In this episode, I share my biggest training mistake of last year and what it taught me (again!) about midlife fitness, perimenopause, training intensity, cortisol and recovery for women in their 40s...

Last summer I trained for an event I was really excited about.

I had the plan.

I had the experience.

I had the knowledge.

What I didn’t have… was the right intensity balance.

We’re talking about:

1. What the “mid-zone” actually is (and why it’s a problem for many midlife women)
2. How my ego influenced my training decisions
3. The hormonal and recovery symptoms I experienced
4. Why stress load matters more in your 40s
5. How I would structure things differently now
6. What my goals look like this year instead

To be clear - this isn’t about stopping big goals.

It’s about training intelligently in perimenopause and beyond.

If you’ve ever felt like:

1. You’re plateauing
2. You’re constantly tired but wired
3. Your sleep has taken a hit
4. Your appetite is all over the place
5. Your body just doesn’t respond like it used to

This episode is for you.

If any of this sounds familiar - I'd love to hear from you so drop me a DM over on Instagram and let me know - @carlycorrigall

And if you’d like help zooming out and looking at your own training intensity, you can download my free Training Tweak Guide here:

👉 Get your hands on my free Training Tweak Guide

It’ll help you assess whether your current week is working with your body… or against it.

Midlife weight gain can feel confusing and frustrating - where did that little bit of extra padding come from? And why is it so hard to shift?

In this episode, Carly breaks down what’s really happening in your body where your weight's concerned during perimenopause and menopause, and shares her practical, no-nonsense roadmap for losing weight in a healthy, sustainable way.

But we might not start where you think!

No detoxes. No extreme diets. No punishment.

1. Why midlife weight gain happens (and why it’s not always your fault)
2. How falling oestrogen, cortisol, insulin sensitivity and muscle loss change the rules
3. The dangers of visceral fat
4. Why you can stay the same weight but feel “softer”
5. Carly’s pyramid approach to midlife weight loss (this is where the magic happens!)
6. GLP-1s, HRT as a weight-loss tool, and "magic" supplements

1. HIIT & Strength Classes specifically designed to get you feeling your best in midlife - Train with Carly
2. Download the free Training Tweak Guide - Get the Training Tweak Guide
3. Find out more about The Reboot, Carly's group coaching programme, where we put all of this into practice: The Reboot
4. Follow Carly on Instagram or drop her a DM: @carlycorrigall

This week I’m chatting solo about why goal setting can feel a bit icky in midlife… and why, despite that, I’m still a big fan of having one!

We’re diving into:

1. Why goals can feel harder after 40
2. The pressure hangover from corporate-style goal setting
3. What happens when you don’t have a goal at all
4. Why “health” on its own is often too vague to motivate
5. The scattergun trap of copying everyone else’s goals
6. How to choose a goal that fits your life, energy and body
7. Thinking of goals as a North Star, not a straitjacket

You’ll also hear why:

“I’m exercising for my long-term health” often makes the brain reply: cool, irrelevant – talk to me in 30 years 😉

Health matters hugely, but it’s usually the outcome of consistent action, not the thing that gets you out of bed on a rainy Tuesday and that, is what I'm here to help you with!

This is exactly the kind of work we do inside The Reboot – my online coaching programme for midlife women.

👉 Find out more: The Reboot

💖 Drop me a note on Instagram and tell me what your goals look like - you can find me @carlycorrigall

January can feel like an aggressive group chat you never asked to be added to: fasting rules, at-home tests, supplement stacks, blood sugar panic, and a general sense that you’re Doing Nutrition Wrong.

In this episode, I’m joined by BANT registered nutritionist Amie Parry-Jones to cut through the noise and bring things back to what’s evidence-led, realistic, and actually helpful for midlife women.

We talk intermittent fasting (and why “just skip breakfast” isn’t the universal win people think it is), the rise of testing culture, blood sugar myths, collagen hype, under-fuelling, and the surprisingly powerful basics that get overlooked… like protein at breakfast, timing your meals, and planning food like your future self deserves a medal.

Also: beans. And the fear of “office farts”. We went there. 🌱💨

Resources & links:

1. Find Amie:
2. Website: https://surreynutrition.co.uk
3. Instagram: @surreynutrition
4. LinkedIn: @Amie Parry-Jones

About today’s guest:

Amie Parry-Jones is a Master’s-qualified registered nutritionist with 8 years’ experience supporting women with hormonal health, eating behaviours, and sustainable nutrition changes. She also works in corporate health, research, and consults for a CGM start-up.

If you enjoyed this episode:

If this conversation made you take a deep exhale, please take a second to subscribe, share it with a friend who’s currently being haunted by fasting ads, and leave a quick review. It helps more midlife women find the pod without getting swallowed by the algorithm swamp. I'll see you next week and remember - my DMs are always open over on Instagram: @carlycorrigall

Cardio has become the pariah of the fitness world for midlife women. Everyone’s got strong opinions about it, half of them outdated, and most of them wildly confusing.

In this solo episode, I'm demystifying cardio once and for all.

What it actually is, what it isn’t, and how it fits into a realistic midlife training week, you'll be pleased to hear without obsessing over zones, fearing cortisol, or binning off intensity altogether.

We talk about:

1. What “cardio” really means (and why energy system training is a much better way to think about it)
2. Why strength training alone isn’t enough for long-term health
3. The truth about "Zone 2" training: and why it’s been wildly oversimplified
4. Wrist heart rate monitors, why they’re so unreliable (especially for women), and what to do instead
5. Cortisol, HIIT and why hard work isn't the enemy you’ve been led to believe
6. Why cardio is a terrible weight-loss tool (and why that’s actually freeing)
7. The very real link between menopause, estrogen loss and heart health
8. How much high-intensity work you actually need (spoiler: not much)
9. Why feeling shattered after cardio is usually not what you think

If you’ve been avoiding cardio because you’ve been told it’s “too stressful” for midlife… or you’re stuck over-analysing zones and numbers… this episode will give you clarity, confidence and permission to stop overthinking it.

Because cardio isn’t about punishment, calorie-burning or earning your food.

It’s about looking after your heart ❤️ now and for the decades to come.

1. Follow Carly on Instagram: @carlycorrigall
2. Free Training Tweak Guide: 👉 Get my Training Tweak Guide This is where we start to tailor your training to what's actually going to move the needle in midlife.

If this episode sparks questions (and I know it will), my DMs are open.

And if you found it helpful, I’d love it if you shared it with a friend who’s been told to fear cardio in midlife.

Pelvic floor issues in midlife are common - but they’re not something you have to “just put up with”. In this episode, I chat with women’s health osteopath and pelvic health specialist Katie Doran (Pelvic Rebel) about leaking, prolapse fears, urgency, and why the usual “just do your kegels” advice often doesn’t work.

You’ll learn why pelvic floor problems aren’t always about weakness, how breathing mechanics and the nervous system affect symptoms, and a few simple, practical tweaks you can try straight away.

In this episode we cover:

1. Why pelvic floor symptoms are common - and why the stats probably underestimate it
2. The myth of “it’s just what happens after kids/as you get older” and what might actually be going on
3. Simple, try at home tips you can get started with straight away
4. Most importantly - where to start if you’re ready to sort this properly (Katie's your woman!).

Links & resources:

1. Find Katie (Pelvic Rebel): www.pelvicrebel.com
2. Katie on Instagram: @pelvicrebel
3. Katie’s free guide: The Missing Link in your Pelvic Floor Recovery
4. Katie's running a free Masterclass on 28th January - Why Kegels aren't Working (and what to do instead): register here
5. Carly on Instagram: @carlycorrigall

Disclaimer:

We're all grown ups here but this episode is for education and general information only and isn’t medical advice. If you have new, worsening, or concerning symptoms, speak to your GP/health professional.

The midlife wellness space is loud - especially in January.

Supplements, experts, protocols, promises… everyone seems to have an answer. And if you’ve ever felt confused, sceptical or quietly overwhelmed by it all, this episode is for you.

In this honest conversation, I break down what’s real, what’s questionable, and how midlife women can become more discerning without feeling pressured, panicked or foolish.

This episode is about sharpening your BS radar - and learning how to trust your instincts and intuition again (in a non-woo-woo way!).

1. Why midlife women are heavily targeted by wellness marketing
2. The truth about supplements and how little regulation there actually is
3. Why supplements should always be the icing on the cake, not the foundation
4. Common red flags
5. How to assess so-called experts in the midlife wellness space
6. Why certainty and scare tactics should make you pause
7. The importance of nuance, individual differences and staying in your lane
8. How to become the expert on your own body

You don’t need to do everything.

You don’t need to buy everything.

And you don’t need to rush.

When you slow down, tune into your body, and understand what actually matters for you, it becomes much easier to spot what’s helpful - and what’s just clever marketing.

If this episode resonated, come and say hi over on Instagram - my DMs are always open:

👉 Instagram: @carlycorrigall

And if you’d like support becoming more confident, informed and the expert on your unique body, you can explore The Reboot - my online programme for midlife women:

👉 Check out The Reboot here

If you’re feeling slightly overwhelmed by all the New Year noise already, this episode is for you.

January has a habit of turning the volume right up. Reset. Recommit. Smash it. Go again. And for women who like to do things properly, that pressure can tip very quickly into doing far too much, far too soon 🫠

In this episode, we talk about why the real issue in January isn’t motivation, but overcorrection – especially in midlife, when our bodies, nervous systems and recovery needs have changed.

We look at a calmer, smarter way to start the year. One that’s built around stability, consistency and establishing a baseline you can actually hold, even when life is busy and energy is, ahem, variable 🎢.

Carly also shares a personal example of how a very small, repeatable habit ended up being completely game-changing over time, and why starting small isn’t settling – it’s strategy and a highly effective one at that.

1. At the end of the episode, you'll hear about the Mini Reboot – Healthy Habits Challenge. It’s a short, free challenge designed to help you put exactly this thinking into practice, without extremes or overwhelm.
2. If you’re a woman who tends to go all in, and you want this year to be different in a sustainable way, start here.
3. We kick off on Monday 5th January. You can sign up here for free: https://www.clcfitness.co.uk/healthy-habits

1. Carly's follow-at-home in less than 10 minutes a day core workout programmes, PerimenoCore and PerimenoCore Advanced are here: Read all about PerimenoCore

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so that you never miss an episode!

You can also drop Carly a note anytime on Instagram, @carlycorrigall