Are you feeling out of rhythm with your exercise routine? Are you struggling to stay motivated doing the same set of exercises and the same class? Perhaps it’s time to change it up! Have you tried added strength training into the mix? And, no I am not talking about bulking up and becoming weight lifters, I’m talking getting fit, strong, toned and healthy. 

From boosting mood and metabolism to bolstering your body and mind, strength training has magic powers! Whether you choose bodyweight, free weights or resistance bands strength training benefits extend far beyond the body sculpt and tone.

So, before we get onto how to start strength training let’s go over the key benefits, just in case you weren’t convinced. The weights or bands add to the demand placed on your muscles when doing an exercise which forces them to adapt and grow and as this continues as you gradually increase the weight or number of reps over time. But outside of the muscular system this type of training also…

• Increases bone density: post-menopausal women are at greater risk of osteoporosis due to the drop in oestrogen, weight training stimulates new bone growth to counteract this.
• Aids weight management: when you train with weights you build lean muscle which increases your metabolism, burning more calories over the day post workout.
• Boosts mood: strength training releases the endorphins helping relieve anxiety and stress and putting you in a great mood.
• Reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes: strength training has been proven to aid cardiovascular health to help reduce the risk of heart related conditions.

Research has shown that 30 minutes three times per week is ideal for strength training and NHS guidelines state we should be doing strength sessions that work all muscle groups at least twice per week. Whilst strength training is definitely becoming more popular with women research suggests that many women do not meet the weekly guidelines- so it’s time to try something new! Let’s get strength training.

With the plethora of exercises, pieces of kit and programmes to choose from can be a bit daunting to know where to start. Here are my top tips on getting started with strength training:

• Learn the basics: Get yourself a personal trainer, join a small class or an online live class which has plenty of instruction to get you started.
• Warm up: Spend 3-5 minutes doing dynamic stretch and some aerobic work to warm your body up, raise your heart rate and prepare it for exercise. 
• Start light: Start with bodyweight, light weights or a light resistance band and gradually build up over time as you get stronger. 
• Form: Make sure you are doing exercises with correct form (this is where the PT or a mirror comes into play). This will help prevent injury and help you build strength in a safe way. 

I have long since been an advocate of strength training, particularly for women, and with this in mind I built my platform – Caroline’s Circuits. My workouts are 3 times a week for just 30 minutes. They focus on strength-based circuits which work different muscle groups and challenge the body, keeping the heart rate moderate to high with passive or active rest – they give the perfect mix of strength and cardio for the best results.

The workouts are Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9am (they are all recorded and available to you on demand within an hour of the session if you can’t make the live). Classes have been specifically designed to suit all fitness levels and create fitness habits which last & which produce results.

Intrigued to know more or have a go? Try a class for free here or read more about the platform here.

If you have any questions please do get in touch.

For more workout ideas and to find out a bit more about me check out my Instagram.

Caroline x

Injuries are a nightmare – you just feel like you’re getting somewhere with your training and fitness and boom, an injury rears its ugly head. So, how can you avoid getting injured? Here are my top tips for staying in peak condition:

1. Don’t skip your warm ups and cool downs – we are all guilty of this every now and again, that age old excuse of “I don’t have time to warm up or cool down”, the question is do you have time to be injured? The likelihood of getting injured when you neglect your warm up and cool down increases dramatically. This is why I make sure I include a warm up of dynamic stretches and a cool down in all my online workouts. 
2. Don’t run before you can walk! Start gradually and build as your strength and fitness grows. Going in too hard too fast is one of the leading causes of injury. It is great to hit the ground running and push yourself but there is a balance, push yourself but do so safely!
3. Prioritise recovery – you can’t expect results if you don’t give your body the chance to recover, repair and grow. If you train arms hard one day, focus on legs or core the next, or give yourself a rest day between hard sessions. Use active recovery like walking the dog, Pilates, yoga or swimming to allow your muscles to recover and adapt and to allow them to perform the next time you ask them to.
4. Focus on form – this is key for weight training. Having good, correct form is vital to stay injury free when strength training. Make sure you have been taught correct technique or follow a group programme which has all the important teaching points on exercises as you do them. Even better, workout in front of the mirror so you can see errors and correct them. This is definitely worth getting right before you start increasing weight, reps and sets as you can do some real damage if you’re not careful. 

I have long since been an advocate of strength training, particularly for women, and with this in mind I built my platform – Caroline’s Circuits. My workouts are 4 times a week for just 30 minutes. They focus on strength based circuits which work different muscle groups and challenge the body, keeping the heart rate moderate to high with passive or active rest – they give the perfect mix of strength and cardio for the best results.

The workouts are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday (they are all recorded and available to you on demand within an hour of the session if you can’t make the live). Classes have been specifically designed to suit all fitness levels and create fitness habits which last & which produce results.

Intrigued to know more or have a go? Try a class for free here or read more about the platform here.

If you have any questions please do get in touch.

For more workout ideas and to find out a bit more about me check out my Instagram.

Caroline x

There is always a lot of talk about how to train for a marathon, about fuelling your way round a marathon and nutrition strategies but what happens after you cross the finish line, how do you help your body recover from the 26.2 miles? 

Marathon training is a serious undertaking and runners set aside months, or even years to train for one, so the recovery must be taken seriously as well. Running a marathon puts serious toll on the muscles and body and results in some “damage” that extends beyond just sore muscles. This includes: 

• Suppressed immune function – it is going to make it more difficult for your body to fight off bugs and infections in the weeks following a marathon.
• Muscular strength is reduced – inflammation and cell damage are increased in the two weeks following a marathon so be mindful of this when returning to training (more on this to come).
• Muscle memory and coordination are both compromised which means that repetitive stress injuries are more likely when running hard or fast in the two to three weeks post race.

Prioritising your marathon recovery is key to long term training and staying injury free. So, here are my top tips for returning to running and strength training after a marathon.

Step 1: When you cross the finish line

Don’t just sit down or stop, walk around and stay moving (even if you feel like you have jelly legs!). This will keep the blood moving around the body, delivering nutrients and removing waste product from the muscles. Usually, there will be food and fluids available as you cross that finish line, take advantage of these and as soon as you can start rehydrating and refuelling – your body will definitely thank you for it. You will definitely be dehydrated after 26.2 miles so get some fluids in asap and then focus on carbohydrate right foods (yes you can start with jelly babies!), then think about some protein to help rebuild those damaged muscles. 

Step 2: In the hours following the race

Here food is the key! As soon as you can stomach it, try to have a substantial, balanced meal – most marathon runners will swear by a burger and a pint at this point but whatever you fancy, you should go for it! Important things to note here are:

• Try not to celebrate too hard – your body needs some rest and relaxation and lots of rehydration so too many alcoholic drinks aren’t wise! 
• Wait a couple of days before having a massage as muscle damage can be increased if this is done too soon. 
• An ice bath can really help your legs recover (followed by a nice warm shower!).
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
• Your next meal should be nutrient dense meal – fruit, veg, healthy meat, whole grains etc.
• I also strongly recommend supplements to help with inflammation,  muscle recovery & joint support such as magnesium, turmeric and ashwaghandha.
• Get an early night – sleep is vital to help your body repair.

Step 3: The next day

Get out and walk. Running isn’t recommended the day after the marathon but a gentle walk will help get the blood flowing. The goal here is to move not to workout! A gentle foam rolling session is a good idea on the day after the race – but be gentle!

Step 4: The week after

Be patient! 5-6 days off running is generally recommended following a marathon. This is a great window to do some non-impact cross training such as gentle swimming or cycling – remember your body is in recovery mode. Some light strength exercises and mobility work can be useful here to aid recovery but I am definitely not talking heavy weights! Some gentle core work, glute and ITB rehab work and light band exercises would be beneficial. 

The most important thing in the week post marathon is sleep to help your body and mind get back into the running zone. After 5 or so days you can head out for a 20-30 minute tester run to make sure there aren’t any aches and pains and see how your legs are feeling. You can then apply the reverse taper rule and gradually build back up to normal mileage and strength training over the next few weeks. 

Once you’re back to it post-marathon you can try one of the Caroline’s Circuits classes for free here or read more about the platform here.

If you have any questions please do get in touch.

For more workout ideas and to find out a bit more about me check out my Instagram.

Caroline x