I Used to Be the Fit One: On Letting Go, Starting Again, and What's Actually Still Possible

The 10 Minute Habit that Changed My Life (not just my abs)

For years, I was the personal trainer with a secret. I could run. I could lift weights. I could coach other women through their fitness journeys. But my own body wasn't functioning the way I wanted it to. After two pregnancies, I was left with a significant abdominal separation, recurring back pain, debilitating sciatica and a core that simply wasn't doing its job. I tried all the things I thought I should do, but never really committed to the boring, repetitive work I knew would probably make the biggest difference. Then I made one tiny decision. Ten minutes a day. That's it. In this episode, I'm sharing the full story behind the daily core habit I've now maintained for more than 1,200 days, including why I started, what changed, how quickly I noticed a difference and why this experience completely changed the way I think about habits, motivation and what it really takes to create lasting change in midlife. If you've ever felt like your body has stopped responding, if you've been waiting for the perfect time to start, or if you've convinced yourself that meaningful progress requires a complete life overhaul, this episode is for you. IN THIS EPISODE, I TALK ABOUT: • The post-pregnancy abdominal separation I spent years trying to ignore • How recurring sciatica became the wake-up call I couldn't ignore any longer • Why 10 minutes a day worked when bigger plans didn't • The surprising changes I noticed within the first month • Why motivation is wildly overrated • The difference between doing a habit and becoming the kind of person who does that habit • Why small habits are often more powerful than dramatic transformations • The connection between trust, confidence and seeing your body respond again MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: PerimenoCore My simple, realistic core programme designed specifically for busy women in midlife. Short sessions. No equipment. No trying to find an extra hour in your day. Just a practical way to build strength, consistency and confidence from the inside out. Find out more here: https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/perimenocore-buy [https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/perimenocore-buy] CONNECT WITH ME Instagram: @carlycorrigall [https://www.instagram.com/carlycorrigall/] If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. Send me a message and let me know what your own "10-minute habit" might be.

I'll Start Properly In September" (And Other Silly Stories We Tell Ourselves)

Ever found yourself saying: "I'll get back on track after the holidays..." "Once work settles down..." "When the kids have finished exams..." You're not alone. In this episode, I'm exploring one of the biggest mindset traps I see in midlife women: waiting for the perfect time to prioritise their health and fitness so we can unlock that next level. Because the reality is that life rarely calms down in the way we imagine it will. Instead of making progress, many women end up stuck in a cycle of waiting, restarting and feeling frustrated that nothing changes. In this episode, I'm sharing: ✨ Why high-achieving women often overestimate what change will require ✨ The "graft harder" myth and how it keeps us stuck ✨ Why waiting for perfect conditions is costing you more than you realise ✨ The power of building a baseline instead of chasing perfection ✨ Why maintenance is a completely valid goal ✨ The simple shift that helps women stay consistent through the chaos of midlife And, of course, a reminder that there is no wagon! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE PerimenoCore A simple daily core programme designed specifically for women in midlife. Just 5-10 minutes a day to help you build strength, consistency and confidence from the inside out. 👉 https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/perimenocore-buy [ https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/perimenocore-buy] CONNECT WITH CARLY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlycorrigall/ [https://www.instagram.com/carlycorrigall/] Get my free Training Tweak Guide: https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/tweak-guide-signup [https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/tweak-guide-signup] And when you're ready for the Full Shebang (without the total overhaul 😉) The Reboot is for you: https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/the-perimenopause-reboot [https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/the-perimenopause-reboot]

What If You're Not Getting Old At All?

Are you actually getting old... or have you simply stopped asking your body to do interesting things? In this week's episode, I'm challenging one of the most common assumptions women make in midlife: that feeling stiff, creaky, slow or less capable is simply an inevitable part of getting older. But what if we've been misreading the signs? Drawing on client conversations, real-life examples (including an unexpected wrestling match with a washing machine!) and years of coaching women through midlife, I'm exploring the difference between aging and deconditioning, and why that distinction matters more than you might think. You'll discover: 💪 Why fitness and physical capability aren't the same thing 💪 The hidden movement skills modern life is quietly removing 💪 Why balance, power, reaction speed and coordination matter just as much as strength 💪 How losing physical capability affects confidence and identity 💪 The surprising reason many active women still feel "old" in their bodies 💪 Simple ways to start rebuilding athleticism in midlife Most importantly, I'm making the case that your most capable years may not be behind you at all. Here's to bounding up those stairs in our 80s. LINKS & RESOURCES 👉 Download my free Training Tweak Guide: https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/tweak-guide-signup [https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/tweak-guide-signup] 👉 Learn more about Train with Carly: https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/online-fitness-classes-for-women [https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/online-fitness-classes-for-women] 👉 Follow Carly on Instagram: @carlycorrigall [https://www.instagram.com/carlycorrigall/] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with a friend who needs to hear that getting older and becoming less capable are not necessarily the same thing!

BITESIZE | The DOMS Episode - Should You Be Sore After Every Workout?

This week’s Honestly, Carly is a bite-size episode tackling one of the most common fitness questions I get asked: Should you actually be sore after every workout… and does soreness mean your training is working? We’re talking DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), what’s really happening inside the muscles after exercise, why some workouts leave you walking downstairs sideways… and why being completely wrecked after training is not the gold standard women have been led to believe it is. Inside this episode: * What DOMS actually is (and why it’s not “lactic acid build-up”) * Why new workouts hit harder * The science behind eccentric loading * The “repeated bout effect” and why consistency matters * Whether soreness means your workout was effective * Signs your recovery needs attention * How sleep, nutrition and stress affect muscle soreness * Whether you should train again when you’re still sore * What genuinely helps reduce DOMS (and what doesn’t) If you’ve ever judged a workout by how broken it left you afterwards, this episode is for you. Because intelligent training in midlife isn’t about punishment. It’s about adaptation, recovery and building a body that feels stronger, fitter and more resilient over time. Want intelligently programmed workouts designed specifically for women in midlife? You can find all the details about Train With Carly here: https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/online-fitness-classes-for-women [https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/online-fitness-classes-for-women] Oh and don't forget - you can get in touch with me over on Instagram, @carlycorrigall [https://www.instagram.com/carlycorrigall/]

I Used to Be the Fit One: On Letting Go, Starting Again, and What's Actually Still Possible

This week on the podcast, I’m sharing something a bit more personal. Because for a long time, I was “the fit one”. Running was my identity. Exercise felt easy. Handled. Certain. And then my 40s arrived with a very pointed memo: injuries, exhaustion, body changes, niggles, self-doubt… and a growing feeling that the things that had always worked for me suddenly weren’t working anymore. In this episode, I’m talking honestly about what it felt like to let go of that old identity, why starting again in midlife can feel deeply uncomfortable (especially when you’re used to being good at things), and why I now believe this chapter doesn’t have to be about decline at all. We chat about: * Why so many women feel like their bodies have “stopped responding” in midlife * The emotional side of body changes, fitness and identity * The tension many women feel between caring about their appearance and wanting to be a “good feminist” * Why midlife isn’t a full stop… it’s a transition * What I learned from rebuilding my own training approach from scratch * Strength, health span and the alarming decline in healthy life expectancy in the UK based on recent stats * The testing I recently had done with Clinic 51 and why clarity matters more than perfection * Why I believe some women become stronger, fitter and healthier in their 50s and 60s than they were decades earlier * How to stop shrinking your expectations of yourself and your body If you’ve ever felt like you used to be the fit one… this one’s for you. You can find me on Instagram at @carlycorrigall [https://www.instagram.com/carlycorrigall/], and if this episode resonated, I’d love to hear from you. Links: Train with Carly: CLC Fitness – Train with Carly [https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/online-fitness-classes-for-women] The Reboot: CLC Fitness – The Reboot [https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/the-perimenopause-reboot] Clinic51: Prevent 51 Programme [https://www.clinic51.co.uk/prevent51-prevention-health-screening-longevity] https://www.health.org.uk/reports-and-analysis/analysis/healthy-life-expectancy-trends-in-the-uk-a-watershed-moment [https://www.health.org.uk/reports-and-analysis/analysis/healthy-life-expectancy-trends-in-the-uk-a-watershed-moment]