Strength By Sophie

We spend a lot of time exercising for short-term goals.

The holiday.

The dress.

The number on the scales.

The PB.

And there's absolutely nothing wrong with having those goals.

But I think there's a much bigger picture that's easy to forget.

I don't just want to live until I'm 70, 80 or beyond.

I want to still be able to ‘do things.’

I want to carry my own shopping.

Walk for miles on holiday.

Get myself up off the floor.

Lift heavy things without worrying about hurting myself.

Keep doing the hobbies I love.

And generally not have to think twice about whether my body is capable of something.

Of course, none of us can completely control what happens to our health as we get older.

But there are things we can do now to give ourselves the best possible chance of staying strong, fit and independent.

And they don't have to be complicated.

Lift weights.

Move regularly.

Look after your cardiovascular fitness.

Eat well most of the time.

Prioritise sleep and recovery.

Then keep doing those things for years.

Your reason for starting might be what you want to change today.

But one of the best reasons to keep going might be the woman you want to be decades from now.

You probably don’t have a motivation problem.

You might have a prioritisation problem.

When you’re trying to grow your career, train 4x a week, hit 10k steps, cook every meal from scratch, keep the house clean, maintain a social life, get 8 hours sleep, work on your relationships AND somehow find time to relax…

Of course you feel like you’re falling behind.

Not because you’re lazy or unmotivated.

Because you’re trying to make everything a priority at the same time.

And when everything is a priority, nothing really is.

I don’t believe life is about finding the perfect balance where you give equal time and energy to everything.

I think life works better in phases.

Sometimes work needs more of you.

Sometimes training is the thing you really want to push.

Sometimes your family, relationships or health need to come first.

And the other things don’t disappear — they just move into maintenance mode for a while.

You can still train without chasing PBs.

You can still work on your business without trying to grow it at 100mph.

You can still see your friends without saying yes to every plan.

You’re not giving up on those things. You’re deciding what deserves the most from you right now

Then, when that phase changes, your priorities can change with it.

Maybe the answer isn’t figuring out how to do everything.

Maybe it’s getting really clear on what matters most in this phase of your life — and giving yourself permission to let the rest tick over for a while.

I am now a certified pre and post natal coach!! 🤰💪

I’m on a mission to be able to confidently help women throughout every stage of their lives, and this is just the first step.

Continuing to learn and develop my knowledge is super important to me. I want to make sure I’m giving my clients the best service I can, while keeping up with the latest research.

As much as I’m a science person, I also believe in coaching holistically.

Research gives us the foundations, but good coaching is about understanding the person in front of you and adapting that knowledge to them.

Always learning. Always improving. 🧠

What’s next for me…

Second powerlifting comp done. 💪

So... what's next?

I'm taking the pressure off powerlifting for a while.

I'll still be training hard and following a powerlifting style programme, but my sessions will be shorter and less demanding. I want to give myself a bit more space to focus on other areas of life.

If you know me, you'll know I'm very all or nothing. I love throwing everything I've got into one goal, but sometimes that comes at the expense of everything else.

At the start of the year, I committed to growing my business. Then I unexpectedly qualified for the British Championships. Trying to give 100% to both, while working other jobs, looking after the house and Dexta, and attempting to have some sort of social life, became mentally and physically exhausting.

I've realised I don't really believe in "balance." I believe in phases.

Sometimes one area of your life needs to take priority, and that's okay.

So for the rest of 2026 (and probably into early 2027):
🏋️ I'll keep training, just with less pressure.
📉 I'm working on losing around 5-6kg.
🚫 No competitions planned.
💛 Most of my energy is going into growing Strength By Sophie and helping more women get stronger and more confident.
👨‍👩‍👧 I'll make more time for friends, family and the things that make me feel good.
🐶 And Dexta and I have plenty of training to do before our trip away in October.

One goal at a time. But right now, this feels like the right phase.