For this weeks Monday Musings we want to share an interview with our Founder Lyndsey Roberts, Lyndsey started SLAM in 2016 after the birth of her son. During her pregnancy and early postnatal period she felt incredibly let down by the fitness industry and went in search of something more inclusive and supportive of her needs. When she couldn’t find it, she decided to create it! Fast forward 7 years and she is now the creator of Scotland’s go-to company for pre and postnatal education and women’s well-being, has a global client base and is on a mission to challenge and change the fitness industry from the inside!

Let’s start with what you do. 

I’m Lyndsey and I’m the owner of Strong Like a Mutha. We are a heart-centred health and wellness company on a mission to empower everyone we work with, not just physically but mentally too. The company has a pretty big vision to make really big changes in the fitness industry and in the world.

My personal vision is to make the world a better & more supportive place for all humans, I want to be part of the conversation and action for change that sees people better served in what can be a very exclusive industry and I aim to do that by empowering coaches with the knowledge and skills it takes to fearlessly serve & advocate for women, pre and postnatal humans, people who menstruate and those going through menopause- in the way they deserve.

How did you get to that, is it something you’ve always wanted to do or has it changed over time?

I feel like it’s always been in me.  It’s my passion and calling.  I have been a dancer and performer my whole life so I was exposed to quite a lot of really dangerous advice when it comes to health. I left the dance world with an eating disorder and a full-blown case of body dysmorphia. I didn’t know anything about how to nurture my body and my mind and I truly believed that my sense of self-worth was tied up with being slim and athletic - so when that began to change, well you can imagine what happened... I remember some of the talks we were given at uni and it was “just eat salads you want to be as aerodynamic as possible” and that was talking to a bunch of athletes who were training 8-9 hours a day.  There were lots of people being pushed out of the courses or not being given company jobs because of how their bodies look.  I felt really strongly about it, really angry.  So I’ve always felt this calling to stand up about the expectation we have about women and their bodies. 

When I started SLAM it was because I’d been let down by the fitness industry as an athlete who was pregnant.  It wasn’t anyone’s fault specifically, more that the industry itself didn’t have a lot of education available when it came to pregnancy and I was treated as this really delicate, fragile entity and it made me really frightened and anxious and I stopped moving and then of course I ended up in lots of pain.  So, my agenda once I’d had my son was to create this space where people can get access to education and move their bodies in ways that work for them, without fear. Then it very quickly grew as there’s so much room for a safe space and inclusivity for all types of people, not just those who are pregnant or postnatal, and it’s grown arms and legs from then.

That’s quite a large goal you have, what would you say are the main ways that you are taking things forward?

It starts with me working on my inner stuff and my team doing that too, then we start to feed that out to the world and align with others who are already doing this work and that is what will make everything change.  For me as an employer it’s thinking about how my staff are treated, how they feel, what I can do to support their lives outside of work and ensure they feel valued as human beings and how I can help support them toward their career goals. This then translates into what we do, people see that we aren’t just paying lip service and with that, we lead from the front. 

In terms of the business specifics, we’ve worked this past year to streamline everything.  We’ve worked hard to make this company more than just me, we’re focusing on exposure and getting the message out there so that people start to see it and hear it and ultimately begin to believe that there is so much more to exercise and in fact life, than weight loss.  In our socials, we always put out there what I needed to see at those times in my life and that’s how I attract people and get them listening to what we are saying.  Now that the company has grown my goal is to educate and empower other coaches so that they can get this information and education that isn’t available in the standard courses.  I’m deeply passionate about that because the more people that are advocating in this way the better the world will become.  

What work have you done on yourself, is it along the lines of the reflection or is there anything else you have done that has made a difference? 

Self-development has been a massive contributor to why the business is successful. Looking inside, getting familiar with myself, sitting with myself, understanding why in the past I had to be manically busy and couldn’t sit still. Appreciating and learning all these things and accepting them.  Accepting that I am human and it’s ok, all sides of me are welcome, has made a big difference.

In terms of specific things, I’m a huge fan of journaling and I journal every day which helps me a lot.  I am someone who menstruates and menstrual cycle awareness has been a massive part of my development and change.  Other ways I develop and change are, cold water therapy, of course, daily movement, and practising gratitude - it’s so easy to get bogged down with what we don’t have - or fall into a comparison trap, daily gratitude reminds me what I do have and stops those comparison demons from sneaking in.  Looking after my whole health, not just my fitness, not just my food but my sleep, my stress levels, my quality of life, my happiness, sticking to my non-negotiable’s which is time with my family, time on my own and time doing things I love.

What are the main things you would say you would like to see every coach take on or change?

I’d like to see more education and understanding, specifically when it comes to coaching women.  I’d really like the industry to understand the impact of someone’s menstrual cycle on their physical and mental needs, or the difference between someone who is experiencing a hormone cycle and someone who isn’t, and how that’s different from person to person.  It’s not just about “in the luteal phase you might gain more fat” it’s not just about biology.  I see coaches getting really into the menstrual cycle but as a biological tool for fat loss and that’s not what we need.  Well, it can be useful for some people but it‘s not what the world needs in terms of being a more inclusive space for people.

I’d like our level 3 PT training to have more information on the differences between coaching men and women and the things we should be aware of when it comes to pre and postnatal.  I’d like the pre and post-CPD to be better, a full course and not just an 8-hour sitting.   In my first course pre and postnatal course I honestly don’t think they even mentioned pelvic floor and the vibe was “after the 6-week check we are good to go”.  That’s a huge disservice both to coaches and pre and postnatal people - I’d really like that to change. 

Also, we need to be mindful of our messaging and the impact it can have on the people who come to us.  I think we have a really big responsibility because we are on the front line for people’s health and well-being and the things we say and do can have such a colossal impact on the people we are working with. 

I think our personal training qualifications should be longer, should be more in-depth and the industry should be regulated.  It’s not because I’m a big rules and systems person but I see it and I’ve been there myself with PTs not knowing the harm that they are doing.  It’s not malicious but if you are taking a young woman and putting her on 1200 calories and telling her if she really wants something sweet she can have a portion of a rice cake and you don’t know anything about that person, you don’t know their psychological history and don’t know their “why” because maybe they haven’t told you, and you encourage them down that path to disordered eating then that’s big.  It’s not malicious, I don’t think anyone does that on purpose but it’s wrapped up in that belief that our worth is based on how we look.  That we’ll be happier if we are smaller and the world would be better. So, I’d really like there to be more education and more support around mental health and psychology and all the things you might not think about when you come into the industry.

Is there anything else we haven’t covered?

I think we’ve covered it all, I have a big mission to encourage and action change for a more inclusive industry and I know it can feel overwhelming, I guess I’d want to make sure that anyone reading this doesn’t get caught up in that overwhelm and applies the same advice they would to their clients looking to make a change - small steps daily in the right direction and together we can ensure that all humans are welcomed, celebrated and better served in our industry. 

If you’d love to know more about Lyndsey’s education platform check out The Mutha Ship Academy where you’ll find education for coaches, menstrual cycle awareness courses, pregnancy, and postnatal support and online strength training for women.