Honestly, Carly

Do you keep searching for the perfect training plan… but never quite stick to one? You’re not alone. In this episode, I’m unpacking a conversation I’ve been having on repeat with so many women lately: “Do you write training programmes?” “What should my plan look like?” And here’s the truth… In midlife, chasing the “perfect” plan might actually be the thing holding you back. Because your body isn’t...

Last week I did something I’ve never done before. I went for a DEXA scan. And it didn't just tell me about how my bones are doing - it made me think about the whole conversation around getting fitter and stronger in midlife. In this bitesize episode I’m sharing: • What a DEXA scan actually is and what it measures • Why bone density declines during perimenopause and menopause • What your results mi...

In this episode of the Honestly, Carly Podcast , I’m joined by an incredible guest, Dr Katie Armstrong , GP of 20+ years and founder of Clinic51 , a private GP-led women’s health and menopause clinic. This is not “just an HRT chat”. We talk about the real-life overlap between medicine and lifestyle , why perimenopause can feel like you’ve got 20 tabs open in your brain , and how to think about sym...

After last week’s complete guide to strength training in midlife, my inbox lit up. Grip strength. Starting weights. Body Pump. Pilates. Rest periods. Pull-ups. Protein. “Do women really need different training to men?” So this week, I’m answering your most asked questions - giving you the honest truth about what actually matters when you want to get stronger in midlife. If you haven’t listened to...

Strength training is having a moment… but loads of women are still confused about what to actually do . In this episode, Carly breaks down why strength training matters more in midlife, what it’s doing inside your body (muscle, bones, joints, metabolism), and how to train in a way that genuinely works (no-flinging-weights-around nonsense!). In This Episode: Why not strength training is basically a...

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: W...

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 w...

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: Why goals can feel harder after 40 The pressure hangover from corporate-style goal setting What happens when you don’t have a goal at all Why “health” on its own is often too vague to motivate The scattergun trap of copying everyone else’s...

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....

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...

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 breathin...

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...

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 overcor...

Before You Write Yourself Off Until January – Listen to This! This week’s episode is a little different. Think voice-note, rather than broadcast! I recorded it knowing that for many midlife women, the run-up to Christmas is a tricky time. You’re still doing the all the things. And then some. It might also feel like it takes more effort than it used to and this isn't your imagination. In this mini...

This week, we’re time-travelling. Sort of 😉. I’m looking ahead to 2026 and sharing the midlife fitness trends I know are going to shape how women over 40 train, feel, move and make decisions next year. Not because I’m a trend-chaser (you know me better than that), but because after nearly 11 years in this industry - and a LOT of Google Alerts landing in my inbox every day -  I’ve seen what a...

This week, I’m joined by my very first guest - and what a guest she is!   Sports therapist for over 20 years, certified running coach, university lecturer and all-round queen of movement, Danielle Garfoot joins me to unpack the aches, pains and niggles that seem to creep up just as we hit midlife - and what we can actually do about them. We go deep into: Whether women really are more prone to...

Just call me the fun sponge (no, not really 😉) In this episode of the Honestly Carly Podcast, I’m getting into something that’s been coming up again and again with the women I work with - and that I’ve experienced myself: Why can’t I handle alcohol like I used to? If you’ve noticed your tolerance has dropped, your hangovers last forever, or that one glass of wine wrecks your sleep, you are not im...

If you’re a woman wondering “Is this... perimenopause?” then this is the episode you need in your ears. In this week’s episode Carly unpacks the most common (and confusing) question she hears from midlife women: “How do I actually know if I’m in perimenopause?” With warmth, honesty and a hefty dose of myth-busting, Carly shares: What perimenopause really is (and why you can still be having regular...

You’re not imagining it. If you're a woman over 40, chances are, your belly  has  changed. And no - it’s not because you’ve “let yourself go” or need another app telling you to track your macros and count your calories. In this week’s episode of  Honestly, Carly , we delve into what’s  really  going on with midlife belly fat - and why the usual generic advice around losing...

Feeling pulled in 12 directions by suggestions to “do Reformer Pilates/lift heavy/run a marathon/walk everywhere”? Same. We're over-complicating exercise for women over 40s and nobody has the time or energy for it. In this episode we cut through the noise with an evidence-based, midlife-friendly blueprint: the three essentials your week actually needs; how to avoid the scattergun trap ; when to le...

You know that feeling when everything’s ticking along nicely - workouts going well, meals vaguely balanced, smug morning walk energy - and then life happens? Half-term. Deadlines. Broken boilers. Teenagers. Parents. The lot. In this episode, we’re talking about the real reason so many smart, capable midlife women struggle to stick to healthy habits (hint: it’s not lack of willpower or knowledge)....

When your trusted routine suddenly stalls in midlife, it’s not you - it’s the strategy.  In this episode, Carly explains why “doing more” backfires in midlife, how to stop the scattergun fixes (a cupboard full of supplements, anyone?), and the simple plan: tune in, audit stress, and polarise your training (hard vs easy) so workouts start working again. Carly unpacks the classic midlife s...

Let's tackle the midlife myth head-on: “Am I beyond help?”. From creaky knees and constant tiredness to the “good for your age” narrative, this episode unpacks why you are not broken, why it’s not too late, and how small, consistent choices (plus a kinder mindset) create big change. We’ll look at how the cultural script around older women ("she looks amazing for 45") messes wit...

In this episode of Honestly, Carly, we zoom out from the “it’s just your hormones” narrative and look at the full picture of midlife physiology.  Yes, oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone are changing - but so are your stress loads, recovery capacity, sleep, and the cumulative “patchwork quilt” of your life (and don't we know it?). Carly explains in plain English how the hormone roll...

Welcome to the very first episode of Honestly, Carly! Today, Carly's sharing her own midlife story - from confident (maybe even a bit cocky?) PT and keen runner who thought she had it all figured out, to realising something had shifted. Slower recovery, recurring niggles and unexpected weight gain around the middle despite “doing everything right.”  This show exists to share those honest...