Just As Well, The Women's Health Podcast - Caroline’s Circuits On Getting Fit, Strong & Powerful At Every Age

Episode Date: September 16, 2025

Caroline Idiens – better known as Caroline’s Circuits – joins Gemma Atkinson and Claire Sanderson on Just As Well. From launching her online workouts during lockdown to building a global community of 2.3 million women, Caroline has transformed how midlife fitness is seen and celebrated. In this inspiring conversation, she shares: Why training in your 40s and 50s needs a different approach than your 20s. The importance of recovery, sleep, and nutrition for long-term health. How short, effective strength workouts can change your body and your mindset. The story behind her Sunday Times bestselling book Fit at 50 and her Caroline’s Circuits app. Whether you’re just starting out or adapting your training for a new decade, Caroline’s message is clear: it’s never too late to start – and all movement counts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Or even T-time, T-time, T-time, T-time U. So update on Dave. It's up to you. We'll take the laundry. Rinse. It's time to be great. Hi, I'm Gemma Atkinson. And I'm Claire Sanderson, the head of the chief of women's health. We've just recorded our podcast just as well.

And we spoke to current women's health cover star Caroline Idiens, who is just remarkable, isn't she? Yeah, I meet incredible women doing this job. And I often make friends with them. Not often, sometimes make friends with them. You're one of them. But with Caroline, I think we're going to become friends. I just love her. I love how she, in effect, launched her.

business in her late 40s because she was just a job in PT and in lockdown she decided to put her workouts online and she now has 2.3 million followers on Instagram. She has an app, she has a website, a highly engaged following

it's remarkable what you can achieve if you put your mind to it. Yeah and she's very knowledgeable and what I love about her is she's all about training for the decades so whatever decade you're in she was very realistic in that your hormones change, your your metabolism changes, how you respond to certain exercises changing,

and how she trains now in her 50s is completely different to how she's in her 20s. How she recovers is different. And she's all about short, effective workouts because she's aware, as a mum herself, as a business owner, no one has the time to spend hours in the gym. And she talks about the important of recovery as we age as well. And I shared that I just can't train at the intensity. I used to love all the high intensity, hit training, but now it leaves me so fatigued.

I quite literally need to go back to bed. And I can't because I've got a big job and two kids, etc. And she said she's the same. She has to recover properly and sleep as a priority. And you have to start looking at the bigger picture as we make more laps around the sun. Because you can still make the gains. Yeah, of course.

But maybe you have to be a bit more calculating on how you get them. Yeah. She said what she shared, what she eats in terms of nutrition and how she doesn't restrict anything. It was a real relatable honest chat and I think of women, whatever age they're at, they will take something from this chat with Caroline. And if you've not checked out a latest cover, make sure you do with Women's Health because the interview in the magazine is just as brilliant.

Enjoy this episode. Welcome back to another episode of Just As Well. Our next guest is actually our current Women's Health cover star. have to say, she looks incredible on the cover, but even more incredible in real life. Caroline Idiens, aka the Queen of Midlife Fitness. Caroline has 25 years experience in the fitness industry as a PT. She's a Sunday Times best-selling author with her book Fit at 50, and she's the creator of the Caroline Circuit app, which is incredible.

She has a following of over 2.3 million on social media, and Caroline is really passionate about staying stronger for longer and encouraging the ladies to pick up the weights, which we're all for here at women's health. Thank you so much for joining us. And congrats on your cover. Thank you. It's a real dream and it feels quite surreal this week to see it out there. But it's just very exciting to be here.

Thank you for inviting me on. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. We were speaking a bit earlier. I said if you ever have a bad day or we need a bit of an ego boost, just read the comments because there's a lot of love and support in your community, isn't it? We did a co-lab post between women's health and your socials. And every single comment, there's not a single negative one on there. And that's unusual for social media because you always get someone that wants to have a bit of a dig about something, you know.

I've been blown away. But actually, I'd say it quite a lot that I'm really proud of my community on my page because I just feel that we've all really supportive. If everyone's got, you know, everyone's got each other's backs and they, every post I put out, there's always such warmth and support. And that's why it's grown really, I think, because, you know, they are my, it's quite cheesy to say, but they're my online family now. And the response has been brilliant. I mean, I couldn't actually have expected or, you know, anticipated a better response to it. So, yeah, I'm thrilled. And you took, speaking of social media, was it 2020?

because you had your classes anyway, didn't you? Yeah. And it was around 2020. So post lockdown and everything, you decided to take what you do online. Was that like a decision in terms of business? Or did you just think, do you know what, I can help more women that way?

It's more accessible. What made you do it? Well, should I take you back to the beginning to sort of understand because you just need to know a little bit about the background. And I love a chat. Yeah, fill us in. So I qualified as a PT in 2001.

I was in advertising before that, worked for agencies in London, absolutely loved, loved my job, but I had always enjoyed sport and fitness. I started to do these body pump, Les Mills' body pump classes, and it was my first sort of experience of lifting weights and strength training. And I just loved, you know, this was when I was in my late 20s, and I loved the feeling, not just how it changes your body, but actually how it made me feel, the confidence. I know we're going to talk a lot about strength. I'm really passionate about that. But just the confidence and the way. that you almost feel inside your body when you're lifting weights, the strength that you have,

the fact that your body can do so much more. So I was doing these body pump classes, loved it. I had always previous to then, my fitness regime was very cardio-based. So, you know, I was a runner and I loved spin and high-impact hit workouts. And then I kind of came across strength in these classes. And I thought, oh my goodness, this is really, this is a real game changer for me and my fitness. So I decided, it was a bit of a, you know, it was a bit of a game-changing moment. I thought I'm going to change careers. I'm going to qualify as a PT in London, which I did. I then had a business in London, which I loved. And back then, we're talking, so 2001, 2001, 2002, it was a brilliant time in London to be a trainer. I'm an early bird, so I was up at five,

Hyde Park, by the serpent time. Ballerclav was in the snow. Three of my clients became godparents to my kids and vice versa. It was a really special time and dips on all the benches all around Batterty Park. And it was just, it was brilliant. And then when we moved, when we had children, we moved out of London. I started doing group circuit training classes at my children's prep school in Bokshaer. And one of the mums called the class Caroline's circuits and she always says, I have to mention it now going forward forever more. And it was a Friday class. Everyone will come bring their dogs. It turned into such a social event. And it was after drop off with little ones. And it was brilliant. And then it got to lockdowns. We're talking then quite a few years later.

I was training, you know, women in their barns and gardens all over the county, driving around with my bands and balls and bells and everything. And we hit lockdown and a friend said to me, well, we can do our walking and our running and our cycling in lockdown. But what about our strengths? You know, you've been doing these dumbbell workouts for years with you. It all got to a certain level. And it was suddenly like, oh, what are we going to do for our strength? And one of them said, why don't you take your classes on to Zoom? I said, who is going to train on a screen? Who's going to want to train across the screen?

You know, really thinking, how is it going to work? And these are the good old Zoom days, which we don't do now. But Zoom was a brilliant way of bringing everyone together. Remember, it was a strange time. We're all suddenly at home baking banana bread and poor dogs were walks and walked. And we had 40, 50, clients, friends. And we all came together three times a week. And it was actually a really nice way,

not only to get the strength in, but to have this community. And then suddenly, I was about six months in, of us all doing three times a week. It's still the same time now, five years later. Still nine o'clock. I don't think my nine o'clock on a Monday, Wednesday,

Friday will be any different even when I'm 80. But it was, it suddenly started to grow. And I thought, God, I think I need to get something like an Instagram account. I didn't even have, I had a personal one. But a friend said to me, know, I think you need to get a business account because the number from 40 is now grown to sort of 200. And so I thought, wow, I better get a Instagram account. So I remember being in the car with my daughter and we're driving to Suffolk and I said,

oh, I've got a thousand followers on this Instagram account. She was like, oh my goodness. And we look back now and we just laugh because I started that in the April of 2020. It was right at the start. So I think I got in quite early with the online, you know, workouts. Of course, they are everywhere now. and I just found that the more I engaged on the social media platform that I chose to do Instagram and go for it 100% because I thought I'm going to do one thing. And I was up all night, every night for possibly two years.

And it just grew. And to go back to your question 10 minutes later, the reason I stuck with it and the reason Instagram was such a massive game changer for me was because you can obviously reach so many people. you know, so many people and I kept it very simple, the fact that my workouts and the reason I love them and a reason I think that they have been a success is because they are short. People online don't want to do hours and hours of training. You lose their focus, you lose their attention. When you're on a screen, you know, 30 to 40 minutes is really key. And the fact that I do it with them and I tell them, this is hard today, you know, the reason. And so it was engaging and it growing. and then it suddenly just went berserk.

And it was five years last April and the book came out which was just another extension of how to reach people in a different way. And I genuinely love it. I mean, I know as well that both of you love strength so it's great today. I'm talking to a team that love it.

That 1,000, 1 to 2.3 million. It was one video that changed the dynamic. Yeah, so what was it that suddenly grew? What went viral? So I was away, I was on a health retreat being a trainer in Tuscany. Very little Wi-Fi and I've got a really close family. I've got two brothers really at that point when I was sort of just starting out.

The whole family were really excited about the, you know, growth in numbers week on week out. And I was in Tuscany. Hardly any Wi-Fi up a hill and my brother called me and he said, you need to look at your Instagram. I mean, you don't have any Wi-Fi. He said you need to look. Every time I refresh it's going up 5,000. And it was one video.

It got picked up by an American homework out. channel and they'd shared it. And now that I have to repost that every year was kind of a momentous occasion. It was just the quickest and it's always the way. It's the one post that you don't actually think, you know, just put it up wearing bright pink, super fast. It's always about the arms. For me, it's all about the arms. As soon as you put an arm on upper body clasp up, it for some reason it flies. And it was short and sharp and it changed my whole business. Because you do have fabulous arms. As just Gemma, yours are hidden today, but you're, you're I've got incredible arms.

Always have my arms. And us midlife gals, it's an aim to keep your arms in shape, isn't it? And when you and I did a workout last week, you said normally you love doing your upper arm workout. And we did glutes and I love talking about glutes. We could do a whole podcast on glutes. You just mentioned midlife then. You're obviously known as the queen of midlife fitness, which I think is brilliant. How does that make you feel?

Because I think people like yourself are changing the narrative around ageing. I think I'm always thinking you don't slow down because you age, you age because you slow down. It's so true. And there seems to be this kind of assumption that when you get past a certain age, everything has to stop. You have to just do your yoga, don't do anything too strenuous. And it's the complete opposite. So to have that title for you, it must obviously be an honour, but it's a responsibility for you to educate women,

especially on how they can create a better lifestyle for themselves. It's amazing. also, you know, I just feel really grateful to have this opportunity. You know, for me, it feels, it just feels that the conversation around strength, around women's fitness, women in sport, everything seems to be changing. And I'm really, as you can tell, I mean, I'm really passionate about it. I've done this for a very long time and I have seen the shift myself from when I was in my 20s to now being 50 something. And the thing that I love more than anything are the comments and the reactions and, you know, the feedback I get from my audience, not just on my

Instagram, but on my actual platform, Caroline Circuits, is from women that have never exercised before. They could be in their 50s, their 60s, their 40s, whatever age, and they are noticing that it's making a massive difference. And I get, you know, I'm quite often almost in tears by some of the stories I get from women that have had no confidence that have felt suddenly going into perimenopause, menopause, feeling quite anxious, overwhelmed, they've got, you know, they've got teens and parents that are getting older and suddenly they've found something they can do for themselves in a short space of time because we're all really time poor, aren't we, at the end of the day, but that's made a massive difference, not just to, it's not just about the size. It was always

about the size, but this is about a mind, you know, a mindset, a confidence. You know, it's women that for years have said we haven't got time to move and actually workouts are all in a gym, which is intimidating for a lot of women. Let's face it, the whole, weight section in a gym. I'm not in a gym now, but I went into one a couple of weeks ago. And that whole section with the men with the huge kettlebells and the big bars is really off-putting if you've never done it before. But I think that the difference that I'm finding is that women are trying at all ages and it's never too late to start and it's just how it makes them feel. And I think that's the message I try to get over on all my, you know, anything,

any communication I'm doing, but also to keep it relatable. I'm at home doing it with spaniels and teenagers and, you know, I haven't got loads of equipment. I'm not having to commute anywhere to do it. But if you can do it for 20, 30 minutes every morning before the rest of the house is up, I mean, I know that I always see your pose. I love that. You're up at five because you're the only other person I know that's up at five. But I just think you get it done. Yeah. But it's also your time. You know, I love that and then have my coffee and it's the day starts. But because you've moved your body, I'm a much nicer person on the days that I exercise. I'm told by my family I'm much nicer person because you've moved and you've

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For Headspace. I was listening to a podcast and it was Dr. Gabriel Lyons. Yeah, I love her stuff. She's fantastic and she said something that really stuck out for me and the host said to her, but how do you find the time?

You know, you're busy, you're working. And she said to him, if you don't find time for your wellness, how are you going to find time for your sickness? she said because being sick will take up a lot more time than a 30 minute workout. Yes. And it hit me that. I was like, oh my gosh, it's so true.

And everything we do in every class I do is obviously always warm ups, cool downs. We talk about recovery. I talk about recovery all the time, rest of recovery. But also we focus on functional fitness. And I know we see it banded around everywhere, these words functional fitness. But actually it's not about how fit you are today. It's how fit you're going to be in 20 years. It's running around after grandchildren.

It's getting the, you know, the shopping out of the back of the car. It's, I make sure that we do so many big compound movements in my classes. So it's never just an isolated move. It's a squat with a press or you're lunging and turning. Just as you would if you're getting out of a car or you're, you know, I see most people they get injured not from in a gym or doing a workout, but it's when they're, you know, gardening or going up and down the stairs with a toddler on your left shoulder. Or, you know, I say it in every, um,

Every time someone asks me about the classes, it always seems to be the mower. I don't know what is about a mower, but people always say they're injured with the motor. It's lifting but not thinking about your core. We work a lot on how the body moves. So it's not just isolation. It's not just a leg curl press in a machine in a gym. And that is the difference. I think it's thinking about ways that exercise is going to mimic your daily movement

and look at your performance going forward. and that's that is really key because your classes are not heavyweights are they my monday class is is a heavy weighted class it's full body class and we tend to go heavier on a monday but we're not talking you know 80 kg type type rdl's yeah yeah and it's a really really important question to get asked it all the time you know you're you're only lifting fours and fives and you know it's all about progressive overload yes it is but you have to also remember there's about three things that are really key. First of all, I say to people, if you've never trained before,

please don't go picking up 10 kilogram kettlebells and throwing them around. Because the last thing you want to do is get injured just when you're starting out. And also you have to remember, I'm training people online. So it's not like I'm in a room with them adjusting their hips, saying that, you know, when you're squatting, this is your technique. I give technique all the way through the classes. I bang on and on about form because I think it's probably the most important thing.

but I say to people start light, but also what we do in my sessions, of course it's about going heavier and progressive overload, especially with menopause. We know that. We know that you need to lift heavy. But there are also other ways to have that time under tension with your muscles. So, for example, like we did, we did a resistance band workout, you know, where your, you know, resistance bands can be mighty, they can. You know, and they can fire up the glutes, but it's just a different way of working. Or we might do in endurance arms and abs class where there's, smaller weights, but lots of reps. The two full body class they do, we tend to go heavier.

And I think I say to people, just keep the challenge. It's all about keeping the challenge on. You know, you don't want, as soon as it starts to feel too light, you need to order your weights. And obviously, training is part of a wellness. I mean, you look the picture of health. When it comes to nutrition, do you get asked a lot online about nutrition? Because I have a lot of women message me saying, well, what do you eat? And I always struggle to answer that because if I, if I,

gave my diet and macros and calories to someone who's five foot two and not as active as I am. It wouldn't work. It's individual to everybody. What's your current nutrition plan? How do you view it? It's exactly what you've just said. You've hit the nail on the head because I've not given a lot of nutrition. I've done a lot of nutrition advice on my page. The first time I actually covered what I was really when we bought the book out. So it was really refreshing for a lot of people to see what I, what I like. I put in their recipes that are brilliant for family again, things that don't take ages to make, just like the workouts reflect the fact that we are busy people. But I think one thing that's really important, which you've just touched on, is that as soon as you give,

well, this is what I eat in a day, people immediately think that is the formula. And everybody's different, especially in midlife, everyone's got different lifestyles, different needs, and also exercising at different levels, what I might need and, you know, what they need could be totally different. But what I try to say is that protein has become a massive, you know, a not massive, a big part of my diet now, especially when we start to talk about muscle and losing muscle and what we need to refuel if we're working out, you know, four or five times a week. I'd say protein is the king of my meal. But what I don't do is restrict myself in any area at all. You know, there's nothing that I would say you can't eat that. I don't count any calories on my plate. It's not about that. It's about finding nourishing foods that are brilliant for your gut. I've just been listening to your podcast about gut health and foods that are really going to nourish you but also give you that energy. You've got to remember again, you know, I've got women that do the classes that are in their 30s, their 40s, their 50s, all at different life stages and they all might need something

slightly different. It's not just one rule fits all. And I think that's really important, especially when it comes to diet. People say to me, what do you have before your workout? So for me, I like to have my breakfast after my workout because it's the time. I had to sit down and I'm like, I can actually really enjoy my eggs, my avocado on salado with my nice coffee. It was before a class. I can't, I can't eat. A, you haven't got the time, but also I can't have that before a class. For me, it's a banana or something with a really quick, quick energy release.

So you do fuel before a class. Always have a banana for 30 years. I've had a banana and a coffee, banana and a coffee. Banana and coffee. But then afterwards, I would take, you know, for me, it's walking the dogs, having my breakfast. I actually love that time of day. It's like the peaceful time that I think, the calm after the storm. So you get in, you do your session, and then you kind of not reward yourself with food,

but it's like a, oh. But I like how you said you don't eliminate anything in terms of, because, you know, we always say it women's health. Wellness is enjoying the things that you like as well. Like I'm not going to go to the cinema and not have popcorn because I'm like, no, no, I can't have it. I kind of do 80% what my body needs to thrive and 20% what I want to enjoy, enjoy my life.

life, you know, if you want to have an ice cream with the kids on a Sunday. 100%. And obviously your audience is primarily females. And depending on what life stage there are, they'll have a cycle, which, you know, during times of your cycle, you want to have a chocolate bar. Totally different. Yeah. It can be totally different. Carbs and chocolate usually.

You wanted to ask about decades, didn't you, the training for different decades. Yeah. We wanted to grow you on this. It would be interesting to go through because you mentioned you've got audience in their 30s, 40s, 50s. I'm in my late 40s. Gem is 40 and I've noticed that my body has changed. I can't train like I used to. I still train a lot.

I do train a lot, but I can't do all the high intensity stuff. And I consider myself well informed doing what I do. You know, I speak to people like you on the daily and I read all the content. So I've researched why my body is not reacting as well to the type of training that I used to. The same with food actually

because my body is definitely metabolizing things differently. Yes. Today. For instance, I struggle with alcohol now and I can't metabolise it and therefore feel shocking for days after. Yeah, and it takes ages.

Yeah, to the point where I just don't bother. It's not worth it. And I used to like a drink, a social drink, you know, and I've gone out, having a few cocktails, it's not worth it. So our bodies do change massively throughout these decades and you have this varied audience. Yeah.

So let's take you through. Let's start with your 30s. Do you think you have women in their 20s? More 30s, I'd say. And especially quite a lot that have had babies that are coming back. They're rebuilding their strength. Yeah. Or that they've got busy, very busy jobs, high-pound jobs, which actually, or they're on

their feet all day and that, you know, it's finding that time when you have been up with children all night and then you've got to, you know, work all day to then be told, you need to do a workout. You know, it's just, it's a motivation. I'd say that 90% of the. DMs I get and we get hundreds, you know, a daily basis and I, and it's something that I do personally, the DMs, I love that, but it's 90% are, how do I get started? I haven't got time. You know, how do I get motivated? Because it's okay at the moment when it's a dark November

morning or it's dark at four to then come in and do a moment. So it's a little bit about what Gemma was just saying about food. You need to find something you enjoy about exercise, really. you know, there's no point setting yourself a huge goal to do a 10K if you hate running. But, you know, I'm a massive advocate for walking. I think if you can walk with a friend, you know, go for a walk with a girlfriend. I think it's probably the best thing. And you can start small and build up. To go back to your question about the 30s, your 30s, obviously the time, you know, we all,

we don't all know, but it's generally known that your muscle mass and your bones from the age of sort of 35. That's when you start to lose that bone density and the muscle. So in your 20s and early 30s, that's when people do tend to be able to lift heavy and run and get the cardio and the high impact and all of those types of training. I'd say in your late 30s and 40s, you need to be a little bit more aware of increasing your strength training. I say to people, if you can do three or four sessions of strength training, doesn't need to be hours, but half an hour of resistance training is absolutely brilliant. and then just don't forget, cardio is still, whilst I say don't do it so much, it's still so key,

it's so great for, you know, for heart, healthier, for your headspace. I mean, I find just doing, I'm not a big runner, but I love a 5K, and I know it's only 20, 25 minutes, but I just love that. You feel brilliant after you've had that run, but it's just in your 40s,

remembering your strength. I'd say, for me, my 40s and 50s is the way I've trained as not changed, but what I have been more aware of is the recovery, looking after those joints, because your joints in your 50s, you know, people, again, message me a lot about sore knees, sore hips, sore wrists. And what I say is so important.

And I really try and make a big effort to do this in my own workouts online to show alternatives. If you can't squat because you have sore knees, there is always another exercise you can do for your glutes. You know, a trainer should be able to show you different ways to work that muscle group, but which is going to be pain free. And I think that is so important, I say to people that can't do. planks or press ups because they've got wrist pain don't do it but there's something else I can always show you a you know a chest press or a um a core move like a dead bug or whatever it can be but you just have to think that your body is obviously telling you listen to your body yeah

and the recovery in your 50s and 60s and beyond it's so important that I think the days that you don't train are as important I know it's a real cliche but it's important as the days you do train yeah so what's the optimum recovery say in your 40s can you train on consecutive days and get away with it? Well, I always say, I don't think it's an age-specific thing. I always say two days a week. You need to have two days a week of rest and recovery. And that doesn't mean you're not moving.

You can be doing yoga, could be doing a really nice stretch session. You can go for, you know, walk or running the part with the kids. You can go for a swim. It doesn't mean that you don't move, but you don't need to do the high impact and the strength training on those days. Because it's those days that your muscles grow, they repair. That's when you need to be thinking about your food. And then the one thing that we haven't touched on is sleep.

which is my weak spot because I'm on my phone a lot. So screen time does not help, but sleep for me at this life stage I've now found is actually at the top of all the pillars. If I don't sleep the whole day, it's game over for me as well. And then my exercise choice, or not so much exercise,

because that's something that I've, is always going to happen. But my food choice is when I don't sleep well, my general kind of, yeah, and calms. Keep going. And it's just, so, you know, it's getting, it's not just, I tried to say to people, it's not just your exercise. Look at your day. It's the 360 approach. We made a big point of doing this in the book. It's your mindset, your sleep, your nutrition,

and your exercises, all these things together. And again, not not thinking about taking things away, but what you can add to really help nourish you during that time. And also with your cycle, I did a post about cycle sinking the other day, which is the first time I touched on it, And I had such a massive response. I couldn't believe it. Because people were saying, you know, I don't feel like doing it today, but I can't really understand why. You know, last week I was pushing this and my P.B. was this.

And then this week, I haven't got the same energy. And then they started to track it. And it's actually extraordinary. Just haven't got the same energy. Didn't sleep as well. And I think it all comes down to listening to your body. It's fun. It's mad when you're in your 20s.

It was all sleepers for the week. It's fine. You can have a weekend bed at night. Now you can't wait. How did you navigate and what advice would you have for people? Because I'm noticing little aches and pains that I never had before and I looked up perimenopause symptoms. And obviously you're a bit older than me.

I'm 40. What, you're 44? And yeah, 39 actually, but 47 really. I'm 47. I think we're 44. I've definitely said I'm 47 numerous times on the podcast. Well, you don't look 47 at all. I don't think.

But like it changes, doesn't it? Hormones change as you age. Dropping estrogen. Yeah. And so it's like a rollercoaster at times. Like you say, some women could have trained their whole life. They hit menopause and they just don't feel like themselves. It's almost like you're pregnant again.

You know, when your body's not your own and your mind and you're telling you all these things, what advice would you give to ladies at that stage who are not quite navigating the parent? menopause as well as they'd want to. I think not only, you know, is obviously listening to your body, but also to kind of be kind to yourself, because I think this is a life stage where there is a lot of change, not only in your body, but it could be in terms of dynamics with families or in children get older. And I think you just need to just to give yourself some kindness because the whole comparison thing is also so hard. You know, we look at social media and it's always that filter. screen, isn't it, of all the best bits? And you can look at somebody who's exactly the same

age and think, I can't do that, you know, I can't exercise like that, I don't look like that. But I think you just, first of all, need to be kind to yourself. Also, if exercise is something that you do find hard, just start small. And I think those are the three really key words. Ten minutes, write it down, do it first thing in the morning, set your kit out, set your alarm, 10 minutes and a few people have said to me the thing that they love is having a space in their house that is theirs to exercise it sounds crazy but just something that is theirs because there's so much other stuff going on and things like anxiety and stress and then the cycle of then not sleeping so well especially during menopause and then not eating so well because you haven't slept

it can just feel like this official cycle so all I would say is break it down just do 10 minutes of movement, it can be walking around the park, using the stairs. And don't forget that all movement counts. So the small chunks, imagine the amount of times you got up and down the stairs with laundry at home or your gardening or you're cleaning. I mean, all movement counts. Your body doesn't think, oh, you're in a gym. So that is an exercise, but at home it isn't. It's just kind of finding different ways where you can move because it is such a mood booster. And if we're coming back to how women feel at this stage, something like exercise has been proven, time. time and time again to affect your mood and your confidence.

And I think it's just, it's just so key. It's really interesting your point about don't compare. Because I used to be obsessed with sort of high intensity training, CrossFit type training, you know, training to the point where I felt like I wanted to vomit and I thought that was a badge of honour. And then what I realised, it was making me puffy. It was making me put on weight. it was making me physically exhausted

to the point where I would do like an hour long type hit class and then feel like I have to go back to bed for the rest of the day which you can't do when you've got young kids so now I don't and I prioritise strength training and I do a lot of walking and I do two short

20 minute cardio sessions a week with high intensity but then I look up all women my age and older doing high rocks and I think well how are they doing it and how are they not getting puffy Yeah, but they have probably different lifestyles as well. And so I do get frustrated by that.

But equally, I've sort of given myself permission to not feel under pressure to train like that. Even though I love it, it's interesting because I compare myself to others constantly and I wish I didn't. Yeah. And I do get frustrated. But your routine sounds perfect because if you were going to ask me on a, you know, literally looking at a week and a chart, what you should do, you've just absolutely explained the perfect week. So it would be four sessions of strength training. For me, they don't need to be over 30, 40 minutes.

I do two hit or cardio sessions and then I do a lot of walking. I've got dogs. So walking is non-negotiable for me. But the hits, the hit classes, I think as well, it's like busting these myths about you're going to get huge if you strength train and be a bodybuilder physique. It's breaking that down because for a lot of people, they think hit is just going to be hours of burpees. Yeah.

And, you know, we do a lot of body weight hits. things in the body weight hit sessions on the platform where you know you can take out the impact and make it a low impact session but you still really get your heart rate up and you feel brilliant so I you know I always say to people don't don't disregard a hit workout but I would say don't do it every day of the week don't do it five times a week because whilst it's great we have to start thinking about you know cord soul levels and the stress and and all the other pieces that you just said so it's just where the ratio falls for strength and that for me is definitely now 80, 20, probably.

But it's also the daily steps. That's what people forget. That's what's so important. But that would be an ideal. And you're saying about comparing, it's just inevitable that we do. But actually, everyone's got different lifestyles and different needs as well and different time to train. My mum used to tell me comparison is the theft of joy. Yeah.

And there's no point comparing. Because I bet the women who you're comparing yourself to aren't running too massive magazines. I was about to say that. And teenagers and two-hour commutes in and out of work. Everyone's circumstance is different. And I wanted to ask obviously you're a mum of two as well. How do you balance, you know, you've got your global fitness platform that's hugely successful, but you're also a mum. How do you balance being a successful businesswoman and a parent? Well, I think, you know, they always say, don't they, that things happen at a time for a reason. And I think the fact that my children are now older, you know, they're in their late teens, has really given me.

me the space now because one's about to go off to university and they're just and they're you know at an older age so I think for me in terms of the amount of work that I do it has allowed me that space when they're little as no way I would have been able to to spend as long as I do on especially on the on the platforms but um yeah it's all about balance it's making sure that um you know when we do go away in the summer or we have trips away that you know you do think we can do seven days with recorded classes on the platform for example or you know that it's i've i've trying now to think of things that i do during my day when i don't take my phone so now dog walking this is a new thing and it sounds crazy but i don't take my phone now

when i walk the dogs otherwise sometimes you're on a walk and you can literally look it down aren't you at the screen yeah and you know um 30% of my following and on and my community on the platform are from the state. So of course, they're on a different time zone. So their messages are coming in at a different time. And, you know, I love engaging. I just love the fact that that's how it grows and how I'm reaching these women.

But it is having a balance. So there's a few things that I've put in place now that I sit down to have meal times instead of always on the go. It used to be in the car or on a walk. But now we sit down. And I think that is the time as well when you really connect with the family

where you all sit because we're all over the place racing about. But yeah, it's just having the balance, I think, is so key. But they're really supportive of what I'm doing. And yeah, it's brilliant, actually. Do your children train as well? Are they into their sports? They love their sport. But what I was saying actually to somebody last week about this,

something I love, my daughters are massively into hockey, loves hockey. And when I go to watch her play, they spend at the beginning of each session a proper time on strength and conditioning. And I remember when I was 17, 18, we just ran up and down the pitch before when we warmed up. But they are doing their squats, their planks, they're press up,

so spending a proper session on strength. And I love that because I think if they're doing that at 17, what a brilliant example that is to, you know, to down the line, generations down the line. And also seeing now women in sport, like the, you know, seeing your listening to Lucy Bronze on your pop. I mean, it's just brilliant, isn't it, example of for women now at any any stage that they can do this and women in sport but i just i do

love the fact that strength has become a conversation now at school as well yeah we start young stuff it's my my daughter's always she's got some little um it's called fit kids and it's like plastic dumbbells and kettlebells and a barbell and she loves it she'll come in the gym and she'll be lifting hers um anything she just loves she does jiu jitsu she does swimming dancing and she won't be doing all of them forever, you know, she'll find her niche and stick with that, hopefully. But we would just try and give her as much opportunities as possible to explore different sports. And the mood, if she, like, if she has gymnastics on a Saturday morning, for the rest of the Saturday, she's energized. She's, like, happy.

If gymnastics is off and she's just been on the couch watching the thing, she's a bit like, ugh, and I think it has the same effect on them as it does us. Yeah. It's, you know, with the concentration levels and the focus and stuff, especially going in to school, you know, with breakfast. I'm quite specific with what they eat before they go school. Yeah. Because I need them to be alert and, you know, energize. Yeah.

Focus. But I also think, I love it when I listen to her talking to her friends. And it is about being strong now. That's what they talk about. Yeah. You know, that's all on the matches, aren't there? They're not talking about size. That's a celebration as well.

Whereas when we were that age, it was smaller the better. Take up less space. It's just not. I mean, you know, we took lots of teens away this summer and it was lovely, seeing them all that's what the conversation was. They're talking about strength and about their sport when they were getting back

because they're doing preseason. It's like brilliant. Yeah. It's good that they've got role models like yourself, like Lucy Bronze and the women we've spoke to. It's brilliant that they've got people

to look up to. What expansion plans do you have for Caroline's circuits? I mean, you've got a lot. You've got your book. Have you got plans for more? But where do you want to take the business? Well, I think the joy of what I do

is that it's growing, you know, it's growing, but because it's online, there are no boundaries. So for me, it's just about reaching more and more, more and more people and showing them ways that it's just very small steps. It's building in a new habit. So, you know, for the next, I mean, the book only came out in March, so it's still got some legs to grow. And I think, you know, we've got lots of exciting things coming up on the platform for next. year and it's more challenges and retreats. But the one thing I'm really focusing on, which I think will be lovely going forward. And we've got something next week with National Fitness Day is to actually meet some of the community now in real time. So whether that's in

America, whether that's here, wherever it might be. Yeah. But actually, because, you know, across the screen, it can be very different. And once you get feedback, there's nothing quite like being in the same room as them. So we're doing a glutes, another glutes workout next week in London and they're coming from all over to me and to do it and I think I'd quite like to do those regularly because I just think there's nothing like being in the same space. Like a tour almost. You go around to different cities doing the classes. And what I loved was we did a retreat back in May. We've got another one in October. But you know, the women that came, I didn't even know that they were members and they came with the book. And also to go around

the table chatting to them was so fascinating because whilst I find when a Spaniel crosses, you know, onto the mat and causes chaos in the middle of the class. That, for me, is like, oh my goodness, that's ruined. When I asked them what their favorite class was, they said it's when the dogs go mad. Oh, everyone loves dogs. Because they said, because it's home.

Yeah. It's home. And for me, I will then the rest of the day think, oh my God, it's ruined. The Amazon man came, he knocked. They went mental and, you know, a lamp fell over. Whereas they said, oh, that's so, that was so great this morning. It's real life for them, you see.

Yeah. I think that's funny how it's relatable. It's not overwhelming because you're not in a gym surrounded by like you say huge equipment. It's like your day is the same as theirs. It's chaotic. Yeah. But you're still finding that time to do it.

And people say what makes the difference. And the one thing I think makes the difference is because I still do them live four times a week, they're still live as well as being on demand. And obviously a lot of people do them on catch up because they just a time that works for them or they're in a different time zone. But the thing that I love and the feedback I get that just makes my day is they say it still feels like I've got a PT in my sitting room with me.

And they write to me and people write and say, thank you so much of putting those wall squats in this morning because you know that's my favourite. And you know, and please say you couldn't see me on the screen because I actually stopped for a coffee and a twigs. And I'm like, no, I can't see you on the screen. They genuinely, you know, I love the fact that they are, they still think it's that small feel to it,

which is what I'm so passionate about. And, you know, a few weeks ago I got a message from these women have done it right from the start. So from 2020, and they are three women. The mother, the daughter, the granddaughter. The granddaughter's at Edinburgh University. We're just about to finish. The mum's in London and the grandmas in the south of France. And they all do the Friday class. And it's their one time of the week to connect. They have a call afterwards with a coffee online. All three of them do it. One's 20, you know, one's 50 and one's 70. And I just think, God, that's just for me. That means much more than, you know, anything. because I think, wow, that's then their way of connecting through my class. They're kind of in a way, your audience is also your accountability for you to keep, because there must be some mornings four times a week when you think, I know, I wish I didn't have to do this live because I don't feel up for it, or I've got an appointment or I'm busy.

I know, and people say, how are you so bubbly, I'm sure someone's doing with a coffee. But they say how you, and it sounds so cheesy, and you're going to think, oh, she's just saying that. But I genuinely still get excited about every class. We've never repeated a class. I think we've done 900 now. Wow. We've never repeated a class.

And I still, you know, want to make sure what all the kit's different. And I just get excited about it. And I think, right, you know, it's five to nine. No one's allowed to breathe in the whole of, you know, the house. But it's just, I don't know, I think when you genuinely love it, and I say this to the kids all the time, if you're passionate about something, it will come across. You know, that's just, if you're passionate about something, just go for it. because I never imagined in a million years

like I'd be on the cover of women's health. I mean, you just don't. But I think because I love it and I've done it for so long now to see where it can go and to reach more and more people and women particularly in this space at this age, I think are just brilliant.

I mean, they are so supportive. People say, do you get lots of mean comments? Every time I say that, I think I'm going to get one now. But women are supportive. They have each other's backs, you know. And I just think in midlife, especially, we're all going through it together.

Whilst I'm getting older on a screen, lifting, doing, you know, thrusters and whatever it might be in the classes, we're all at that stage. It's not like I'm teaching and I'm 20 and I'm in a studio backdrop with beautiful, you know, equipment. Because women, midlife women, we're being much more open as well about this stage of life and the challenges it presents and we're no longer being secretive about our age.

the word menopause, people would say the change and say, I know, under the breath, they're saying, I know, they say, oh, I'm going through the menopause or anything. I'm going through the perimenopause. I didn't even know the phrase perimenopause when I took over. Now look. Yeah, now look at us. Yeah. So it's, it's a movement which is wonderful and positive and can only benefit us for our future generations. Like now, like Mia, like your daughter. 100%. Who do you look up to? Obviously, a lot of people look up to you in this fitness space. What kind of influencers, you know, growing up, who did you look to for that kind of strength? Well, I think now, I mean, I think I really admire a lot of the sports women out there,

that Jessica, you know, Ennis Hill, people that I've really, and also women that really empower, not just in strength in fitness, but in strength in life, like Michelle Obama, people that are really thinking about the next generation, but also showing how you can be strong in all walks of life, you know, not just about the exercise, but it's about showing that confidence. And I love that women in sport,

you know, people like Gabby Logan, they've just got such, it's just the confidence and the empowering women coming through and the inspiration that they have, I think is just brilliant. I love the fact that women have got now such a position in sport.

I think it's amazing, especially, you know, but now with the rugby as well. Yeah, yeah, it's exploding. We've had someone on this morning and I won't say her name because she's kept her episode will come out after yours but she was a former professional player and and she spoke about how the change since when she was training and playing for England she would be on a lonesome in the park and dogs would be

stealing her cones and her water bottles and when you look at it now the lionesses are filling stadiums unbelievable the women's rugby world cup it hasn't quite finished when we're recording this but England are hotly tipped it's incredible they're doing amazing aren't they They've all said all these female athletes have all said like when we interviewed a rugby player she said a lot of the team before everyone was pro they'd be doing nursing shifts and then come into training straight after

eating their food in the car after a full shift doing nursing whatever then training for two hours and then a game the next day and they'd still just crack on doing it and it's remarkable the mental strength I think that certain athletes have to just get through that day. It's the endurance.

It's the element of endurance. I think it's the, and it's all back again to mindset, isn't it? Yeah. How you feel. But women just get shit done, don't we? We have to, yeah. No one else is going to do it.

We juggled. We multitask. And the thing I think I love as well about this particular life stage is you stop what, you just don't overthink and worry so much about what people think. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, I agree. It's like a reset, isn't there? At 40 and I believe again at 50 ways.

In the 30 is the whole time. I wonder if they thought that and what did they think of that. Whereas now, you know, even when I first started my Instagram, I think the whole time, I wonder, you know, I don't have that picture. I wonder how that would come across and now.

Just like, you just, you know, basically haven't got time. But also, it's the ones that you put up. It's about being genuine and the whole, you know, and it comes back to being relatable. And that's what I'm hoping that I'm doing. But it's funny because when people say, where do you go from here, you know, what are you looking forward to doing next?

And are you thinking of slowing down? I feel like I'm just getting started. I genuinely do. and I think this is a brilliant time to see where this goes and if women are still finding discovering lifting weights is life changing for them well every single person that picks up a set of dumbbells if that's because they've seen a quick snapshot

on an Instagram post or wherever it may be then that's brilliant by the seven time world's best leisure airline champions Air Transat what would you tell your 30 years? year old self about your body and training and fitness? That it's not about being on a treadmill for 60 minutes. It's not. It's about the quality of the workout, but including the strength, has to be. And also about it's not about just trying to counteract, you know, food or about being small.

You know, I remember there was that whole conversation about, oh, I have to do 60 minutes because I was out last night. And about, you know, do you remember all of that? It was so much a punishment. The gym was a punishment, isn't it? You know, and you can fit it in, but it's just about training. I think it's about training smarter. You know, it's not about training harder. It's about training smarter. Find something that works for you, whatever it may be.

Doesn't need to be online workouts. It can be whatever it be. I have so many friends that love Pilates and they find that, you know, life changing as well. So find something that really, you know, ticks your box and then just stick with it because it's, you know, it's the consistency word, isn't it? Yeah. And start laying the foundations at that age. Yeah, and don't wait because why wait for things to start to go wrong?

Start now. Prevention or for cure. Yeah. And, you know, I think that's key. Well, Caroline, thank you so much for coming in. Can I ask you to tell our listeners the name of your book? Because you've mentioned it a few times. Yes, the book's called Fit at 50.

And that's out now, yeah. So they need to go and get hold of that. Yes. Before we wrap up, we've got some quickfire questions, which we ask all our guests. So Gemma and I like eating and we are inviting ourselves to all our guests' houses for supper. What are you cooking us? So I would give you my tried and trusted recipe, which is in my book, funnily enough, which is called tahini salmon.

So if you like salmon, it's easy. I can't do anything that's got multiple ingredients, but this is easy. It's salmon. It's a complete crowd pleaser. And my kids love it. So what is it? You roast the salmon and you just put tahini in the foil. I never really, I started using tahini about, you know, 10 years ago, but now this is such a great recipe.

And it's quick. It's half an hour, but it's in the book. I'll send it to you. What's the last thing that made you belly laugh? Well, I don't know if it made me belly laugh or everyone on the beach, but I just thought of this then. We went away a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if this is even that funny. You know when you try and get out of the sea and you try and do it grace.

We're in Portugal. We all go away. Grandparents, cousins, all the grandchildren, my siblings. We have this once a year. We all go away really close to Portugal. I went in, you know, with the nice sewing costume, looking, trying to look graceful. As I went out, you know, that sort of shelf that you go down. It takes you, doesn't it? And the kids were all standing there, all the teens, why can't she get out? She's supposed to be a strength coach. And to begin with, I thought, oh, it's fine. It's fine. Every time I went out, huge way. I mean, to the point, I don't know, I just for some reason found it incredible. ready be funny. I couldn't get out of the sea. And they were like, oh, actually started off being funny and that's actually really embarrassing that I'm on my knees, like, scrabbling through the stones. The seaweed in your hair when you come out. Yeah. So it's the last time I go swimming with them in the sea. You're going to a desert island for an entire year, but you can only take one thing. What is it? There is one thing I would have to take. I get eaten alive by mosquitoes. My family don't get touched. They don't get touched. I'd have to have some jungle formula mosquito repellent.

I'm even getting bitten at this time a year. I got bitten last week at home in London. What is going on? But they don't touch anyone else

or I have like 30 on one leg when we go away. Yeah. So it would have to be that if I was on a desert island would have to be that. I think it would be mine as well

definitely because I'd like swell up and it's really awful. You've got almost in here not in here but you're the week you were covered in them and I'm again

look beer and I can hear them going around you know that noise as they go past your ear. Yeah. High pitch sort of The night before last

I left the bedroom and went down to the living room and to sleep on the sofa because I could hear it in the bedroom and my husband doesn't get bitten at all. Yeah, and you can't sleep. If you hear that noise, you can't sleep. Yeah. You can choose one type of exercise forever more. I think I know the answer to this, but what is it?

Yes, that would be strength. There would probably be squats. I think squats tick a lot of boxes. Coffee or wine? A hundred percent coffee. I love coffee more than anything. I love my morning coffee. for you, sorry. And if there's one thing someone listening today could do to make themselves feel

better, what would you say? Just put on some trainers and go outside, 10 minutes outside. Yeah, in nature, outside walking. It's the most underrated of any activity, I think. It really is. Even in bad weather, I think you just put your good clothing on. There's something cozy about it, you know. You come back in a different mood. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. Oh, well, Caroline, thank you so much. pleasure having you on. And yeah, the cover looks fantastic. The app looks great. Good luck with the book.

And yeah, and before you go, where can people find you on Instagram? So Instagram, it's Caroline Circuits. And then the platform is carolinescircuits.com. It's a website. It's an app, 30-minute classes. Perfect. Thank you for having me. I've loved it.

Thank you. Thank you.