've got scoliosis, a slightly wonky spine and a LOT to say about resistance training. Apparently 45 minutes' worth, so someone really needs to tell me to shut up. 😂

In this week's podcast, I'm sharing my experience of living with scoliosis, from being diagnosed at 13 and spending years worrying about my back, to discovering just how much strength training could change my relationship with my body.

Sixteen years of lifting weights later, I'm stronger, more confident and far more comfortable in my own skin (even if my spine has absolutely no intention of straightening itself out!).

But this episode isn't just about scoliosis.

We're talking about training around injuries, managing limitations and learning to work WITH your body rather than against it.

I'll be exploring how exercise modifications, changes to grip, stance, positioning and range of movement, and a good understanding of technique can help us find different ways to train. We'll also talk about why professional guidance matters, why progress isn't always about lifting heavier, and why doing less than you used to doesn't mean your workout isn't worthwhile.

Most importantly, I want to remind you that you don't need a perfect body to get stronger.

Sometimes progress means pushing forward. Sometimes it means adapting. And sometimes it means accepting that your body is having a bit of a shit week and doing what you comfortably can anyway.

If you'd like some help building strength and making exercise part of your life, take a look at Flex by AMF, my online fitness programme with resistance training, dance fitness, mobility and workouts for different abilities.

💜 Find out more about Flex by AMF

Right, that's enough from me. I've already talked for 45 minutes and frankly, I think we could all do with a bit of peace and quiet. 😂

Real-life fitness for real life. 💜

When we decide it's time to sort our nutrition out, what's the first thing we usually think about?

What do I need to STOP eating?

Less chocolate. Less booze. Less cheese. Fewer snacks. No more of whatever we've decided we've been “bad” with lately.

But what if, before we start taking things away, we looked at what might be missing instead?

In this episode, I'm talking about a different way to approach improving your diet: add before you subtract.

Maybe you need more protein. More fibre. More vegetables. More water. More plant foods. Or maybe, like me and my former ability to grate approximately half a block of cheese onto anything vaguely edible, you actually need more flavour and variety. 😂

We'll look at how adding something useful can sometimes create a knock-on effect across the rest of your diet — helping meals feel more satisfying, introducing more variety and making healthier choices feel like something you're gaining rather than another list of things you're not allowed to have.

Because improving your nutrition doesn't have to begin with restriction, a dramatic overhaul or solemnly swearing you'll never look at a family-sized Dairy Milk again. Particularly now they've messed with it. Livid Cadbury, livid.

This week's Flex This Week Challenge is simple: identify ONE thing you'd benefit from getting more of and concentrate on adding it this week.

Protein? Fibre? Veg? Seeds? Water? Something completely different?

Pick one. Make a plan. Add something good.

And if you'd like a bit more structure and support around your fitness, you'll find dance fitness, resistance training, mobility and full workout programmes inside Flex by AMF:

Check out Flex by AMF

Real-life fitness for real life. 💜

Resistance training can sometimes feel like something that's only relevant if you love the gym, want to lift enormous weights or get very excited about your squat PB.

But what if we stopped thinking about gym strength and started thinking about life strength?

In this episode, I'm talking about why resistance training has such a huge carry-over into the things we do every day — and why building and maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important as we get older.

Because the movements we practise when we train aren't really that unusual. Squatting helps us get up and down. Hinges help us pick things off the floor. Pushing, pulling, carrying and bracing are things our bodies need to do all the bloody time = from lugging suitcases around to carrying the shopping, playing sport or attempting to clean the shower through that stupid tiny gap between the doors. 😂

You don't have to become someone who lives in the weights section of the gym either. Resistance classes, simple home workouts, bodyweight exercises and beginner-friendly gym sessions can all give your body a reason to get stronger.

I started out as a complete cardio bunny, so I know that venturing into resistance training for the first time can feel like entering a completely different fitness world. But give yourself time to learn, get some support and stick with it, and you might be amazed by how quickly you start to feel stronger — not just during your workouts, but outside them too.

Because ultimately we're not training to be good at the gym.

We're training to be good at life.

And future-us would quite like to be a bunch of capable old-lady ninjas. 🥷💜

If you'd like to get started with resistance training at home, you'll find beginner-friendly workouts, Flex On-The-Go sessions and structured programmes inside Flex by AMF:

Flex by AMF

Real-life fitness for real life. 💜