Healthcare Unprofessionals

As you may have gathered, Michelle and I are pretty fed up with the amount of misinformation and grifting online but particularly when it comes to PMOS.

Apparently, there is now an abundance of “PCOS coaches”. We’re not entirely sure where these qualifications have come from because, to our knowledge, a recognised qualification in PCOS coaching doesn’t actually exist… 👀

So, rather than just moaning about it (although we do enjoy that), we decided to do something useful.

We’ve created an evidence-based PMOS mini-course designed to cut through the noise.

We combine Chloe’s women’s health knowledge with Michelle’s expertise in disordered eating, nutrition and body image to give health and fitness professionals a practical, evidence-informed update on supporting women with PCOS.

No “PCOS workouts”.
No hormone-hacking.
No enormous supplement stacks.
No promising to “reverse” PCOS.

Just an accessible look at what the evidence actually tells us and what that means when you’re working with women with PMOS.

🎉 The course launches TODAY!

We’ve also got an early-bird discount, so head over to our socials to grab it at the launch price.

We hope you enjoy it and that it leaves you feeling a little more confident navigating the absolute minefield that is PMOS information online.

Chloe & Michelle x

This week, we discuss the social determinants of health and how tone-deaf the industry can be to them, study design and the challenge with recruitment and our normal chit-chat!

Enjoy!

We have research papers, rants and plenty more this week!

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⁠@chloelewisphysio⁠

⁠@michellecarroll1

This week on The Healthcare Unprofessionals, we abandon all plans and dive headfirst into the wildest corners of the internet.

From claims that you need to "get your leanest" to reduce cellulite, to coaches proudly declaring they only work with "highly motivated" clients, to the irony of influencers building businesses by telling women to embrace the traditional housewife lifestyle… we've got thoughts.

We chat about:

• Why cellulite isn't a motivation problem.
• Whether refusing to coach less motivated clients is actually a sign of poor coaching.
• The contradictions of the "trad wife" influencer movement.

This week Michelle shares insights from a PhD viva she recently attended exploring body image in college athletes. One concept that sparked our interest was embodiment—the idea of feeling connected to, trusting, and experiencing your body rather than simply viewing it as something to be controlled or changed.

What started as a discussion about research quickly turned into a wider conversation about the fitness industry and the messages we see online every day.

We explore whether some of the people held up as examples of positive body image and embodiment are actually demonstrating the opposite. How often are coaches and trainers praised for their physiques while quietly engaging in restrictive eating, obsessive exercise, body surveillance, or unsustainable behaviours behind the scenes?

We discuss the tension between appearance and experience, the difference between looking confident in your body and genuinely feeling at home in it, and whether social media has blurred the line between embodiment and aesthetics.

This week we dive into a statement that sparked a surprisingly big discussion: "Exercise is medicine."

Inspired by a paper Michelle came across, we explore whether this popular phrase is actually helpful or whether it oversimplifies something far more complex.

We discuss why exercise can improve health outcomes across countless conditions, but also why comparing it to medicine might miss the social, psychological, cultural, and practical realities that influence movement and behaviour.

As always, expect plenty of tangents, a few rants, some questionable humour, and honest conversation about what it really means to help people move more.

Is exercise medicine? Is it something more? Or have we been framing the conversation all wrong?

Tune in and let us know what you think.

We're back! This week on the pod we're talking about the research looking at women in sport and leaking, why people feel the need to ask when women are having children, and if it's ever possible to mindfully diet.

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Study information

FOLLOW US ON IG

@chloelewisphysio

@michellecarroll1

From the PCOS to PMOS name change to the reality of who coaching actually serves, this episode dives into the growing gap between online wellness culture and frontline healthcare. We talk about access, privilege, the demographics often excluded from the ‘optimised health’ conversation, being asked to pay thousands to write a so-called magazine feature, and the wider commercialisation of women’s health — with plenty of side rants along the way.

Marianna’s story is one so many women will recognise. After developing pelvic organ prolapse following the birth of her son in 2017, she found herself navigating not just symptoms, but fear, conflicting advice, and a lack of support to return to lifting and running. That experience led her to retrain as a PT and become the coach she needed.

In this episode we challenge some uncomfortable truths. How much of the struggle with prolapse is the condition itself, and how much is the messaging around it? Are clinicians and coaches too risk-averse? Why does the system focus on rehab but fail to get women back to performance? And are women being unnecessarily held back from lifting heavy and running?

We also discuss the perinatal industry, the rise of “specialists,” and what many coaches still get wrong when working with women in pregnancy and postpartum.

Marianna now runs Mpowered Fitness, supporting women through motherhood and beyond, and was awarded the 2025 Active Pregnancy Foundation Pre & Postnatal Instructor of the Year.

If you’ve ever been told to stop because of your pelvic floor, this episode is for you.

This week, we explore whether women feel comfortable in fitness spaces and how this can be a barrier to their participation.

The literature seems to support the narrative that gyms are gendered and intimidating for many women, especially those in midlife.

Thin and fit privilege in the gym environments makes it far easier for certain women to feel comfortable there.

Remember we have our Menopause Masterclass on 11th May at 7pm, it will be recorded, but here's the link if you still haven't bought your ticket:

https://www.michellecarroll.co.uk/offers/VJc36nM8/checkout