand as well as from a distance. I’ve also watched many a crossfitter compete and train and the same pet hates rear their ugly heads each time.

I will keep this short, sweet & to the point…here is a list of my issues with crossfit:

• Most boxes don’t assess an individual's movement capacity prior to throwing them in a class nor do they take a record of their previous injuries…therefore leaving them open to risk of injury! It is the coaches responsibility to ensure each individual is training to THEIR individual capacity and to keep them safe from harm.

• Scaleable does not = safe…one size does not fit all, just because you scale a movement for someone does not mean that the particular movement or the combination of movements in a particular workout aren't harmful for that individual.

• The programming is just as advertised, “random” - often unqualified level 1 cross fit coaches are programming wods and bunching together random movements that as a workout can place excessive load on certain structures which can lead to injury or cause repetitive strain.

• Not having at the very least a basic Cert III Fitness Training qualification as a coach (Cert III is even far from enough in my opinion).

• Not having a clue about the human body; motor control or biomechanics and being a coach…as a result not knowing HOW to correct someone’s form in a way that works for THEM or not having the ability to assess someone's movement capacity before they even start crossfit.

• Repeating the same movement (i.e. olympic lifts; chin ups; ghd sit-ups) within an extremely high rep range (50-100 reps) is only asking for fatigue and injury to come onboard. If endurance is what you want…pick your movements carefully!

• Don’t believe or think peeing yourself is ok during a workout…this should NOT be happening!

• Teaching someone how to snatch/clean & press in 10mins....followed by allowing that someone to load a snatch/clean & press the next time they're in the gym and/or encouraging them to find their 1RM is irresponsible.

• Doing complex movements at heavy weights for large amounts of reps is not good for anyones motor control or spinal health. Fatigue will set in quick and this is when injury occurs or faulty movement patterns are engrained.

• Cheering on someone to finish a workout with horrendous form when the better thing to do is get them to stop or rest enough for their muscles to actually be able to perform the task well.

• Cheering on someone who has just completed a 1RM of any movement with compromising form (I've seen some shockers!).

• Focussing on the numbers (how much you can lift) over the technique.

• Advancing people onto kipping pullups before they can actually achieve a single decent strict bodyweight pullup unassisted (it should ideally be about 5 reps strict before attempting kipping), I would argue that chin-ups are more of a complex movement and used for strength rather than endurance so should be kept as a low rep strength movement and therefore ALWAYS be strict!

• Thinking it's cool and hardcore to push through injury or physical damage i.e. ripped hands/chunks out of shins. These things ALL affect motor control!

• Cost of crossfit memberships are extortionate considering the quality of coaching in most boxes - cost should reflect the quality of the service…a lot of boxes have one trainer (who usually just walks around shouting “good job”; “push guys”; “you got this” & not correcting horrible form) to 15-20 crossfitters…that is unsafe in my book!

If you apply the above points to anything you will have a bunch of messed up bodies.