Thank you for tackling such a difficult topic. I think the trap some people can fall into with Body Positivity/ Body Neutrality is staying in this place of “it’s ok to just do the easy thing because everything else is so hard all the time”. That is perfectly fine and actually healthy to do, but not forever. One of my favorite quotes is “the comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing grows there”. It’s not ok to just do the easy thing every single day and it’s ok to want better for yourself, whether that’s to make healthier choices like the food you eat and working toward the body you want to have. What’s not ok is to motivate yourself through hatred and putting others down. Loving yourself and living for yourself and others is radical self-care.
Summed up my feelings so beautifully! There are absolutely times when the healthiest approach to fitness is to put it aside temporarily to take care of other difficult things…but when you leave it on the shelf you suffer. Life is so much harder without fitness. I’ve learned that the hard way ❤️
Yes, this is actually how I see body positivity! I want something better for myself, I want my body to be healthy and mobile, pain free (as much as possible).
PLEASE REMEMBER that exercise is self-care, it is not and should not be used as self-punishment...especially after Christmas! But I know that so many people like to set new goals approaching the new year so I really hope this video helps you to reframe exercise in your mind as something to do because you love your body and not because you hate it…because you love your kids and want to be able to throw them around for the place while playing 🥹 Ignore the “burn off the Christmas dinner” brigade pleaseee xx
I'm 30 and childless, and yet I so needed to hear the part about not feeling worthy of the life you want. Getting past that is maybe the biggest hurdle I've ever had.
17:57 made me cry.... that's me right now. I have a 2.5 year old and a 3 month old with a rare disease. We have spent the first 2 month in hospital. He is doing better now, but my health hit rock bottom. My fitness is gone, I gained a lot of weight, my back hurts 24/7. I need to make important changes. Thank you for this video! 💚
This is such a powerful Video, I'm going to watch it again and make notes, I'm seriously holding myself back, late diagnosed adhd and going through divorce, I've resided to believing I'm not worth anything, clicking off this to do a 15 minute workout, myself and my two young children deserve a me that believes in me 🥰
This video made me cry a little, but also felt like such a huge hug. I feel like I can relate to so many things! I just had my second kid couple of months ago ago, and I do feel like a wreck. I also got diagnosed with ADHD very recently and it absolutely has something to do with my ED! I’ve been struggling for so long, not feeling like I can get back to feeling like myself. Your videos are always so helpful and inspiring. I feel like every time I watch them, it’s a like a chat with a good old friend. THANK YOU SO MUCH♥️ You are the support i didn’t know i needed, and I appreciate you so much.
Mel I can see how glowing and determined you are with your current lifestyle choices and it is SO inspiring to see! Love the video, and the only thing I want to highlight that I didn't hear mentioned was that I believe I remember from your IG stories that your inital significant weight loss this year was due to how sick you got/ were hospitalized and physically couldn't eat for a period. I just hope that folks know that weight loss will likely not be that drastic for them if they are committing to a healthy routine, and that it's okay to not see similar huge changes in 6 months or a year! All in all you continue to inspire me with your health related content (I read ultra processed people this year because of you!) and I totally believe you can get to Lara Croft levels of strength! 💪
I lost 10lbs initially and that would have been some muscle, I then lost 10 more pounds through dietary changes when I was back to being able to eat, and have since gained 5lbs back through strength training! 🥰 It’s not about weight for me it’s about body composition x
Having someone else plan the workouts is LIFE-CHANGING! When I felt burned-out from the gym I joined a workout studio that is 99.9% women and it made exercise much more enjoyable 😌💗
As someone who has gained like 40 pounds since the pandemic and is moving to a new building with a gym, this video really reaffirms my commitment to consistent activity in the new year!
Nothing like a health scare / diagnosis to switch up the lens through which you view exercise, movement and what you fuel your body with. I got diagnosed with a health condition 5 years ago and I am truly a different person since - consistent and disciplined with self care with my motivation to look after myself not fuelled by vanity/insecurity but fuelled by a want to give myself the best possible chance of living a long and healthy life. Great video, so honest 👌🏼
This video has been so helpful ❤ my average screen time is between 3-5 hours a day 😬😬 something I want to do is move and read more rather than doom scrolling! My exercise classes have been closed for Christmas and so I have been walking and or doing a home workout but I can't wait to go back next week 🙌 I have missed it 😂 xx
I spend about 7 hours on my phone doom scrolling and avoiding reality. The day after Christmas we lost our second baby to a miscarriage, we have no living children and the experience has taken my mental health. I spent two years in a deep depression and right as I was coming out of it learned I was pregnant and lost another baby. I’m trying to handle things differently this time and not hate myself and my body for betraying me. Your videos really help me, to see how I should treat my body and my mental health. Thank you for always posting it really does help.
I am so, so sorry to hear about your loss 💔 It’s very hard to explain the feeling of losing a baby. Even people who go through it all experience it differently. I lost a baby when I was 19 and in a very unhealthy on/off relationship, unplanned. I was extremely mentally unwell at the time…but by the time I lost the baby I had come around and I was looking forward to becoming a parent. I was getting used to the idea. I completely disassociated while in hospital. My dad/friends would visit and I’d just be watching sex and the city dvds on a portable dvd player. To pretend it wasn’t happening. To imagine I had their life instead. How I ultimately dealt with it was to think about kids I’d have one day naturally or through adoption and to know I wouldn’t end up with them if that pregnancy didn’t work out. I also felt guilt for feeling relieved that I wouldn’t be tied to that ex forever…so extremely complicated to talk about. Just wanted to share as I am proof that a body that’s capable of losing a pregnancy can also be capable of carrying pregnancies to term. What matters most is working on your mental and physical health and reaching a place of feeling calm and safe within yourself ❤️
Melanie! You are someone who helped me overcome my binge eating back in 2018. Watching your videos genuinely has been life changing and impacted my health for the better. Now as a 27 year old who’s trying to get back into fitness without falling into her past unhealthy patterns (starving myself, over exercising, binge eating, etc.) this video couldn’t have come at a better time. You’re truly an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your health journey over the years💚⭐️
I joined your channel because I'm experiencing similar health things to you post virus and adhd burnout. Your videos are extremely helpful and I'm so grateful to you for positng them and sharing your journey ❤ well done for getting to the point you're at now, you've done amazingly well!
Yes yes yes! 😍 I just set new goals with my trainer…I want to run a 5k for charity (haven’t run in many many years, want to see how I feel about it now with a totally different relationship to exercise!) and want to be able to hold a 3 minute plank, a few others…so excited! Xx
Thank you! Your video on neurology earlier this year changed my recovery trajectory from long covid so much so that I feel almost fully cured now! It's hard work but so worth it. Exercise is next on my list 🎉
😭😭😭😭 stoppp really? I actually burst out crying every time someone tells me this. It’s so incredible to learn how much power we have. Follow ‘pain free you’ on here he helped me with ways to respond to PEM that made it stop happening! My nervous system learned that exercise was safe 🥹🥰
I'm childfree, but divorced 2 months ago and I feel so unmotivated to do anything. Fear of change and talking about what we think we do or don't deserve definitely struck a chord with me. Thank you Melanie, gonna get off my sad bum and at least to a few squats. Because I know exercise will make me feel better. P.S. You look fantastic!
It’s crazy that you’ve gone from full health meltdown, not being able to walk basically and now you’re here! THAT’s truly amazing and a testament to starting now. You don’t know how much progress you can make in just a few months.
Giiiiirl. Love that for you! I'm so happy that you found your way to feel mentally and physically strong again. I've been following you for yeaaars and your videos about habits you formed in your 20s is kinda like a bible I'm coming back to. There has been a lot of great influences, but you've set the start for me with how you think about working out. I also have been struggling with mental health conditions for years and I keep feeling so fucking stuck and like I am just to fucked up to ever be stable and truely happy and you sharing your story means the world to me. Thank you for everything, Mel❤️
I’ve had a really hard two years. I’ve completely lost myself; lost a lot of friends; had a lot of setbacks and been placed on a path I didn’t expect or ask to be put on. I’ve been diagnosed with chronic depression and PTSD and have really neglected myself. I used to be at the gym a lot pre-pandemic, had a PT and felt absolutely on top of the world because of it. I really want to get back to that. I’ve lost my strength, haven’t eaten properly for about a year and feel so overwhelmed about how to start again. I’ve just joined a new gym that’s opened and have started to eat more; eventually I will hit the weights but I’m essentially a complete beginner again! This video came at the right time and made me feel hope and excitement to start again, thank you ❤
Watch this video right after I came back from my first run in 4 years! I kept holding myself back by thinking that exercise was something I had to take super seriously, and only do it when I had time away from my kid...BUT today I decided NO MORE. Little one wanted to ride her new bike in the park, so I took this as an opportunity for us to do some exercise together. She cycled, I ran alongside her, and we even stopped off in the to have a go on the play park to have a go on the swings (which is honestly a great full body work out)! I honestly haven't had so much fun exercising since I played sports as a teen, it's really motivated me to keep on going with it. Plus it's a fun activity I can do with my little one whilst teaching her good habits too! Loved the video, the way you talk about lifestyle changes always feels so positive, and really motivating! 💖
Mel!! Thanks to You and Ariel Bissett I've gifted myself Trainwell to help heal and strengthen after graduation (today is day 99 in my streak-- ee!!). It has helped me focus and feel more in-tune with my body for the first time in years and I'm so grateful. My family has a history of poor joint health especially as we age and I was afraid to use weights but I am steadily using free weights. I actually do my workouts to your videos pretty often! My trainer loves making adjustments and problem-solving movement challenges that I have due to thyroid disease and everything you say in this video resonates so strongly with me. Thank you so much and I'm definitely cheering for You!
I’ve been watching you for many years and I love your fitness/nutrition videos. They are insightful and encouraging without any shame. I just rode my stationary bike while watching!!
I’ve been following you for many years and have watched your ups and downs. I want to say that you are a very strong person who has been through a lot but never gave up. People like you are truly inspiring. I used to work out for many years, was in great shape, and had so many plans until my ex-husband betrayed me. We got divorced, and I stopped working out and lost myself. A year has passed, and my physical condition is terrible. My whole body hurts, I constantly sleep and eat, and I was also diagnosed with anemia. During all this time, I worked 12-hour shifts just to forget the betrayal I went through. Now, I’ve done my first home workout-some light Pilates. I feel better. I’ve also changed jobs, and after the holidays, I’m hoping for better conditions at work. Everything can get better. I want to believe it.
I’m 7 months pregnant with my first. Before pregnancy I loved the gym (started 1 year before becoming pregnant), I was strong, healthy and truly believed I would sustain this during the pregnancy. The truth is I had to stop very early, which makes me feel like a failure sometimes 😔 In week 7 extreme nausea and aversions appeared. It only went downhill from there. From week 20 I’ve been having so many issues and pain, that even walking is a challenge 😬😓 Two weeks ago I cried from pain, when I couldn’t put any weight on my left leg. It’s like my back and hips are giving up. Honestly, it’s very very hard mentally and physically. I never imagined my pregnancy to be like this. Through this all I’m trying my best to stay optimistic. I’m excited for when the baby comes and I’m also excited for when I get back to gym and improve my fitness 🙌 Thank you Melanie for sharing your journey. Your videos are giving me so much hope that things will change for the better and the pain is only temporary.
Thank you so much for talking about this. I have been stuck and struggling with myself being such a hurdle in my own life. I made the decision to get a personal trainer earlier last month and start in January. I’m excited to see where this goes. Thank you again Melanie!
I want to add that your journey through fitness doesn't have to include classic fitness activities, like stretching, weight lifting, etc. It can be running, danse, swimming, etc. I say it, because I used to think I had to do the traditional fitness exercises to be healthy and it bore me to no end, I couldn't be consistent. If it's you, find your exercise, find what make you feel good.
I have been quite consistent in the gym for about 2 years now but my food habits have yet to catch up. And it is really hard to not be negative about my body when I can't visually see any changes. So thank you once again for putting my inner thoughts in your voice and showing me that despite all this self-sabotage, change is possible, and even more, sustainable change takes time 💚💚💚
The universe sent this video to me and I’m sooo thankful! Also, I’ve been watching your videos for years and I remember 2019 Melanie! Thank you for being so inspirational!
relearning that exercise and movement is safe after a chronic illness relapse/episode is often never talked about and it is so important and scary. I didn’t realise that’s part of what has been holding me back. Once I’m out of the severe episode i’m in, i will be back walking whilst smiling and relaxing my shoulders. i’ve got this 🎉
Thank you so much for this. I just had my first baby. Don’t know how to be a person anymore and feel like I’ll never get to look and feel the way I want. This is the beginning of changing that. Thank you so much ❤
I really love how you discussed this, not leaving out any of the complexities of it. It can be very difficult especially as a woman (or person who is seen as a woman, in my case 😂), to separate diet culture and obsession with looking a certain way that isn’t natural for your body, from just wanting to be healthy and feel comfortable in your body. My partner and I have been trying to go to the park and use the gym equipment there more often. That way we not only get some exercise, but also get outdoors which I think helps regulate my nervous system which is great for my autism. My partner is more of a “straight in the deep end” kind of person and often injures himself trying to do silly things like lifting weights that are too heavy (despite my advice 👀), he’s learning the hard way I guess. Whereas I take things very slowly, sometimes comically slowly, but I prefer to feel good after I get home not burnt out for the rest of the day, so I’d rather take it slow and progress at my own pace.
It really is such a battle when you’re in place that has become both extremely uncomfortable and yet so familiar. It takes so much courage to change, and I think it also takes a total mindset shift. I’ve struggled a fair bit in life with destructive habits and coping mechanisms, and feeling ambivalent about them was the best I could be for ages. But the old saying always seems to apply: change won’t come until the fear of staying the same becomes greater than the fear of change. Something has to shift, or be let go when it comes to fighting a repeated battle, but it CAN be done, and it so often comes when we truly get our of our own way 💪
It's so fun being a part of the journey with you! I too have 2 children: 3 years 10 months, and a soon 10 month old. During my first pregnancy I gained a large amount of weight, and was so tired for a long time that I gave up exercising. It took almost 2 years after the first bad birthing experience before I could start exercising. I was so scared of getting pregnant a second time because it could have meant loosing all of my fitness. I had looked 6 months pregnant for probably 2.5 years after the birth. The second pregnancy I got really bad pelvic girdle pain - I could barely walk a kilometer during a whole day before I felt exhausted from the pain. However, I started exercising during my pregnancy, and got really fit. After I gave birth, the weight dropped off probably during the first month. My stomach was almost completely flat after only about 2 weeks. Now, at almost 34 I'm the fittest I've ever been. I even see that I have some ab definition under the belly fat. Lots of loose skin too, but I'll have to deal with that at some later point, maybe. Never thought I would be exercising with a 12 kg kettle bell 7 months after giving birth! :) The way exercise makes the body feel though: like it's now meant to live! The shape isn't as important, but I just feel so alive when my body functions properly
Thank you for sharing so honestly again, Melanie. 2 hrs 11 mins screen time, which I'm pleasantly surprised about 😊 As a fellow ADHDer I struggle with consistency, and I'm looking forward to getting back into a better fitness routine ❤ It's so true that a little goes a long way my constant reminder 😊
what helps me is you don’t have to move in the same way, just keep moving! dance classes one week, weights the next. just move consistently and then you’ll feel better!
Sweet Mel, Im mid 30s and been trying with partner for our first, just found out im pregnant, we're away in Bali for xmas and im laid up with foid poisoning but seeing this vid has so lifted my spirits! Had some big health stuff happen last year and its such a wake up call, i dont want to go into parenthood feeling like trash, signing up for the free co-pilot trial right away, what a gift, thank you ❤ partner all in with me too. Been riding the waves with you for years, thanks for being here with us all, your bubs will be so proud of powerhous muma and all youre achieving!! Xx
I started with a PT a couple of months ago which was quite scary given the cost but it's the best money I've ever spent. Also pretty sure I'm undiagnosed ADHD (waiting for assessment) and I'd started to feel weak but felt so intimidated in the gym and didn't want to get it wrong. My 'weight' hasn't changed a bit but I've gained 2kg in muscle and I feel incredible. I'm so excited to see how much stronger I can get in 2025. Given the gym is half way between the walk between my flat & my work it's what works best for me right now but I would consider virtual if my circumstances changed. Also have managed to recalibrate my relationship with food over the past year and looking at protein over calories works really well for me in getting me to choose better and avoid snacks which don't actually give me the kind of energy I need for my day. On your point about kidding ourselves - I really agree. It's hard to find balance in how we think about our bodies given the pressure in media and comparison - but I feel like the older I get especially now in 30's I can tell within myself when my body feels 'right' - and I can really feel when my bodyfat is too high to be healthy and my cardio capacity is low. It's like an internal trigger to change something because health isn't worth losing voluntarily.
Thanks for the inspiration, Melanie! 💚💚 I've been really inconsistent with going to the gym the last couple of months. But I went this morning and it felt really good. 💪🏻💪🏻 no more excuses! Time to fall in love with the gym again!
Sometimes it takes a serious health issue to jolt us into taking positive action to better ourselves. My partner nearly died a few years ago from a health scare and it forced him to change his entire lifestyle. He is now the healthiest he has ever been and it's really rubbed off on me.
I think I'm going to give this app a go, I've been feeling so sick, mentally all over the place- like emotionally not ok.. and my back is killing me!!!! I have no strength. I had my two children back to back, my youngest is now turning 3 and I still haven't recovered from alllllll of that 😢. I wonder about the nutrition side of things- it would be cool is they had more of this incorporated into their app.
For nutrition you can’t go wrong with whole foods and minimally processed foods in unlimited quantities…I find it literally impossible to overeat when I am only buying proper food in my shopping! Because protein and healthy fats and fiber they fill me up SO much that I naturally just eat the right amount! Xxx
I don't have kids yet but this year I've gone from being the fittest version of myself to being diagnosed with graves disease (autoimmune condition that causes hyperthyroidism) and I'm struggling to just do basic daily tasks along side work. I will be using this advice when I get to a place I'm able to exercise again!
thank you SO MUCH Melanie. I love to see you grow in your understanding of yourself in real time. it is a privelage. Im autistic/adhd/pots/FND/EDS. I recently got my Physio plan and ive been struggling to intergrate it. but your video gives me the push i need to try harder and just make it happen consistently. i need to make a plan. i will consult chat gpt lol. thanks again and love from scotland x
Yes! I had my gym induction today. I’m 33 and a mother to my gorgeous boy ❤ I’ve had such a rough 2 years my son was born in 2023 at 25 weeks and he was only 1lbs 4oz, spent 4 months of his life in hospital and defied all the odds that were stacked against him. I’ve nursed him and taken him to appointments etc and now he’s not so fragile I feel like it’s time to focus on me for a bit (why is that so hard to admit? lol). So looking forward to your monthly vlogs and hopefully more videos like this to keep us motivated. Strong and healthy is my vibe for 2025 🩷
Almost 6 months postpartum after my second child and I can so so so so relate to your story. The pandemic and personal things have had a big impact and now 2 kids. I lost myself, my energy and I feel like a slug trying to survive each day. I want to work out and feel better again like I was pre pandemic. I am for now home with the kids for two more months and then besides being a mom I have to go back to work full time, I’m so scared of what’s coming . This opened my eyes a little, I need to start small but do things for me. Thank you Melani and wauw what a change !
Thanks for the scoop post two babies. I’ve valued finding a few mums to ‘carifit’ to post baby number 1. A well fitting sling and a piece of cake after (it’s social, moving our bodies and fun!) has been unthinkably big for me in my post partum journey. I really appreciate the 2 week trial I hope to take it up. One thing I heard recently that helped me was ‘your body is a tool (in reference to motherhood in this season) and not to be preserved in a museum at age 18…’ we should look, feel, be strong enough and be happy inhabiting an amazing tool. When I see my wrecked herniated abs I say to myself ‘my body is a tool’ it BIRTHED a baby it nurtured in there for 9 months - I want my tiger stripes (maybe not the hernia!) and to be pleased to have them. It has really helped me!
Also became a mom for the first time in 2019. Have been desperately trying to get back to exercise and eating (enough) ever since. Will give this app a try. Thank you for posting about this topic. ❤
my cryptonite was that I used to be in such a great shape and at the time anything shorter than a 60 min workout just wouldn't cut it. cue to 3+ years of being completely out of the gym, some attempts that fizzle out because I wasn't motivated to do hard stuff... perfectionism. that was my problem. your comment about screen time prompted me to post - one of perfectionist discounts I gave myself to get going was that I was allowed to listen to something else while working out, not just follow a (somites unenergetic) workout video. A podcast, another youtuber... I only needed to do that sometimes just to convert not working out at all into "i'll take it easy haha" and enjoying it.
So great to hear you are feeling great Melanie! You are such a fantastic youtube role model for folks. My own tip for people who need something free and easy to do at home to get fit: CAROLINE GIRVAN'S WORKOUTS. I'm 42 and in the best shape of my life and it's all thanks to Caroline. The workouts are free here on youtube, there are a ton of them (50 unique workouts in each of her major series), and everything is already planned out for you day by day so there is zero guesswork. Just need a mat and some weights. There is something so positive and uplifting about Girvan even though she never speaks during the workouts. And she is all about how you feel, not how you look. I have never been consistent with workouts but now it's been 6 whole months of 5 days a week training without a hitch! And she will get you to lift HEAVY and do stuff you never thought you could. I'm sure trainwell is great too, but I can't afford to pay for working out, so Caroline is my godsend. 🥰
For me, the dog is really my saviour. It forces me out of the house and move. If the weather is halfway decent I strap on my son in the carrier and just go around the neighborhood. The difference in days that I took care of the dog and the one day a week I take the car to work instead of my bike to get the weekly groceries after work is tremendous. That grocery day I feel mentally and physically uncomfortable. And then to try and create a moment for movement is difficult. I guess that is called functional movement? Works great for me after becoming a parent!
ALL the things and thoughts you mentioned put you down and sabotage you, ALL of them!!! I have them, specially perverting the body positivity/neutrality idea to stay in the couch, I had a baby five months ago and dude, it’s hard work, but it’ll always be! So let us choose our hard
I have low blood pressure and low electrolytes, so my body doesn't feel like it has any power or strength inside it. That's what keeps me from consistently exercising. I would have the motivation to go to the gym if I felt like any of my workouts were decent but I always feel weak
Do what you can! Research shows the absolute biggest gains are going from zero activity to 10-15 min a few days a week of just moderate walking. Perfect is the enemy of good and fitness is for everyone even when we are struggling. Fitness for you might be walking five minutes a day or starting with some stretching and light balance yoga poses. By the way intend to have low blood pressure and moving more actually starts helping me feel better but only if I start slow and really feed my body well before and after.
Yes your video had an impact on me. New resolution for 2025: being healthy and fit and liking the body of a 38 year old mum with a 3yr old boy. Cuz i have got problems to breathe, to hold my son with horrible back pain, I need larger clothes and i cant see myself in the mirror because of the angriness and sadness and depression i would feel to look at myself. So thank you....hope is there! ❤🙏💪
Thank you for this Melanie. I found myself relating to a lot of what you said, about doing exercise on and off, and it just not sticking At the time of watching your video my screen time is 4 hours, 2 mins 😒 Damn!
Thank you for sharing this. ADHD whilst trying to parent is a completely different life💀 p.s thank you so much for the inspiration, I have 2 small girls and undiagnosed adhd pretty sure, and I’m quite unhappy in every part of my life also battling depression(sorry for the neggy!) not particularly overweight but unhappy and I know exercise is the way to start but adhd brain is stuck in such a deep pit
So happy for you, you look great! I really want to get to a place to start excercising. I'm so unfit, can't walk up three flights of stairs at my work without getting out of breath. I totally relate to the "skinny fat" you talked about, I'm pretty skinny overall but I'm sure that's a) good genetics/metabolism and b) only eating 1-2 meals per day plus a dessert (not purposefully avoiding eating just forget to because I'm so busy!) But I'm also in school, working a full time job and doing two internships. Anytime I have free time I just feel so exhausted and want to rest. I keep telling myself I'll be able to start once I graduate in May.
Needed this video today! I hurt my back in November and been struggling with the cycle of "I can't exercise because of my back but I need to exercise so I strengthen my back so I don't injure it again" and my yoga mat is staring at me from the corner 👀
Thank you for being brave enough to do this! I used to average 5 hours (now 2!) and I remember thinking I could watch two entire movies a day instead of mindless scrolling…at the time I was still on Twitter constantly getting into pointless arguments haha, deleting that app was the best thing I ever did
I feel we have a very similar story. I recovered from my ED (bulimia) before I got pregnant for the first time at 29 and I stayed fit during my two pregnancies and now I am at the best point in my life bodywise. (Suffering from panic attacks but that‘s another story) My secret is very heavy weight training (like Caroline Girvan on UA-cam). I can do it at home which is great with two kids. Love your videos ❤
I’ve never felt good in my Body. I’ve never had healthy habits except for one stretch from 2020 to 2022 when I really had habits that made me feel so good. Then I had a miscarriage and then my baby boy both of which completely destroyed my habits in very different ways. I’ve blamed my upbringing and how I wasn’t taught how to take care of myself. But enough is really enough. I’m an adult and at some point I have to admit that maybe it wasn’t my fault as a child but I haven’t been a child for 15 years now. I want to be hopeful for 2025. It’s hard to trust myself but I’m going to try.
I can't afford the gym or Trainwell. The free 2 weeks would give me a customized place to start, but it wouldn't give me the most important thing, which is how to move forward as I get stronger. I have to be my own fitness coach and pick my own workouts as I go, and I have no idea what I'm doing. I've been walking on the treadmill and spending time trying to find free workouts that I like on UA-cam, but it's difficult and confusing. A lot of the videos I try end up not working for me because of my various physical issues. I guess the only thing I can do is keep trying.
I was in the same situation before! I needed to save up for months to afford an adjustable dumbbell set on amazon and then got into it all by following programs on UA-cam with Sydney Cummings - she has 8 and 12 week programs and gives great information on how it should feel and modifications if its too hard. Best of luck to you 💪 you can do this!
For skincare the only things actually proven to slow aging ~ daily spf and retinol! I use both daily, and try different moisturisers from brands like Environ, La Roche Posay and Vichy…consistency truly matters most 🩷
This video is amazing and exactly what I needed to see today. I relate so so much. Do you think it matters if your workouts aren’t evenly spread throughout the week? Due to my work I absolutely cannot workout Weds- Fri but could fit it in on the other days.
This isn’t about weight loss it’s about muscle gains! I lost a bit of weight while sick , then quite a bit more when I was well and eating again as I hugely changed my diet, now I am regaining weight but it’s muscle 😍 Recomposition. These before shots are from a time when I had zero fitness I made a whole video about it. The diet change I made (avoiding upf) made me lose fat / inflammation super fast then it levelled off when I hit my natural set point that I get to any time I am taking care of myself x
Thank you for tackling such a difficult topic. I think the trap some people can fall into with Body Positivity/ Body Neutrality is staying in this place of “it’s ok to just do the easy thing because everything else is so hard all the time”. That is perfectly fine and actually healthy to do, but not forever. One of my favorite quotes is “the comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing grows there”. It’s not ok to just do the easy thing every single day and it’s ok to want better for yourself, whether that’s to make healthier choices like the food you eat and working toward the body you want to have. What’s not ok is to motivate yourself through hatred and putting others down. Loving yourself and living for yourself and others is radical self-care.
Summed up my feelings so beautifully! There are absolutely times when the healthiest approach to fitness is to put it aside temporarily to take care of other difficult things…but when you leave it on the shelf you suffer. Life is so much harder without fitness. I’ve learned that the hard way ❤️
Yes, this is actually how I see body positivity! I want something better for myself, I want my body to be healthy and mobile, pain free (as much as possible).
PLEASE REMEMBER that exercise is self-care, it is not and should not be used as self-punishment...especially after Christmas! But I know that so many people like to set new goals approaching the new year so I really hope this video helps you to reframe exercise in your mind as something to do because you love your body and not because you hate it…because you love your kids and want to be able to throw them around for the place while playing 🥹 Ignore the “burn off the Christmas dinner” brigade pleaseee xx
It 100% is self care 💚💚💚
I'm 30 and childless, and yet I so needed to hear the part about not feeling worthy of the life you want. Getting past that is maybe the biggest hurdle I've ever had.
Same Girl. Im 29 next Week and...im really happy now how it is.
17:57 made me cry.... that's me right now. I have a 2.5 year old and a 3 month old with a rare disease. We have spent the first 2 month in hospital. He is doing better now, but my health hit rock bottom. My fitness is gone, I gained a lot of weight, my back hurts 24/7. I need to make important changes. Thank you for this video! 💚
This is such a powerful
Video, I'm going to watch it again and make notes, I'm seriously holding myself back, late diagnosed adhd and going through divorce, I've resided to believing I'm not worth anything, clicking off this to do a 15 minute workout, myself and my two young children deserve a me that believes in me 🥰
YESSS!!! 😍💪🏻🫶❤️
This video made me cry a little, but also felt like such a huge hug. I feel like I can relate to so many things! I just had my second kid couple of months ago ago, and I do feel like a wreck. I also got diagnosed with ADHD very recently and it absolutely has something to do with my ED! I’ve been struggling for so long, not feeling like I can get back to feeling like myself. Your videos are always so helpful and inspiring. I feel like every time I watch them, it’s a like a chat with a good old friend. THANK YOU SO MUCH♥️ You are the support i didn’t know i needed, and I appreciate you so much.
Proud of you for loving yourself enough to know that taking care of our health and bodies is the most important thing! ❤
Mel I can see how glowing and determined you are with your current lifestyle choices and it is SO inspiring to see! Love the video, and the only thing I want to highlight that I didn't hear mentioned was that I believe I remember from your IG stories that your inital significant weight loss this year was due to how sick you got/ were hospitalized and physically couldn't eat for a period. I just hope that folks know that weight loss will likely not be that drastic for them if they are committing to a healthy routine, and that it's okay to not see similar huge changes in 6 months or a year! All in all you continue to inspire me with your health related content (I read ultra processed people this year because of you!) and I totally believe you can get to Lara Croft levels of strength! 💪
I lost 10lbs initially and that would have been some muscle, I then lost 10 more pounds through dietary changes when I was back to being able to eat, and have since gained 5lbs back through strength training! 🥰 It’s not about weight for me it’s about body composition x
Having someone else plan the workouts is LIFE-CHANGING! When I felt burned-out from the gym I joined a workout studio that is 99.9% women and it made exercise much more enjoyable 😌💗
Wow! We are so proud of you 🤩It's so cool to see all of your progress physically and mentally! Thanks for letting us be a part of your journey 💗
As someone who has gained like 40 pounds since the pandemic and is moving to a new building with a gym, this video really reaffirms my commitment to consistent activity in the new year!
Nothing like a health scare / diagnosis to switch up the lens through which you view exercise, movement and what you fuel your body with. I got diagnosed with a health condition 5 years ago and I am truly a different person since - consistent and disciplined with self care with my motivation to look after myself not fuelled by vanity/insecurity but fuelled by a want to give myself the best possible chance of living a long and healthy life. Great video, so honest 👌🏼
A Little and Often was definitely something I desperately needed to hear, thank you!
This video has been so helpful ❤ my average screen time is between 3-5 hours a day 😬😬 something I want to do is move and read more rather than doom scrolling! My exercise classes have been closed for Christmas and so I have been walking and or doing a home workout but I can't wait to go back next week 🙌 I have missed it 😂 xx
I spend about 7 hours on my phone doom scrolling and avoiding reality. The day after Christmas we lost our second baby to a miscarriage, we have no living children and the experience has taken my mental health. I spent two years in a deep depression and right as I was coming out of it learned I was pregnant and lost another baby. I’m trying to handle things differently this time and not hate myself and my body for betraying me. Your videos really help me, to see how I should treat my body and my mental health. Thank you for always posting it really does help.
I am so, so sorry to hear about your loss 💔 It’s very hard to explain the feeling of losing a baby. Even people who go through it all experience it differently. I lost a baby when I was 19 and in a very unhealthy on/off relationship, unplanned. I was extremely mentally unwell at the time…but by the time I lost the baby I had come around and I was looking forward to becoming a parent. I was getting used to the idea. I completely disassociated while in hospital. My dad/friends would visit and I’d just be watching sex and the city dvds on a portable dvd player. To pretend it wasn’t happening. To imagine I had their life instead. How I ultimately dealt with it was to think about kids I’d have one day naturally or through adoption and to know I wouldn’t end up with them if that pregnancy didn’t work out. I also felt guilt for feeling relieved that I wouldn’t be tied to that ex forever…so extremely complicated to talk about. Just wanted to share as I am proof that a body that’s capable of losing a pregnancy can also be capable of carrying pregnancies to term. What matters most is working on your mental and physical health and reaching a place of feeling calm and safe within yourself ❤️
Melanie! You are someone who helped me overcome my binge eating back in 2018. Watching your videos genuinely has been life changing and impacted my health for the better. Now as a 27 year old who’s trying to get back into fitness without falling into her past unhealthy patterns (starving myself, over exercising, binge eating, etc.) this video couldn’t have come at a better time. You’re truly an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your health journey over the years💚⭐️
I joined your channel because I'm experiencing similar health things to you post virus and adhd burnout. Your videos are extremely helpful and I'm so grateful to you for positng them and sharing your journey ❤ well done for getting to the point you're at now, you've done amazingly well!
I'm so excited - I just signed up for Trainwell! Your success inspired me 🙂 Can't wait to see my transformation this time next year - go me!!!
Yes yes yes! 😍 I just set new goals with my trainer…I want to run a 5k for charity (haven’t run in many many years, want to see how I feel about it now with a totally different relationship to exercise!) and want to be able to hold a 3 minute plank, a few others…so excited! Xx
@ that sounds awesome - best to you as you meet those goals 🥰
Thank you! Your video on neurology earlier this year changed my recovery trajectory from long covid so much so that I feel almost fully cured now! It's hard work but so worth it. Exercise is next on my list 🎉
😭😭😭😭 stoppp really? I actually burst out crying every time someone tells me this. It’s so incredible to learn how much power we have. Follow ‘pain free you’ on here he helped me with ways to respond to PEM that made it stop happening! My nervous system learned that exercise was safe 🥹🥰
Thank you!!! @@melaniemurphyofficial
I'm childfree, but divorced 2 months ago and I feel so unmotivated to do anything. Fear of change and talking about what we think we do or don't deserve definitely struck a chord with me. Thank you Melanie, gonna get off my sad bum and at least to a few squats. Because I know exercise will make me feel better. P.S. You look fantastic!
I'm proud of you!
It’s crazy that you’ve gone from full health meltdown, not being able to walk basically and now you’re here! THAT’s truly amazing and a testament to starting now. You don’t know how much progress you can make in just a few months.
THIS!!! It’s utterly wild to me how absolutely floored I was back in March!
Giiiiirl. Love that for you! I'm so happy that you found your way to feel mentally and physically strong again. I've been following you for yeaaars and your videos about habits you formed in your 20s is kinda like a bible I'm coming back to. There has been a lot of great influences, but you've set the start for me with how you think about working out. I also have been struggling with mental health conditions for years and I keep feeling so fucking stuck and like I am just to fucked up to ever be stable and truely happy and you sharing your story means the world to me. Thank you for everything, Mel❤️
I’ve had a really hard two years. I’ve completely lost myself; lost a lot of friends; had a lot of setbacks and been placed on a path I didn’t expect or ask to be put on. I’ve been diagnosed with chronic depression and PTSD and have really neglected myself. I used to be at the gym a lot pre-pandemic, had a PT and felt absolutely on top of the world because of it. I really want to get back to that. I’ve lost my strength, haven’t eaten properly for about a year and feel so overwhelmed about how to start again. I’ve just joined a new gym that’s opened and have started to eat more; eventually I will hit the weights but I’m essentially a complete beginner again! This video came at the right time and made me feel hope and excitement to start again, thank you ❤
Watch this video right after I came back from my first run in 4 years! I kept holding myself back by thinking that exercise was something I had to take super seriously, and only do it when I had time away from my kid...BUT today I decided NO MORE. Little one wanted to ride her new bike in the park, so I took this as an opportunity for us to do some exercise together. She cycled, I ran alongside her, and we even stopped off in the to have a go on the play park to have a go on the swings (which is honestly a great full body work out)!
I honestly haven't had so much fun exercising since I played sports as a teen, it's really motivated me to keep on going with it. Plus it's a fun activity I can do with my little one whilst teaching her good habits too!
Loved the video, the way you talk about lifestyle changes always feels so positive, and really motivating! 💖
Mel!! Thanks to You and Ariel Bissett I've gifted myself Trainwell to help heal and strengthen after graduation (today is day 99 in my streak-- ee!!). It has helped me focus and feel more in-tune with my body for the first time in years and I'm so grateful. My family has a history of poor joint health especially as we age and I was afraid to use weights but I am steadily using free weights. I actually do my workouts to your videos pretty often! My trainer loves making adjustments and problem-solving movement challenges that I have due to thyroid disease and everything you say in this video resonates so strongly with me. Thank you so much and I'm definitely cheering for You!
Omg incredible!!! 🥹👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I’ve been watching you for many years and I love your fitness/nutrition videos. They are insightful and encouraging without any shame. I just rode my stationary bike while watching!!
I’ve been following you for many years and have watched your ups and downs. I want to say that you are a very strong person who has been through a lot but never gave up. People like you are truly inspiring.
I used to work out for many years, was in great shape, and had so many plans until my ex-husband betrayed me. We got divorced, and I stopped working out and lost myself.
A year has passed, and my physical condition is terrible. My whole body hurts, I constantly sleep and eat, and I was also diagnosed with anemia.
During all this time, I worked 12-hour shifts just to forget the betrayal I went through.
Now, I’ve done my first home workout-some light Pilates. I feel better. I’ve also changed jobs, and after the holidays, I’m hoping for better conditions at work.
Everything can get better. I want to believe it.
It truly truly can 🥹🫶💖
I’m 7 months pregnant with my first. Before pregnancy I loved the gym (started 1 year before becoming pregnant), I was strong, healthy and truly believed I would sustain this during the pregnancy. The truth is I had to stop very early, which makes me feel like a failure sometimes 😔
In week 7 extreme nausea and aversions appeared. It only went downhill from there. From week 20 I’ve been having so many issues and pain, that even walking is a challenge 😬😓 Two weeks ago I cried from pain, when I couldn’t put any weight on my left leg. It’s like my back and hips are giving up.
Honestly, it’s very very hard mentally and physically. I never imagined my pregnancy to be like this. Through this all I’m trying my best to stay optimistic. I’m excited for when the baby comes and I’m also excited for when I get back to gym and improve my fitness 🙌
Thank you Melanie for sharing your journey. Your videos are giving me so much hope that things will change for the better and the pain is only temporary.
Thank you so much for talking about this. I have been stuck and struggling with myself being such a hurdle in my own life.
I made the decision to get a personal trainer earlier last month and start in January. I’m excited to see where this goes. Thank you again Melanie!
You’re bold to put the giggle in the intro, It’s so real. Amazing job.
I want to add that your journey through fitness doesn't have to include classic fitness activities, like stretching, weight lifting, etc. It can be running, danse, swimming, etc. I say it, because I used to think I had to do the traditional fitness exercises to be healthy and it bore me to no end, I couldn't be consistent. If it's you, find your exercise, find what make you feel good.
I have been quite consistent in the gym for about 2 years now but my food habits have yet to catch up. And it is really hard to not be negative about my body when I can't visually see any changes.
So thank you once again for putting my inner thoughts in your voice and showing me that despite all this self-sabotage, change is possible, and even more, sustainable change takes time 💚💚💚
This is really inspiring me Melanie, I'm trying to build up my fitness after a similar situation of a break down. Thanks for the encouragement.
The universe sent this video to me and I’m sooo thankful! Also, I’ve been watching your videos for years and I remember 2019 Melanie! Thank you for being so inspirational!
relearning that exercise and movement is safe after a chronic illness relapse/episode is often never talked about and it is so important and scary. I didn’t realise that’s part of what has been holding me back. Once I’m out of the severe episode i’m in, i will be back walking whilst smiling and relaxing my shoulders. i’ve got this 🎉
Thank you so much for this. I just had my first baby. Don’t know how to be a person anymore and feel like I’ll never get to look and feel the way I want. This is the beginning of changing that. Thank you so much ❤
I really love how you discussed this, not leaving out any of the complexities of it. It can be very difficult especially as a woman (or person who is seen as a woman, in my case 😂), to separate diet culture and obsession with looking a certain way that isn’t natural for your body, from just wanting to be healthy and feel comfortable in your body. My partner and I have been trying to go to the park and use the gym equipment there more often. That way we not only get some exercise, but also get outdoors which I think helps regulate my nervous system which is great for my autism. My partner is more of a “straight in the deep end” kind of person and often injures himself trying to do silly things like lifting weights that are too heavy (despite my advice 👀), he’s learning the hard way I guess. Whereas I take things very slowly, sometimes comically slowly, but I prefer to feel good after I get home not burnt out for the rest of the day, so I’d rather take it slow and progress at my own pace.
Genuinely so happy for you Mel!
It really is such a battle when you’re in place that has become both extremely uncomfortable and yet so familiar. It takes so much courage to change, and I think it also takes a total mindset shift. I’ve struggled a fair bit in life with destructive habits and coping mechanisms, and feeling ambivalent about them was the best I could be for ages. But the old saying always seems to apply: change won’t come until the fear of staying the same becomes greater than the fear of change. Something has to shift, or be let go when it comes to fighting a repeated battle, but it CAN be done, and it so often comes when we truly get our of our own way 💪
It's so fun being a part of the journey with you! I too have 2 children: 3 years 10 months, and a soon 10 month old. During my first pregnancy I gained a large amount of weight, and was so tired for a long time that I gave up exercising. It took almost 2 years after the first bad birthing experience before I could start exercising. I was so scared of getting pregnant a second time because it could have meant loosing all of my fitness. I had looked 6 months pregnant for probably 2.5 years after the birth.
The second pregnancy I got really bad pelvic girdle pain - I could barely walk a kilometer during a whole day before I felt exhausted from the pain. However, I started exercising during my pregnancy, and got really fit. After I gave birth, the weight dropped off probably during the first month. My stomach was almost completely flat after only about 2 weeks. Now, at almost 34 I'm the fittest I've ever been. I even see that I have some ab definition under the belly fat. Lots of loose skin too, but I'll have to deal with that at some later point, maybe. Never thought I would be exercising with a 12 kg kettle bell 7 months after giving birth! :)
The way exercise makes the body feel though: like it's now meant to live! The shape isn't as important, but I just feel so alive when my body functions properly
Wow that’s a huge inspiration 💪
Thank you for sharing so honestly again, Melanie. 2 hrs 11 mins screen time, which I'm pleasantly surprised about 😊 As a fellow ADHDer I struggle with consistency, and I'm looking forward to getting back into a better fitness routine ❤ It's so true that a little goes a long way my constant reminder 😊
what helps me is you don’t have to move in the same way, just keep moving! dance classes one week, weights the next. just move consistently and then you’ll feel better!
So relatable as always! ❤
Sweet Mel, Im mid 30s and been trying with partner for our first, just found out im pregnant, we're away in Bali for xmas and im laid up with foid poisoning but seeing this vid has so lifted my spirits! Had some big health stuff happen last year and its such a wake up call, i dont want to go into parenthood feeling like trash, signing up for the free co-pilot trial right away, what a gift, thank you ❤ partner all in with me too. Been riding the waves with you for years, thanks for being here with us all, your bubs will be so proud of powerhous muma and all youre achieving!! Xx
I started with a PT a couple of months ago which was quite scary given the cost but it's the best money I've ever spent. Also pretty sure I'm undiagnosed ADHD (waiting for assessment) and I'd started to feel weak but felt so intimidated in the gym and didn't want to get it wrong. My 'weight' hasn't changed a bit but I've gained 2kg in muscle and I feel incredible. I'm so excited to see how much stronger I can get in 2025. Given the gym is half way between the walk between my flat & my work it's what works best for me right now but I would consider virtual if my circumstances changed. Also have managed to recalibrate my relationship with food over the past year and looking at protein over calories works really well for me in getting me to choose better and avoid snacks which don't actually give me the kind of energy I need for my day. On your point about kidding ourselves - I really agree. It's hard to find balance in how we think about our bodies given the pressure in media and comparison - but I feel like the older I get especially now in 30's I can tell within myself when my body feels 'right' - and I can really feel when my bodyfat is too high to be healthy and my cardio capacity is low. It's like an internal trigger to change something because health isn't worth losing voluntarily.
Thanks for the inspiration, Melanie! 💚💚 I've been really inconsistent with going to the gym the last couple of months. But I went this morning and it felt really good. 💪🏻💪🏻 no more excuses! Time to fall in love with the gym again!
Sometimes it takes a serious health issue to jolt us into taking positive action to better ourselves. My partner nearly died a few years ago from a health scare and it forced him to change his entire lifestyle. He is now the healthiest he has ever been and it's really rubbed off on me.
Love your videos so much
Your story is an example for progess not always being linear. Which means there's still hope for me.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 it truly isn’t…because life happens! Getting back up when we’ve been knocked down is what matters 🩷
I honestly needed you today! Love your channel mama 🧡
I think I'm going to give this app a go, I've been feeling so sick, mentally all over the place- like emotionally not ok.. and my back is killing me!!!! I have no strength. I had my two children back to back, my youngest is now turning 3 and I still haven't recovered from alllllll of that 😢. I wonder about the nutrition side of things- it would be cool is they had more of this incorporated into their app.
For nutrition you can’t go wrong with whole foods and minimally processed foods in unlimited quantities…I find it literally impossible to overeat when I am only buying proper food in my shopping! Because protein and healthy fats and fiber they fill me up SO much that I naturally just eat the right amount! Xxx
I don't have kids yet but this year I've gone from being the fittest version of myself to being diagnosed with graves disease (autoimmune condition that causes hyperthyroidism) and I'm struggling to just do basic daily tasks along side work. I will be using this advice when I get to a place I'm able to exercise again!
thank you SO MUCH Melanie. I love to see you grow in your understanding of yourself in real time. it is a privelage. Im autistic/adhd/pots/FND/EDS. I recently got my Physio plan and ive been struggling to intergrate it. but your video gives me the push i need to try harder and just make it happen consistently. i need to make a plan. i will consult chat gpt lol. thanks again and love from scotland x
Yes! I had my gym induction today. I’m 33 and a mother to my gorgeous boy ❤ I’ve had such a rough 2 years my son was born in 2023 at 25 weeks and he was only 1lbs 4oz, spent 4 months of his life in hospital and defied all the odds that were stacked against him. I’ve nursed him and taken him to appointments etc and now he’s not so fragile I feel like it’s time to focus on me for a bit (why is that so hard to admit? lol). So looking forward to your monthly vlogs and hopefully more videos like this to keep us motivated. Strong and healthy is my vibe for 2025 🩷
Almost 6 months postpartum after my second child and I can so so so so relate to your story.
The pandemic and personal things have had a big impact and now 2 kids.
I lost myself, my energy and I feel like a slug trying to survive each day. I want to work out and feel better again like I was pre pandemic. I am for now home with the kids for two more months and then besides being a mom I have to go back to work full time, I’m so scared of what’s coming . This opened my eyes a little, I need to start small but do things for me.
Thank you Melani and wauw what a change !
Thanks for the scoop post two babies. I’ve valued finding a few mums to ‘carifit’ to post baby number 1. A well fitting sling and a piece of cake after (it’s social, moving our bodies and fun!) has been unthinkably big for me in my post partum journey. I really appreciate the 2 week trial I hope to take it up. One thing I heard recently that helped me was ‘your body is a tool (in reference to motherhood in this season) and not to be preserved in a museum at age 18…’ we should look, feel, be strong enough and be happy inhabiting an amazing tool. When I see my wrecked herniated abs I say to myself ‘my body is a tool’ it BIRTHED a baby it nurtured in there for 9 months - I want my tiger stripes (maybe not the hernia!) and to be pleased to have them. It has really helped me!
Great vid thanks. Such a tricky topic and approached with nuance here ❤
Also became a mom for the first time in 2019. Have been desperately trying to get back to exercise and eating (enough) ever since. Will give this app a try. Thank you for posting about this topic. ❤
Yay monthly vlogs!!! Can't wait to hear more about your nuerodiversity explorations. Cheers to 2025!
Love your make up here. The pink in your blush and the pink walls look so cool together. 💚
I really really really needed to hear and see all this
🥹❤️❤️❤️
my cryptonite was that I used to be in such a great shape and at the time anything shorter than a 60 min workout just wouldn't cut it. cue to 3+ years of being completely out of the gym, some attempts that fizzle out because I wasn't motivated to do hard stuff... perfectionism. that was my problem.
your comment about screen time prompted me to post - one of perfectionist discounts I gave myself to get going was that I was allowed to listen to something else while working out, not just follow a (somites unenergetic) workout video. A podcast, another youtuber... I only needed to do that sometimes just to convert not working out at all into "i'll take it easy haha" and enjoying it.
So great to hear you are feeling great Melanie! You are such a fantastic youtube role model for folks. My own tip for people who need something free and easy to do at home to get fit: CAROLINE GIRVAN'S WORKOUTS. I'm 42 and in the best shape of my life and it's all thanks to Caroline. The workouts are free here on youtube, there are a ton of them (50 unique workouts in each of her major series), and everything is already planned out for you day by day so there is zero guesswork. Just need a mat and some weights. There is something so positive and uplifting about Girvan even though she never speaks during the workouts. And she is all about how you feel, not how you look. I have never been consistent with workouts but now it's been 6 whole months of 5 days a week training without a hitch! And she will get you to lift HEAVY and do stuff you never thought you could. I'm sure trainwell is great too, but I can't afford to pay for working out, so Caroline is my godsend. 🥰
+1 Caroline is the best!!
For me, the dog is really my saviour. It forces me out of the house and move. If the weather is halfway decent I strap on my son in the carrier and just go around the neighborhood. The difference in days that I took care of the dog and the one day a week I take the car to work instead of my bike to get the weekly groceries after work is tremendous. That grocery day I feel mentally and physically uncomfortable. And then to try and create a moment for movement is difficult. I guess that is called functional movement? Works great for me after becoming a parent!
Unrelated but I love the colors of the walls behind you!
We are just about finished renovating the kids room & absolutely loveee this combo 😍
Thanks Mel for this video ❤
ALL the things and thoughts you mentioned put you down and sabotage you, ALL of them!!! I have them, specially perverting the body positivity/neutrality idea to stay in the couch, I had a baby five months ago and dude, it’s hard work, but it’ll always be! So let us choose our hard
Thank you for every word of this video. Not me crying and going for a walk in nature now! :)
🥹😭❤️
I have low blood pressure and low electrolytes, so my body doesn't feel like it has any power or strength inside it. That's what keeps me from consistently exercising. I would have the motivation to go to the gym if I felt like any of my workouts were decent but I always feel weak
Do what you can! Research shows the absolute biggest gains are going from zero activity to 10-15 min a few days a week of just moderate walking. Perfect is the enemy of good and fitness is for everyone even when we are struggling. Fitness for you might be walking five minutes a day or starting with some stretching and light balance yoga poses. By the way intend to have low blood pressure and moving more actually starts helping me feel better but only if I start slow and really feed my body well before and after.
Yes your video had an impact on me. New resolution for 2025: being healthy and fit and liking the body of a 38 year old mum with a 3yr old boy. Cuz i have got problems to breathe, to hold my son with horrible back pain, I need larger clothes and i cant see myself in the mirror because of the angriness and sadness and depression i would feel to look at myself. So thank you....hope is there! ❤🙏💪
Thank you for this Melanie.
I found myself relating to a lot of what you said, about doing exercise on and off, and it just not sticking
At the time of watching your video my screen time is 4 hours, 2 mins 😒
Damn!
im not a mom, but i have been trying to get fitter, so this video helped!
Thank you for reminding how easy is to move!
I live on 17th floor, think it's a sign to start walking down by the stairs.....
You look incredible. I hope I'll catch up with you one day! Hopefully this summer. ❤
My screen time depressingly is 4 hours...and that's just my phone, I also have a screen-based job and tend to watch 1-2 hours of TV per day 😬
Thank you for sharing this. ADHD whilst trying to parent is a completely different life💀 p.s thank you so much for the inspiration, I have 2 small girls and undiagnosed adhd pretty sure, and I’m quite unhappy in every part of my life also battling depression(sorry for the neggy!) not particularly overweight but unhappy and I know exercise is the way to start but adhd brain is stuck in such a deep pit
So happy for you, you look great! I really want to get to a place to start excercising. I'm so unfit, can't walk up three flights of stairs at my work without getting out of breath. I totally relate to the "skinny fat" you talked about, I'm pretty skinny overall but I'm sure that's a) good genetics/metabolism and b) only eating 1-2 meals per day plus a dessert (not purposefully avoiding eating just forget to because I'm so busy!) But I'm also in school, working a full time job and doing two internships. Anytime I have free time I just feel so exhausted and want to rest. I keep telling myself I'll be able to start once I graduate in May.
'I can play the lion game now' ahaha, that's the main thing! 😍
Needed this video today! I hurt my back in November and been struggling with the cycle of "I can't exercise because of my back but I need to exercise so I strengthen my back so I don't injure it again" and my yoga mat is staring at me from the corner 👀
I love this video ♥️ happy 2025 🎉
Thank you for sharing this
Happy new year dear 🙂✨️🎉💐🎁🍫
... * stares in 7h average daily screen time * ... oh
Thank you for being brave enough to do this! I used to average 5 hours (now 2!) and I remember thinking I could watch two entire movies a day instead of mindless scrolling…at the time I was still on Twitter constantly getting into pointless arguments haha, deleting that app was the best thing I ever did
@ I think TikTok might need to leave my phone… 🤮 Next time I say I have no time to go for a run I’m gonna bonk myself in my liar mouth 😂
I feel we have a very similar story. I recovered from my ED (bulimia) before I got pregnant for the first time at 29 and I stayed fit during my two pregnancies and now I am at the best point in my life bodywise. (Suffering from panic attacks but that‘s another story)
My secret is very heavy weight training (like Caroline Girvan on UA-cam). I can do it at home which is great with two kids.
Love your videos ❤
i watched this whilst weight training 😂 it was the perfect 30 minutes i was going for
I’ve never felt good in my
Body. I’ve never had healthy habits except for one stretch from 2020 to 2022 when I really had habits that made me feel so good. Then I had a miscarriage and then my baby boy both of which completely destroyed my habits in very different ways. I’ve blamed my upbringing and how I wasn’t taught how to take care of myself. But enough is really enough. I’m an adult and at some point I have to admit that maybe it wasn’t my fault as a child but I haven’t been a child for 15 years now. I want to be hopeful for 2025. It’s hard to trust myself but I’m going to try.
I can't afford the gym or Trainwell. The free 2 weeks would give me a customized place to start, but it wouldn't give me the most important thing, which is how to move forward as I get stronger. I have to be my own fitness coach and pick my own workouts as I go, and I have no idea what I'm doing. I've been walking on the treadmill and spending time trying to find free workouts that I like on UA-cam, but it's difficult and confusing. A lot of the videos I try end up not working for me because of my various physical issues. I guess the only thing I can do is keep trying.
I was in the same situation before! I needed to save up for months to afford an adjustable dumbbell set on amazon and then got into it all by following programs on UA-cam with Sydney Cummings - she has 8 and 12 week programs and gives great information on how it should feel and modifications if its too hard. Best of luck to you 💪 you can do this!
@@sophiebanks6457 Thank you, I'll check that out!
Hello, I’m 32 and struggling with my health and skin care what products do you use that work?
For skincare the only things actually proven to slow aging ~ daily spf and retinol! I use both daily, and try different moisturisers from brands like Environ, La Roche Posay and Vichy…consistency truly matters most 🩷
This video is amazing and exactly what I needed to see today. I relate so so much.
Do you think it matters if your workouts aren’t evenly spread throughout the week? Due to my work I absolutely cannot workout Weds- Fri but could fit it in on the other days.
Working out while watching this 😁
A legend 😍🤘🏻
umm why is the intro making me emotional 🥹🥺
😭😭❤️
Soooo true and helpful! 😢
thank you very much ❤
My boyfriend: "What are you doing?", Me: "I'm squatting with Mel!"
😂😂😂😂🤘🏻🤘🏻
i can’t believe baby pan is 4! time flies!!
My daily average screen time is 3 hours 😬 a lot of that is UA-cam/ podcasts while driving though
hello.. loved this sm! can I ask, do you think train well would work around my menstrual cycle if I want them too?
They 100% do! I am constantly asking to switch things around for various reasons, my coach is so incredibly on the ball! ❤️
Didn’t you make a video about your weight loss a few months ago and said it was due to being sick?
This isn’t about weight loss it’s about muscle gains! I lost a bit of weight while sick , then quite a bit more when I was well and eating again as I hugely changed my diet, now I am regaining weight but it’s muscle 😍 Recomposition. These before shots are from a time when I had zero fitness I made a whole video about it. The diet change I made (avoiding upf) made me lose fat / inflammation super fast then it levelled off when I hit my natural set point that I get to any time I am taking care of myself x
@@melaniemurphyofficial but obviously you got a lot slimmer, and looked skinny which you then made a video about and you said it was from being sick
Love you sm 🫶🫶🫶
😭😭 you sweetheart xxxxxxx 💖
2h 36m and less than 600 steps. 6 mo ths post partum your video couldn't have come at a better time for me. First goal is 1 pushup
Amazing motivation for 2025, you are great
I've followed you for so long but I'm still always shocked at just how gorgeous you are!! 😮🥰🥰🥰 Inside and out!!