Nicci Maree - Personal Trainer

Deodorant. This was such an easy change.

When I first started looking into "lower-tox" options, I asked the Studio 51 community what everyone was using and this brand "Everkind" came up multiple times.

For the last 6 months I've been using Fussy and absolutely loved it. Then I realised the refill containers are still plastic... so I decided to see what else was out there.

I bought two different scents from Everkind for myself so I could figure out which one I liked best, and one for my husband as well.

Has anyone found a natural deodorant they absolutely love?

Over a year after a full ACL rupture in my right knee, the MRI results are in... and they're incredible ✨

My ACL has continued to heal over the past year, and the latest scan shows it is nearly back to 100% with NO surgery😱😱

The exact wording from the report:
"Further interval, near complete healing of the previous ACL rupture. The ligament has normal course and continuity, with very minor ligamentous oedema remaining."

I've put a huge amount of work into my rehab, focused on good nutrition, and stayed consistent with my recovery. Did those things contribute to the healing? Who knows for sure, but I definitely wasn't sitting around doing nothing!

I'm now playing hockey (1st year ever) and ultimate frisbee every week, fitting in at least two to three strength sessions, doing daily mobility work, and walking the dog several times a week.

Very happy to be successful in my rehab journey with my ACL. It definitely has not been easy, but to nearly have it back to 100, Im so happy! Very thankful to my Sports Doctor, Caroline Stuart, that was very motivating and encouraging in regards to the non surgery "brace protocol" that immobilised my knee for 12 weeks, and the full rehabilitation journey.

My brace is still with me till at least the end of the year to ensure I dont re injure it 🤞🙌

🌿 Low-Tox Journey: Change #2

Toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Bamboo toothbrushes felt like an easy enough swap, but toothpaste tablets for the kids... and a pottle of toothpaste that we use a teaspoon to get it out...

So far, the verdict:

Bamboo toothbrushes was an easy swap.

Toothpaste tablets.... the boys are not sold on... But when their toothpaste tube runs out they will have no choice 🤣😉

Our pottle of toothpaste, is great! Just a little bit more admin time...

Interdental brushes... First use, the brush part fell out of the stick part, so that wasn't ideal!! But they're usable. 🤷🏻‍♀️

These toothbrushes and toothpaste products came from Health Post NZ.

Has anyone else tried other products, any recommendations for us to try?

🌿 Low-Tox Journey: Change #1

Kitchen utensils.

This one was easy! I swapped out my plastic spatulas, flippers/turners and cooking utensils for wooden and stainless steel options.

The silly thing is, I actually thought I'd need my plastic spatula. I couldn't quite bring myself to give it away, so I tucked them into a different drawer "just in case."... One week later... I haven't touched it once and found the wooden ones awesome! ~ From

.nz is where I got the rest of the goods from.

Such a simple change, but one of the things I've learnt already is that not every swap has to be expensive or overwhelming. Sometimes it's just replacing everyday items as you go.

Okay… so I think I’ve officially entered my “low-tox/plastic detox” era 🤣

The boys are convinced I’m having a midlife crisis because I’ve decided to stop colouring my hair, question everything around our house, and slowly start replacing half the house...

But honestly… over the last year I’ve become more and more interested in the connection between inflammation, hormones, nervous system health, recovery, and what we expose ourselves to every day.

I recently watched the documentary *Plastic Detox* and it surprised me. Modern life exposes us to a huge amount of plastics, synthetic materials and chemicals, and I’ve realised there are probably some small realistic changes I can make over time to reduce the overall load for myself and my family.

So I’ve decided to make this my little project:
🌿 52 small changes over 52 weeks. (It may take longer than a year!).

I’m going to slowly share the swaps, changes, products, fails, and things I learn along the way.

A few things already on the list:
• Shampoo + conditioner bars
• Shaver, toothpaste, toothbrushes
• Glass containers
• Less plastic in the kitchen (blender, air fryer, utensils etc)
• Natural fibres where possible (clothing, bedding, blankets)
• Better drink bottles/lunchboxes
• Lower-tox skincare/makeup
• Less packaged food
• More reusable options

And yes… grey hair now too 🫣😂

(My list is actually huge! The more I look, the more I find!!)

If anyone else is into this stuff, already living more low-tox, or has recommendations, I would LOVE ideas because I will be learning as I go!!

I am also very excited. Have spent the last week researching a lot! Some purchases have been made, which Im excited to share!

Reactive Dogs (Education-Focused)

Today we had a really upsetting incident on the beach involving our beautiful dog Chloe and another dog that ran up to her off-lead, despite us asking the owner to please recall their dog.

Chloe is a beautiful, loving, gentle dog, but she is reactive to unknown dogs that rush her because she was attacked as a puppy. That trauma lives in her nervous system. When unfamiliar dogs rush her, she doesn’t see a “friendly dog”… she feels threatened and tries to protect herself.

She is amazing with dogs she knows. She is calm, gentle and social in safe, controlled environments.
But unknown dogs running straight at her can trigger fear-based reactions; and that’s not “bad behaviour”, that’s a nervous system in survival mode.

Before working with Sinead from Animal Culture here in Whangārei, I honestly thought reactivity meant a dog was untrained. I was so naive. There is so much more going on; fear, trauma, thresholds, and nervous system overload.

Reactive dogs are not aggressive. They have particular triggers that make them respond in certain ways, and being rushed is one of Chloe's.

We work incredibly hard to manage Chloe, we use leads, choose quiet times, train, desensitise and advocate for her. But what helps us more than anything is when other people listen when we say:
“Please recall your dog.”

It doesn’t matter how friendly your dog is. If another dog is scared, injured, elderly, reactive or in training; running up to them can cause real harm.

Today’s fight should never have happened.

If you have a reactive dog, you are not alone. There is so much that can be done to help them feel safer and calmer, and working with the right trainer makes all the difference. Sinead from Animal Culture is incredible, I could not recommend her more.

And if you don’t have a reactive dog… please, when someone asks you to recall or leash your dog, listen. You might be protecting someone else’s dog, someone else’s hard work, and someone else’s heart.

Chloe is not a bad dog. She is a dog who had something bad happen to her; and we will always advocate for her. 🤍🐾

I wanted to share a bit of a personal update.

The end of last year was full, in all the good ways, and I made the decision to properly step back from social media over the holidays. Simply because I needed the space to reset, recharge, and be present with my family.

At the end of November I also made a big decision:
To not go ahead with ACL surgery, which had been booked for December 12th.

This wasn’t a rushed choice, or one made lightly. It came after a lot of rehab, reassessing how my knee was actually functioning, and listening closely to my body.

Over the holidays at Taupō Bay, I moved A LOT, early morning walks, jogs, runs, riding over the hill, surfing, paddle boarding, swimming, snorkelling… and plenty of slowing down too 📖

Was it perfect training? Definitely not... I should have done more strength and mobility work, and yes, I’m feeling very tight everywhere now that I’m home again. But the big takeaway was confidence: my knee felt stable, capable, and trustworthy in (my) real life movement.

Rehab is still ongoing, and I’m being very intentional about loading, strength, and mobility now that I’m back into routine. This experience has been a powerful reminder that every body is different, and the right decision is always the one that fits the person, the timing, and the context, whether that path is surgical or non-surgical.

I’m feeling refreshed, grounded, and ready to ease back into work and routine. Im back at Studio 19th January ✨️

Nicci x

Posts like this from Connective Issues are SO important.

Traditional strength training doesn’t always feel great for hypermobile bodies, not because you’re doing anything wrong, but because the rules are different.

As a personal trainer and movement coach, I absolutely love working with hypermobility clients.
It’s slower, more intentional, deeply neurological work:
✔️ stability before strength
✔️ proprioception + control
✔️ building trust in movement again
✔️ respecting fatigue + flare cycles
✔️ celebrating every tiny win

It’s a process… but the progress is magic.

If this post resonates with you, please know you’re not “broken”, you just need a training style designed for your body.

Nicci x