Natalie Roberts

We explore how tracking your breath can help you achieve a healthier lifestyle
People are experiencing significantly more stress, anxiety and depression since lockdown began, according to a study led by the University of Nottingham and King’s College London.
57 per cent of people in the study reported symptoms of anxiety – with 26 per cent of them reaching the threshold at which someone would qualify for high intensity psychological support from the NHS.
With many people seeking ways to relie...

The past 12 months haven’t been all doom and gloom — we’ve learned some valuable lessons about how well we actually cope with anxiety
According to a study led by the Mental Health Foundation, 50 per cent of UK adults feel worried about being able to cope with the uncertainty of the pandemic. And although the same study reported that 63 per cent feel they’re currently coping with pandemic-related stress well, research points to a slow but steady decline in our mental wellbeing.
While acute str...

We all know we feel more rested after a decent night’s kip, but how does quality of sleep impact our lives and our bodies, from gut health to mood? Here, we get under the bonnet to see why prioritising sleep is so important
A study published by King’s College London revealed that 63 per cent of the UK public say their sleep has worsened since the pandemic began.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the study also showed that people who found the pandemic particularly stressful were more likely to experien...

Let’s be honest, most of us don’t really think about looking after our joints until we end up with an injury.
I’ll openly admit that I only started caring about my joints after I dislocated my knee many years ago and had to spend over a year having physio. I guess it all comes down to that old truth of not appreciating something until it’s gone, eh?
Seriously though, it’s actually crazy that we don’t focus on our joints. We all know how important it is to keep our hearts and lungs healthy, as...

If you’re fed up of trying to figure out whether you have a food intolerance, I know exactly how you feel. I’ve been there!
That fear of eating anything when you’re further than a five-second sprint to a toilet, I get it! I spent years wondering what was going on with my digestive system before I was finally diagnosed with gluten intolerance.
If you’re one of the lucky people out there who can eat whatever you fancy without any signs of a food intolerance then please ignore this post and carr...

Last summer, I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. My GP said it would take 2-3 months to fully recover, but I was back to training properly within a few weeks.
Since then a few people have asked what I did to get such a speedy recovery, so I thought I’d share my tips with you guys.
First of all, I researched what I could do to ease the pain and I found the usual advice for anything inflamed:
Ice it
Keep it elevated
Rest it
But then I found an article talking about the importance of finding...

If you’re always rushing around trying to tick off your to-do list then the thought of adding a workout to your already stressful day might make you feel overwhelmed. It is possible to create a healthy lifestyle even when you’re busy though. You just need my top tips to get you started.
Time is one of the most common barriers for anyone trying to start up a fitness regime, and it’s a barrier that seems almost impossible to overcome.
So how can you find time to fit in a workout and cook health...

Some people in the fitness industry say if you want to achieve your goals then you need to devote all of your time to training and meal prep, and that if you ever spend any time resting then you’re not trying hard enough.
They’ll say things like: “If you snooze your alarm clock then you’re not dedicated”, or “Rest is for the weak”.
So let me get this right… These people are saying that an extra 10 minutes in bed or an occasional day chilling on the sofa will stop me from ever achieving my goa...

Winter is well and truly here! Which means almost everyone I know has some kind of cold/flu bug.
I’m currently getting over pleurisy, which was a nasty complication from a viral infection, so I’ve been doing all I can to give my immune system a boost. I mean, I normally eat a pretty healthy, nutritious diet, and look after my body anyway, but right now I’m really trying to help my body recover.

When planning a holiday, most of us either want some time to switch off so we can relax, or an opportunity to explore and fit in the things we can’t find time for in our usual routines. I fit somewhere in the middle. I don’t want to spend the whole break doing nothing, but I also don’t want to end up feeling like I need a holiday to get over the one I’ve just had!
So when The Polurrian on The Lizard asked if I’d like to stay at the hotel with a plus one for a short health and wellbeing break ...

A quick scroll through any fitspo’s Instagram feed will probably bring up loads of yoga and Pilates pics that make you instantly wish you were more flexible/calm/in control of your life. It’s easy to make the mistake of thinking these classes basically just involve laying on a mat and breathing deeply for an hour or two, but they’re surprisingly hard work. What actually is the difference between Yoga and Pilates though? We checked in with some pros to find out.
Tempted to try yoga? Water yoga...

One of the most common questions that pops up in my DMs is: “How are you always so positive?”
So I've decided to answer it in a blog post.

“You’d never know you have health conditions.”
Whenever I’ve chosen to open up about my health conditions, this is the reply I usually get. And if I’m honest, that’s how I like it.

Over the years, the definition of ‘beautiful’ has changed LOADS. It’s basically like we now have fashion trends for our bodies as well as our clothes! So it can seem almost impossible to learn to love your body when the goalposts are constantly moving.

If you’ve heard of pole fitness before but assumed it would just be a class full of people pouting in the mirror while gyrating against a pole, think again.
This workout trend has become pretty damn huge in the fitness world over the past few years, and once you’ve learned more about it, the reasons people love it so much become clear.
Meet incredible pole dancer Sam King!
1. It’s a full body workout
Pole fitness is an awesome form of exercise which works various muscle groups simultaneously....