Honestly, Carly

Do you wake at 3am with your brain running through tomorrow's to-do list? Fall asleep on the sofa but lie wide awake the moment your head hits the pillow? Or feel like poor sleep is just something women in midlife have to put up with?

In this week's episode, I'm joined by sleep specialist occupational therapist Laura Murphy, founder of The Sleep Shift, to separate sleep fact from fiction.

We dive into what actually happens to our sleep during perimenopause, why one bad night can spiral into weeks of disrupted sleep, and why trying harder to sleep is often exactly the wrong approach.

We also tackle some of the biggest sleep myths doing the rounds on social media, from blue light glasses and melatonin to magnesium, sleep trackers and that evening glass of wine.

If you've ever felt like your body has forgotten how to sleep, this episode will leave you feeling informed, reassured and, most importantly, hopeful.

✨ Why women are more prone to sleep problems, especially in midlife

✨ What hormones really do (and don't do) to your sleep

✨ Why you can fall asleep on the sofa but not in bed

✨ The surprising science behind your sleep drive

✨ Why 3am worries always feel so overwhelming

✨ Morning light, circadian rhythms and building better sleep

✨ The truth about melatonin supplements

✨ Blue light glasses: useful or marketing hype?

✨ Are sleep trackers helping or making things worse?

✨ Caffeine, alcohol and magnesium: what the evidence actually says

✨ What CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I) is and why it's considered the gold standard treatment

✨ Why better sleep isn't about perfection, but understanding your own body

About Laura

Laura is a sleep specialist OT and founder of The Sleep Shift. She offers personalised therapy to busy, sleep deprived adults, particularly women in midlife, focusing on rebuilding a healthier, more sustainable relationship with their sleep.

After over a decade working in NHS mental health services, and her own experience of difficulties sleeping, Laura recognised that good-quality sleep really is the foundation for health and wellbeing. That's when it became the focus of her work.

Her approach is grounded in evidence-based methods including CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I), while remaining personalised and in touch with real life.

She's passionate about challenging the idea that women in midlife simply have to accept disrupted sleep as their bodies and lives change. Instead she helps them understand what's really impacting their sleep, beyond the hormone fluctuations and night sweats, identify their own unique needs and make the simple, realistic shifts to improve their sleep, helping them feel like themselves again.

Find Laura:

Instagram: @the_sleep_shift

Website: https://thesleepshift.co.uk

This week, I decided to put AI to the test...

I opened a private browser, pretended to be a fairly typical woman in her mid-40s, and asked ChatGPT to write me a training programme.

I'll be honest... I expected it to be awful.

It wasn't.

In fact, some of the advice was surprisingly sensible. Which raises an interesting question: if AI can write you a decent training plan, do you still need a coach like me?

In this episode, I'm sharing exactly what ChatGPT got right, where it fell short, and why I don't think coaching is actually about writing programmes in the first place.

We chat about:

• The advice ChatGPT absolutely nailed

• Why good coaching starts with the question after the question

• The patterns AI simply can't spot

• Where a generic plan falls down

• The difference between information and coaching

• Where I think AI can be useful for helping you with your training

If you've ever wondered whether AI can help with your health and fitness, this one's for you.

I'd also love to hear from you! Have you used ChatGPT (or another AI tool) to ask a health or fitness question? What did you ask, and was the answer any good?

Come and tell me over on Instagram:

📱 @carlycorrigall

If you enjoyed this episode, I'd be so grateful if you could follow the podcast, leave a review and share it with a friend who'd enjoy it too. It really helps more women discover the show.

If you've ever found yourself signing up for another six-week shred, reset, cleanse or challenge... this episode is for you.

Because here's the question I want you to ask yourself:

If it worked so well last time... why do you need to do it again?

In this episode I'm lifting the lid on the business model behind many of the fitness industry's most popular programmes and explaining why so many intelligent, motivated women end up trapped in the exhausting cycle of being "on plan" and "off plan."

This isn't about blaming the coaches who create these programmes. It's about understanding why short-term transformations rarely create long-term change, especially during perimenopause and menopause.

Inside this episode we cover:

• Why six-week programmes are so appealing
• The conversation I overheard in a coffee queue that inspired this episode
• Why the problem probably isn't your motivation or discipline
• What actually works for midlife women who want lasting results
• How to stop feeling like you're forever "starting again"

If you're ready to stop chasing the next reset and start building something that actually lasts, this one's for you.

Find out more about The Reboot here: www.clcfitness.co.uk

As always, I'd love to hear what you think. Come and say hello over on Instagram: @carlycorrigall

If I followed you around for a week, what would I notice about your workouts? 👀

One of the things I see most often is workouts all being done at the same intensity - not easy, but not hard - and often too many of them.

This is costing you in midlife: both in terms of your results and your energy.

In this episode:

• You'll discover the concepts of intelligent intensity and the minimum effective dose - these are game changers for midlife fitness.
• I'm going to teach you the swear word test I use every week in my Train with Carly membership to check you're working hard enough.
• I'll show you how to structure your training calendar to make sure you're striking the right balance.
• I'll also share with you my recent wake up call after I was (almost!) late for a nail appointment (sounds random? Promise it'll make sense!).

Want to learn how to put this into practice?

Download my free Training Tweak Guide

Get the Tweak Guide

Instagram: @carlycorrigall

If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you'd subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who needs to hear it.

Oh and as I mentioned at the end of the episode - the podcast is now taking a short break whilst I'm on my summer hols!

I'll be back on 23rd July with a brand new episode. See you soon! x

DISCLAIMER - this episode is not intended as medical advice, it is for information and entertainment purposes only.

If your Instagram feed has suddenly become one long advert for electrolyte powders, you're not alone and this has happened to me when I was researching this episode!

With the UK in the middle of another heatwave, my DMs have been flooded with questions from women asking whether electrolytes could be the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to feeling tired, sluggish, sweaty or struggling through workouts.

But do you actually need them?

Or are they the latest wellness trend being marketed as the solution to every problem?

In this week's episode, I'm unpacking what electrolytes actually do, why hot weather can make exercise feel so much harder in midlife, and how to tell whether electrolytes might genuinely help you.

Inside the episode, we cover:

• What electrolytes are and why they matter

• Why heat and perimenopause can be a particularly challenging combination

• How sweating affects hydration and sodium levels

• When electrolyte supplements may be useful

• Why some women would be better served by improving the basics first

• The difference between a genuine hydration issue and simply being exhausted, stressed or under-recovered

• Why "more supplements" isn't always the answer

Come and say hello on Instagram:

@carlycorrigall

If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with a friend who might be wondering whether she really needs another supplement in her cupboard (we've all got that friend!).

And if you've got a question you'd love me to tackle on a future episode, drop into my DMs. Many of my favourite podcast topics start there.

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.

• 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

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

Instagram: @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.

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!

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlycorrigall/

Get my free Training Tweak Guide: 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

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.

👉 Download my free Training Tweak Guide:

https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/tweak-guide-signup

👉 Learn more about Train with Carly:

https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/online-fitness-classes-for-women

👉 Follow Carly on Instagram:

@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!

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

Oh and don't forget - you can get in touch with me over on Instagram, @carlycorrigall

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, and if this episode resonated, I’d love to hear from you.

Links:

Train with Carly: CLC Fitness – Train with Carly

The Reboot: CLC Fitness – The Reboot

Clinic51: Prevent 51 Programme

https://www.health.org.uk/reports-and-analysis/analysis/healthy-life-expectancy-trends-in-the-uk-a-watershed-moment