What’s your superhero origins story?
After seven years in parliamentary lobbying and seven years as a stay-at-home mum, I trained as a personal trainer and followed my passion to become a specialist in pregnancy and postnatal fitness. In 2014 I qualified as a Holistic Core Restore® coach and since then I’ve been helping women in all stages of life to strengthen their pelvic floors and core. I also qualified as a massage therapist in 2017.
Can I pop in and try your class?
Unfortunately not as Holistic Core Restore® is a six week blocks. It starts with a thorough pre-screening questionnaire to make sure the course is right for you. So, sorry, no drop-ins.
Is this just a post-pregancy class?
No. It's great postnatally, but it's ideal for every woman in every stage of life. The babies welcome class is slightly more focussed on the postnatal experience, but both classes are open to all women.
What can people expect when they come to your class?
Before the course begins we have a one-to-one session where you and I sit down and talk about what you want to get out of the course. This is important because some women want to stop leaking pee when they cough and sneeze, others want to improve the appearance of their tummies, heal separated tummy muscles (diastasis recti) or to reconnect with their bodies after childbirth – all sorts of reasons. Together we put together a programme to meet your needs.
We then work in class for six weeks to strengthen and co-ordinate your pelvic floor. We use breathing strategies, stretches, releases, and whole-body timed exercises to do this. It can be challenging but everyone works at their own pace.
What can someone hope to achieve by coming to your class?
Holistic Core Restore® classes are very goal-focussed! I encourage women to set their intention for the course and I give out weekly self-care logs to make sure they’re doing their homework. In six weeks you can make your pelvic floor function better by improving core coordination, and increase pelvic floor strength. This can mean less leaks, more core strength, reduced backache, better posture, better tummy appearance, reduced separation of tummy muscles.
Why do you teach this course?
Maybe I’m a taboo-buster at heart!
Weak pelvic floor and incontinence limit your world by making you afraid to do what you want to do – running, laughing, leaving the house with confidence. But the solution is often straightforward!
In week four, when women tell me they’ve had their first dry sneeze for a decade, or in week 6, when they proudly show me their ‘before and after’ pictures of how much the appearance of their tummy has improved – these moments are terrific.
Why is this a holistic course?
You can’t build core strength or repair your pelvic floor with exercise alone. It takes a balance of nutrition, self-care, soft tissue release and movement. This course helps you with all of these elements.
Watch Elspeth's Q & A about Holistic Core Restore
To find out more information about Elspeth's class click on the link.
