Healthcare Unprofessionals

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 life...

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 abou...

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...

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. PARTICIPATE IN CHLOE'S STUDIES 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 he...

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. H...

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 M...

We're fed up this week - with lots of things. From calling out other coaches, running a marathon with no water (?!) and bragging about using AI in your coaching... we have a lot to say. MENOPAUSE MASTERCLASS TICKETS ⁠⁠⁠ WORK WITH MICHELLE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Disordered Eating Informed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Body Image & Nutrition Review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @michellecarroll1 WORK WITH CHLOE:...

We chat about what's been getting on our nerves this week and add some nuance to the discussion around that study rating the attractiveness of women with endo and whether you should trust a "specialist" coach. MENOPAUSE MASTERCLASS TICKETS ⁠⁠ WORK WITH MICHELLE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Disordered Eating Informed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Body Image & Nutrition Review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @michel...

This week we chat about the latest grifters in the menopause space... does menopause really affect energy balance? Is strong the new skinny? And can you ever post transformation photos and support health? MENOPAUSE MASTERCLASS TICKETS ⁠ WORK WITH MICHELLE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Disordered Eating Informed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Body Image & Nutrition Review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @michellecarroll1 WORK WITH CHLOE...

This week on the podcast, Chloe and Michelle are back with a proper mix of real talk, evidence, and a few necessary rants. We’re also announcing something we’re very excited about… Menopause Webinar 🗓️ 11th May⏰ 7pm We’ll be diving into:- Body image during the menopause transition- Relationship with food- Exercise (including why resistance training matters)- Nutrition and supplements (what’s usef...

This week on the podcast, Chloe and Michelle are back with their usual unfiltered chat and yes, there’s a rant. With International Women’s Day everywhere this week, we found ourselves talking about the irony of being asked to speak about women’s empowerment… for free. The emails always sound lovely. “We’d love to have you.” “It’ll be great exposure.” “We don’t have budget, but…” And that’s where t...

We reveal our thoughts on the ANTM documentary, chat about Chloe's presentation to women returning to exercise after birth trauma and ultimately what we're so excited to chat about at our Fitness Unprofessionals LIVE event in Manchester on March 7th! TICKETS FOR OUR FITNESS UNPROFESSIONALS EVENT IN MANCHESTER HERE ⁠ WORK WITH US ⁠Coaching with Michelle⁠ ⁠Disordered Eating Informed Course⁠...

Disordered eating is appears to be an "open secret" amongst fitness professionals - but what does the evidence actually say? Michelle & Chloe unpacked Michelle's 2025 systematic review and get into all the juicy details! - Join the Body Image & Nutrition Review DISORDERED EATING INFORMED: ⁠⁠www.michellecarroll.co.uk/dei-course⁠⁠ COACHING: ⁠⁠www.michellecarroll.co.uk/coaching⁠...

Women are conditioned to be constantly dieting and unhappy in their bodies... but it isn't that simple. Today, Michelle say down with Christina Hathaway (licensed therapist and personal trainer) to chat about diet culture, her journey in healing her relationship with food and what women need to do to find food freedom! Follow Christina: @mindsetofmattercoaching Christina's website - Michel...

This week, Michelle and Chloe discuss the general chaos that unfolds on the internet every week. From the tide of coaches not understanding GLP-1s and their importance to Love Island stars using their coaching platforms to talk about cycle syncing, which, even in 2026, continues not to be evidence-based! We also plugged our event, the Fitness Unprofessionals Live, which is on 7/3/2026 in MRC. Here...

In this episode of Healthcare Unprofessionals , we talk about Fitness Unprofessionals Live in Manchester on 7th March , where International Women’s Day will be marked with a symposium on some of the most pressing topics in fitness right now. We cover conversations around menopause , GLP-1 medications , neurodiversity , and fuelling , plus the opportunity for emerging voices to present their own ta...

In this episode of Healthcare Unprofessionals , Chloe and Michelle talk about the research behind Chloe's MSc narrative review, Exercise as a Therapeutic Intervention for Pelvic Organ Prolapse , and how it became the foundation for her PhD. They unpack what the evidence actually says about exercise and prolapse, to Kegel or not Kegel, low-impact exercise, high-impact exercise and weight liftin...

We are back after taking some much needed time off (well, not Chloe, she used Christmas to get married!). We chat all things Chloe's wedding, our new social media plans and what we have seen this week in women's health and body image. Plus, we chat about our very exciting event in Manchester in March! TICKETS FOR OUR FITNESS UNPROFESSIONALS EVENT IN MANCHESTER HERE WORK WITH US Coaching wi...

Should you diet before Christmas? Is it really damage to enjoy yourself? Why is the "evidence-based" community selective with who they call out? The last episode of 2025 is a banger... Thank you for listening this last year, and we hope you have a great Christmas and New Year - please share & tag us on your stories if you enjoyed! - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@michellecarroll1⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@chloestevensphysio

In this week’s episode, Chloe and Michelle get a bit existential about how quickly time goes ! One minute you’re 22 and clueless, the next you’re edging closer to 40 and realising age is an absolute privilege. We also dove into: ✨ Learning to interpret data: especially thematic analysis, and how messy it can get when you’re in the industry you’re researching. Being a clinician/coach-researcher me...

In this episode, Michelle and I get into why research matters, how to get into it, and why good evidence gives us a full academic boner. We also unpack one of our favourite moments: the man on Instagram who confidently told Michelle she “hadn’t read the study”… the study she literally wrote. And a reminder for the people at the back: having a PhD doesn’t mean you know everything. A PhD is hyper-fo...

We're back, still complaining about PhDs and menopause... nothing new! Thank you for listening - please share & tag us on your stories if you enjoyed! - ⁠⁠⁠@michellecarroll1⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@chloestevensphysio

Body image and behaviour change are two of the essential pillars to incorporate into your coaching service - and yet so many people don't do it. Michelle sat down with Sarah Tierney (CEO of Hard House Nutrition) to chat about: - Why behaviour change matters and what coaches get wrong - Will you really let yourself go if you work on your body image? - What to do if you're worried about over...

Gavin is an online coach, who has transformed from focusing on fat loss to focusing on strength.. and his clients are thriving. Known for his hilarious and relatable takes on the fitness industry (a compliment Michelle doesn't throw around lightly), we get into a discussion that could have gone on for hours tbh... We chat about: - Our mistakes as baby coaches - What the industry gets wrong about c...