Karen Fotheringham PT

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Karen Fotheringham PT

Helping people to start strength training with confidence 💫

24/01/2026

First up I don’t think there’s anything wrong with sharing progress pics, and I’ve thought a lot about whether I should ask clients to share in order to promote my coaching, but for me, my clients and my style of coaching it just doesn’t fit 🤷‍♀️

It’s not that my clients don’t get results, and I feel great for them when they do, I love getting messages when they feel amazing in a new outfit or notice changes in their physique!

But progress pictures just don’t suit my vibe. So I won’t ever ask you for them. Your progress belongs to you. And a picture lasts forever online.

22/01/2026

Sweating is basically your body’s cooling system. When your temperature rises, your brain says, “Right, time to turn the taps on.”

It’s not a measure of fitness!

A few things that do actually affect how much you sweat:
• Genetics – some people are just natural sweaters (lucky us).
• Hormones – stress, anxiety, menstrual cycle, menopause… all can crank it up.
• Environment – heat, humidity, layers of clothing.
• Fitness adaptation – Fitter people often sweat earlier and more because their bodies are efficient at cooling.

So ironically, sweating easily can mean your body is doing its job well.

What sweating doesn’t mean:
• It doesn’t mean you’re weak
• It doesn’t mean you’re out of shape
• It doesn’t mean you’re “bad at exercise”

Downside is - more laundry 😆

21/01/2026

January has a way of amplifying self-doubt — especially if you’re just starting out with fitness.

The new routines.
The comparisons.
The feeling that everyone else is miles ahead.

I’ve heard these thoughts so often from beginners… and I’ve had them myself too.

When your mind says:
• “I’m so unfit, I shouldn’t even be here”
→ Everyone starts somewhere. Nobody is more entitled to use the gym, join the class, take up space than you. And nobody is thinking you shouldn’t be there!

• “I’m doing this wrong”
→ Learning is part of the process. You don’t need to be perfect to make progress. There’s always something new to learn no matter how long you’ve been at it.

• “Everyone else looks confident”
→ Confidence comes after repetition, not before it. It’s also often faked. I guarantee most people in the gym have anxieties too.

• “If this feels hard, I must be bad at it”
→ New things feel hard because your body is adapting — not because you’re failing.

• “I’ll never stick to this”
→ You don’t need to think forever right now. Just focus on today. There will also be days that feel much easier.

If you’re new to fitness — or starting again — you’re not behind.
And slow, steady, supported progress is exactly how confidence is built 🤍

Think about this for the days you feel like quitting before you’ve even begun.

17/01/2026

And these are some of the reasons by mid January everything feels like it’s too much.

The problem isn’t you, it’s the unrealistic system and routine you’re trying to make fit.

12/01/2026

Strength training builds muscles.
But recovery builds capacity.

I’m hosting a sound bath for my clients because nervous system regulation matters just as much as reps and sets.

When stress is high, progress stalls — not because you’re weak, but because your body is in survival mode.

This is space to slow down, let your system settle, and support the work you’re already doing in training.

Strong isn’t just what you do in the workout
It’s how well you recover. ✨

11/01/2026

Rapid weight loss = risk of muscle & bone density loss
And that’s not just a future problem. Muscle loss affects:
• Metabolism
• Aesthetics- you’re not going to get that toned look you hoped for
• Strength
• Long-term health (especially for women)

💪 The solution? Strength training. Optimising nutrition
If you’re using (or considering) GLP-1s, lifting weights isn’t optional — it’s essential.

Here’s how to protect your body while losing weight:
✔️ Prioritise resistance training 2–4x/week
✔️ Eat enough protein (this matters more than you think)
✔️ Don’t chase the scale — chase strength
✔️ Think body composition, not just body weight

08/01/2026

Have you considered online coaching? It can be an ideal alternative, more flexible, and as supportive as you need it to be 😊

For more info just get in touch 📩

💪

06/01/2026

If your lifts feel heavier than last week, you haven’t “gone backwards.”
You’re human.

Hormones, stress, sleep, nutrition, hydration and life all impact performance.
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s staying in the game.

To keep moving forward in strength training, prioritise:
• Consistency over perfect sessions
• Recovery (sleep, rest days, stress management)
• Fuel enough to support training
• Technique before adding load
• Tracking trends, not single workouts
• Patience — adaptation takes time

04/01/2026

Obviously there are some things that need to take priority, family, work…

But if you really thought about it there are probably things that suck your time that aren’t in the grand scheme that important.

Making time for your health and fitness now could help prevent you struggling with it later.

It doesn’t have to be long workouts, it doesn’t have to happen in the gym, if you want help prioritising a routine that works for you get in touch 😊

Address

Forfar

Website

http://karenfotheringhampt.co.uk/

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