Today’s guest is pre and post-natal fitness expert Caroline Bragg. 

Caroline is a personal trainer and studio instructor and is hugely passionate about the wellness journey from pregnancy to postnatal. Caroline also teaches on postnatal retreats for families in France for ‘And Breathe’ retreats (read about 'And Breathe' here: http://bit.ly/2ltw7Mr) and teaches qualifications in pre and post natal fitness. 

Recently Caroline and I noticed a few errors circulating social media with regards to what new mums should be doing fitness wise and Caroline suggested recording a podcast on this very topic. Fitness during pregnancy can be a real minefield as a quick Google search can throw up all kinds of inaccuracies. 

With years of experience between us in teaching pre and post-natal clients we discuss exactly what the recommendations are for during and after pregnancy. If you haven’t read my recent blog on Diastasis Recti (read it here: http://bit.ly/2iO5K2P) I would do so as it will really help you to understand why certain activities are not advised so close to labour. 

Staying active during your pregnancy is beneficial for your mental and physical health, plus it’s thought to make for an easier labour, and I really hope this helps those who want to stay active during their pregnancies do so. Please remember that every pregnancy is different and to work closely with your doctor to check that they too are happy with your fitness plans. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast!

Where to find out more about Caroline:

- Website: https://carolinebragg.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/carolinepteast
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinebraggpt/

Want to stand the chance of winning a Model Method Online PLUS plan (worth £398) + £100 of Sweaty Betty vouchers? To enter please click below and pre-order my upcoming book 'The Model Method' (competition closes at 23:59 on 27th December 2017) GOOD LUCK:

http://bit.ly/2yn2D8f

Episode 9: Caroline Bragg

The Strong Women Podcast by Pilates PT is a podcast which celebrates Strong Women from all walks of life. 

Founder of Pilates PT Hollie Grant each week interviews strong women who have overcome adversity and achieved incredible things. Now, by saying 'Strong' we don't mean solely physical strength. The Strong Women Podcast also dives deep into mental strength and courage in the careers of the incredible interviewees. 

We hope you enjoy the podcast!

Health & Fitness

Today’s guest is someone I admire massively – it’s a really exciting one for me. Kathrine Switzer is an iconic athlete, author, Emmy-award winning broadcaster and advocate for sports and social causes. 

She is often remembered as the first woman to officially register and run the Boston Marathon in 1967. She was attacked in the race by an angry official who tried to rip off her bib number (#261) and throw her out of the race because she was a woman. 

Images of this spread worldwide and she finished the 26.2 mile distance anyway and went on win the 1974 New York City Marathon and to champion women in the sport globally, most notably leading the drive to make the women's marathon an official Olympic event in 1984. Nowdays, 58% of all runners in the USA are women.

To celebrate this social revolution, and to support another on active aging, Switzer ran the Boston Marathon again, at age 70, on the 50th anniversary of her iconic run, finishing only 24 minutes slower than she did when she was 20.  

This run launched her non-profit '261 Fearless' --named after that famous bib number--which empowers women globally though running. She has been honored widely for her achievements including being inducted into the USA National Women’s Hall of Fame which recognized her for creating positive social change throughout her storied career.
 
Kathrine has lived the most incredible life, and is such an advocate for using sport for positive change which really resonates with me. This podcast is great for anyone looking for motivation to get those trainers on, or who is as in awe of her achievements as I am. Enjoy.  

Kathrine Switzers Favourite Book: 'MiddleMarch' by George Eliot (you can buy it here: https://amzn.to/31aRaTP)

Where can you find out more about Kathrine Switzer?

- Website: https://kathrineswitzer.com
- Store: https://kathrineswitzer.com/shop/
-  261 Fearless: http://www.261fearless.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KathrineSwitzer

Episode 42: How sport can affect positive social change - with Kathrine Switzer

Todays guest is Clare Bourne. Clare is a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist specialising in caring for women during and after pregnancy. She has worked in the field for 6 years with extensive NHS experience, and now works in private practice at Six Physio in Chelsea. She is mother to a two-year old daughter and is pregnant with number two, and has therefore learnt first hand the physical challenge of pregnancy, motherhood and the pre and post-natal body.

Through her work, she is aware of how alone women can feel in the postnatal period and how they can be unsure where to get help for symptoms that are often embarrassing and difficult to talk about. Clare is also a trained pre-and post-natal Pilates instructor. She uses this extensively within her practice and values the huge benefits of Pilates in pregnancy and postnatally.

In this podcast we discuss pelvic health, incontinence, what really happens to your pre and post-natal body, how to care for yourself post-caesarean, and exercise considerations both pre and post-natally. This is a great podcast for anyone who is pregnant right now, recently gave birth, or gave birth many moons ago. It’s also a must for anyone who works with women in the fitness or health sphere.

I hope you enjoy this first podcast back. I loved learning from Clare and discussing some of my labour with her. If you enjoy it please do share your feedback, or share this with someone who needs it.

Clare Bourne's favourite book: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (you can buy it here: https://amzn.to/2Qg0CVH

Follow Clare Bourne on Instagram: @clarebournephysio

Show Notes:

- Pelvic Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapists (POGP) Fit for the Future leaflet : https://bit.ly/2kT9wJR
- Return to Running Postnatal Guidelines: https://bit.ly/2VtftJw
- C-Section Visual: https://bit.ly/2lVmarU
- The Mummy MOT: https://bit.ly/2ks72lw
- Six Physio, Chelsea: https://bit.ly/2moJgYl

A WORD FROM THE PODCAST SPONSOR – PILATES PT:

This podcast is brought to you by Pilates PT. Set up by Tatler award-winning fitness expert Hollie Grant, Pilates PT is one of the most exclusive fitness providers in the UK.

With three London studios, at-home training, an online fitness and nutrition plan, and an industry-leading podcast, Pilates PT’s mission is to empower, educate, and motivate you to become the fittest and healthiest you can be.

Pilates PT does not believe in extreme exercise regime’s, fad diets, or body shaming. Pilates PT believes that focusing on how your body performs, not how it looks, is the key to lifelong wellness and happiness.

Find out more about Pilates PT here: https://pilatespt.co.uk

Or, to sign up to The Pilates PT Method Online with a 10% discount just enter the code ‘STRONGWOMEN‘ at checkout. Click BELOW to get started today:

https://bit.ly/2kqwGaj

Episode 41: How to look after your pre and post-natal body - with Clare Bourne

Today’s guest is Kim Vopni. Kim is a self-professed pelvic health evangelist and is known as The Vagina Coach (which, by the way, I love).

 Kim is the founder of Pelvienne Wellness Inc - a company offering pelvic health programs and coaching for women in pregnancy, motherhood and menopause.  She is also the co-founder of Bellies Inc, a company focused on improving births and postpartum recoveries with the revolutionary Ab System.

What I love about Kim is that she is taking a topic that is for some embarrassing to talk about (the vagina and pelvic floor) and completely banging the drum for better care of both.

For too many years women have shied away from seeking help for incontinence, prolapse or general vagina healthcare and this needs to stop.

In this episode we discuss what you need to know about your vagina, how to get comfortable talking about topics that could be seen as embarrassing, and why it is so important we take care of our pelvic health.

This episode is great for ALL women, no matter what their age. It’s time to stop giving our vagina cute names and being red cheeked about talking about them and let’s get educated instead. I hope you enjoy this episode.

Please do leave a review/feedback if you do enjoy this episode: it goes a long way to spread the message of The Strong Women Podcast.

The Vagina Coach's Favourite Book: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (you can buy it here: https://amzn.to/2DrGAyP)

Where you can find out more about The Vagina Coach:

- Instagram (Vagina Coach): https://bit.ly/2XjBnAC
- Instagram (Bellies Inc): https://bit.ly/2KIkWfK
- Facebook: https://bit.ly/2UkX4OP
- Twitter: https://bit.ly/2XiMz09
- Youtube: https://bit.ly/2Umwvse
- Website: https://www.vaginacoach.com

Podcast Sponsor:

This podcast is brought to you by Pilates PT. Set up by Tatler award-winning fitness expert Hollie Grant, Pilates PT is one of the most exclusive fitness providers in the UK.

With three London studios, at-home training, an online fitness and nutrition plan, and an industry-leading podcast, Pilates PT’s mission is to empower, educate, and motivate you to become the fittest and healthiest you can be.

Pilates PT does not believe in extreme exercise regime’s, fad diets, or body shaming. Pilates PT believes that focusing on how your body performs, not how it looks, is the key to lifelong wellness and happiness.

Find out more about Pilates PT here: www.pilatespt.co.uk

Or, to sign up to The Pilates PT Method Online with a 10% discount just enter the code 'STRONGWOMEN' at checkout

Episode 40: What You Need To Know About Your Vagina & Pelvic Health - with The Vagina Coach

Today’s guest is Siobhan Miller. Siobhan is a qualified hypnobirthing teacher, founder of The Positive Birth Company and author of the book 'Hypnobirthing: Practical Ways To Make Your Birth Better' (https://amzn.to/2VsamdC).

Siobhan’s hypnobirthing journey began in 2014 whilst pregnant with her 2nd child. Her first labour had been relatively difficult, and she was sure she wanted her 2nd to be different. Her passion for hypnobirthing, and with an academic background in Psychology, led her to train to become a hypnobirthing teacher herself and this saw the start of The Positive Birth Company.

In this podcast we discuss what exactly hypnobirthing is, the common misconceptions of it, how it can help change the experience of labour and how a business can grow organically with a lot of passion, and yet little business experience.

What I love about Siobhan is her absolute faith that hypnobirthing can help every pregnant woman. I love her drive to empower women around the world, even if that means low profit margins. Her business is guided by her drive to spread the message, not a desire to be a millionaire.

This episode is for anyone who is pregnant or thinking of becoming a mother, and wants to know more about hypnobirthing and how they incorporate it into their pregnancy.

I hope you enjoy it, and, if you do, if you could leave a review on either Soundcloud or iTunes that would be hugely appreciated. 

Siobhan's Favourite Book: The Mars Room by Jonathan Cape (you can buy it here: https://amzn.to/2CWnIYn)

Where to find out more about Siobhan, The Positive Birth Company, and Hypnobirthing:

- Instagram (Siobhan): https://bit.ly/2G0zzW9
- Twitter: https://bit.ly/2IidpRS
- Website: https://bit.ly/2Uk0rdq

- The Positive Birth Company Digital Pack: www.thepositivebirthcompany.co.uk/digital-pack

- The Positive Birth Company FREYA App: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/freya-surge-timer/id1447509164?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2

- By Siobhan's Book 'Hypnobirthing: practical ways to Make Your Birth Better: https://amzn.to/2VsamdC

- YouTube: www.youtube.com/thepositivebirthcompany

- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thepositivebirthcompany

- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepositivebirthcompany

- Positive Birth Stories Blog: www.thepositivebirthcompany.co.uk/blog

Podcast Sponsor:

This podcast is brought to you by Pilates PT. Set up by Tatler award-winning fitness expert Hollie Grant, Pilates PT is one of the most exclusive fitness providers in the UK.

With three London studios, at-home training, an online fitness and nutrition plan, and an industry-leading podcast, Pilates PT’s mission is to empower, educate, and motivate you to become the fittest and healthiest you can be.

Pilates PT does not believe in extreme exercise regime’s, fad diets, or body shaming. Pilates PT believes that focusing on how your body performs, not how it looks, is the key to lifelong wellness and happiness.

Find out more about Pilates PT here: www.pilatespt.co.uk

Episode 39: What is Hypnobirthing & How it Can Make Your Birth Better - with Siobhan Miller

Today’s guest is professional womens rugby player Vicky Fleetwood.

Vicky Fleetwood plays for both England and Saracens and is a World Cup winner, world cup silver medallist and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist. Just a matter of weeks ago the England women’s rugby team also won the grand slam in the 2019 Six Nations. She is also a personal trainer.

Vicky aims to challenge stereotypes and prove that women can be strong, and capable, and still be womanly/girly. Obsessed with performance and bettering herself, she is strong minded, hard-working and a huge believer that having the right mindset, will always help you achieve more.

In this episode we talk about how team sports can have a huge positive impact on women’s physical and mental health, how to progress in a predominantly male industry and how you can support women in rugby.  

What I love about Vicky is the infectious passion that she has for rugby. Rugby is so inclusive and there is no generic body shape or size needed to take part. I have always hated the way that sport has been so heavily defined by gender in the past (boys play football whilst girls play netball) and women like Vicky are helping to showcase how all genders can be great at all sports.

You’re going to love her and I really hope you enjoy this episode. If you do enjoy the podcast please do leave us a review on soundcloud or itunes – it goes a long way to helping the podcast grow. 

Vicky Fleetwood Favourite Books:

- Girl on a Train by Paula Hawkins (you can buy it here: https://amzn.to/2I4MAAv)
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (you can buy it here: https://amzn.to/2UuuuPb)

Where to Find Out More About Vicky Fleetwood:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vickyfleetwood_/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/vickyfleetwood
- England Rugby: https://bit.ly/2WBXku4
- Saracens Rugby: https://bit.ly/2I4AGXg

How to get involved with womens rugby: https://bit.ly/2U804md

Podcast Sponsor:

This podcast is brought to you by Pilates PT. Set up by Tatler award-winning fitness expert Hollie Grant, Pilates PT is one of the most exclusive fitness providers in the UK.

With three London studios, at-home training, an online fitness and nutrition plan, and an industry-leading podcast, Pilates PT’s mission is to empower, educate, and motivate you to become the fittest and healthiest you can be.

Pilates PT does not believe in extreme exercise regime’s, fad diets, or body shaming. Pilates PT believes that focusing on how your body performs, not how it looks, is the key to lifelong wellness and happiness.

Find out more about Pilates PT here: www.pilatespt.co.uk

Episode 9: Caroline Bragg

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