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Celebrating the Good Times with Caitriona Hyatt

30th November 2021

Community Fitness

30th November 2021

By Catherine Hargreaves

Hi Caitriona! Give us the life story. Who are you, what do you do, and what are you passionate about?

Hi! I'm Cait, I'm an Actress and Personal Trainer. I was born in Luxembourg but moved to England when I was 10. I'm super passionate about all things fitness and mental health. Having struggled with my own mental health in the past I love helping other people find what helps them the most. For me, it started off with spontaneously signing up for different fitness challenges. At Uni I went from not running at all to signing up for my first marathon and then signed up for a Half Ironman having never done a triathlon (go big or go home right?!). I've met so many inspirational people along the way who always keep me striving for more, and I want to be that person for others.
Honestly, I think I was put on this earth to be the biggest cheerleader to everyone chasing goals (including myself of course) and that's what I now spend my days doing! I'm the Master Trainer at F45 Shepherds Bush, I coach at Evolve353 and I'm now hosting the NEW Innermost HIIT and Run Club, which I can't wait to see expand and succeed. 
Fitness changed my life by surrounding me with insanely wonderful people and I love helping others find their tribe. 

What’s your favourite celebration; Birthdays, Christmas, Pancake Day? 

Absolutely 100% Christmas! I'm a massive family girl and Christmas is the one time of year it's almost guaranteed that my whole family will be together (I'm one of four siblings so it doesn't happen very often)! For me, you honestly can't beat time spent with my crazy family. 

What do the holidays mean to you and how will you be celebrating now that restrictions are lifted?

Holidays for me mean switched off, uninterrupted time with friends or family. It doesn't matter what I'm doing as long as I'm surrounded by the people I love. I really cherish those moments. 
I don't think much will change for me if I'm honest. Last year I spent most of my time off either reading in the same room as my brother or sister, knitting with my mum in front of a movie (yes I am a grandma), or forcing people to do team workouts with me! It'll basically be the same this year but extra special as my Oma will be able to join in (she couldn't travel from Switzerland last year) and I haven't seen her in 2 years!

What’s the best way to celebrate big wins; raves, rom coms, reps or none of the above? 

Take away every opinion of what you think other people might think and do exactly what makes your heart sing. If you've accomplished something big, a) that is incredible!! and b) you should reward yourself with YOUR favourite things to do. Whether that's stay in and order a takeaway, going for a run or going on a massive night out there's no 'right way' to celebrate as long as it's what YOU want. 

How do you make celebration a daily practice and also celebrate small wins?

I won't lie, I still catch myself overlooking the small wins. It's hard when everything around you seems to move at the speed of light and there are constant comparisons to other people, whether that be over social media or even just in your friend group.
It might be hard, but taking a step back to appreciate every small thing you've accomplished is so important. When I can, I try and make lists of all of my small wins and also what helped me get there. I've been writing gratitude lists for years, so I try and combine them so I can really appreciate how much I've achieved - even if I didn't realise it at first!

Use this space to celebrate some of the people in your life!

I am so thankful to be surrounded by so many incredible people. But the most important ones who keep me going on a daily basis are;
  1. My family (obviously). They are so supportive, caring, absolute nutters, and just all-around great human beings who've never doubted my ability or let me doubt it. 
  2. My best friends Amy and Chris. I haven't seen either of them in ages because they're out there taking over the world but they are my soulmates. 
  3. My Crossfit girls. Sarah, Lou, Georgie, Celeste, Rach, Anna and Joey. They single-handedly kept me sane through lockdown and they make me feel like I could rule the world (while simultaneously achieving incredible things themselves every single day). Everyone needs friends like these.
  4. Sophie. She's in Spain now (moved during the pandemic because she's a badass), and even though she's not in the same country I don't think anyone else would bother listening to my 15 minute voice notes when I'm lying on a rug and need to get something off my chest and it means the world to me. 

What are you celebrating as this year comes to an end? (An achievement, your health, new beginnings)

How lucky I am to be healthy and be surrounded by such incredible human beings. I've not had the best relationship with my body in the past and it's caused a few very hard years. Now I celebrate it every chance I get. This year has been a tough one and my body has allowed me to do SO much regardless - getting through lockdown, starting a new job, competing in my first fitness competitions, and endless other things. And I've had unwavering support every step of the way. That's something that should never be overlooked! 
  
That's a wrap, thanks Cait! Be sure to follow @caitrionahyatt to keep up with Cait's adventures.
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How To Stick To Your New Year Fitness Routine

It’s that time of the year again - the New Year's fitness buzz. A time where motivation is high, new workout plans are made, gym bags make a return, and everything feels full of possibility! And yet, for many people, this momentum is short-lived. By mid-February, routines can start to slip. Sessions get skipped. Motivation fades. The resolution quietly dissolves, something often accompanied by frustration or guilt. If that sounds at all familiar, it’s firstly worth saying this upfront: it’s not a personal failure. In most cases, it’s a structural one. It might sound strange, but having a long term and consistent fitness routine isn’t solely about having the most ‘willpower’, or forcing yourself to run just because it’s ‘new year, new me’, it’s about building an individual routine that works for you and sets you up in the best position to hit your workout goals in the long term. To make things easier, we’ve put together this nifty guide diving into the science of new year’s fitness, why traditional workout resolutions so often fall apart, and what genuinely helps when it comes to building habits that last for the long term. Right, let’s get into it. Why New Year’s fitness resolutions don’t succeed  Before exploring how you can set your fitness goals for the long term, it’s important to understand why so many fall short.  The main reason comes down to something psychologists call the “fresh start effect”. This is a period that interrupts the calendar schedule (such as New Year's), creating a mental separation between the past and the future. Such a fresh start makes change - like the restarting of a fitness routine - mentally easier to overcome because the past feels neatly boxed away.  While this sounds good on paper, the problem is that motivation alone isn’t enough to sustain long-term behavioural change.  Many New Year’s fitness routines struggle to last because they often: Focus on outcomes instead of training plans and sustainable behaviours. Target instant change Focus on unrealistic fitness goals Shall we run from the top? Outcome-based targets One pitfall people often find themselves in is setting a New Year’s fitness goal that is driven by outcome without proper planning.  Some examples might be: Losing weight  Getting fit  Running a marathon All great targets to strive for, yet without a training plan or strategy to achieve them, they can quickly feel unattainable and therefore interest drops off. This makes creating and sticking to a new year’s exercise plan key to achieving your goals, asking: what do you want to achieve? What steps are you going to take to achieve them? And how will you measure your progress? Too much change and unattainable fitness goals With the fresh start effect, it can feel productive to try and overhaul all your health practices. A new training plan. A stricter diet. Earlier mornings. Fewer social plans. Better sleep. More productivity. Individually, these changes are all positive (we’ve spoken about the positive effects of many in the past ourselves). Making all these large life changes in a short space of time, however, can lead to something called ‘cognitive overload’. Each new habit requires attention, decision-making, and self-control, leading to decision fatigue buildup and increasing the likelihood that behaviours will be dropped rather than maintained. Sustainable change tends to work the opposite way. Small, manageable shifts layered gradually over time allow habits to stabilise before new ones are added. Instead of replacing your entire lifestyle in January, long-term routines are built by choosing one or two priorities, letting them settle, and then building from there. Unrealistic fitness goals Another common reason why new year workout plans don’t work is that the end goals being set aren’t realistic to achieve in the time frame given. Training every day. Completely overhauling diet. Expecting visible results within weeks are just a few sure-fire ways to see your fitness plans gone by the end of January. This is because when progress isn’t immediately visible, individual motivation drops. Any missed sessions start to feel like failure, and the routine becomes something to avoid rather than return to. This can lead to a plateau in motivation and a workout rut that sees you lose all motivation to continue your fitness plan. The best way to avoid this? Tailor your New Year’s workout plan to what is realistic for you to achieve. Remember, everyone is different and you should avoid trying to replicate someone’s workout plan who is at a much different point in their journey. What helps you stick to a fitness routine So now we’ve covered the pitfalls faced with New Year's resolutions, what are some of the ways that you can set yourself up for success going into 2026? Starting your workouts small It might sound a little backward, but maintaining a new year’s fitness routine is all about incremental improvements - starting small and building up to ambitious fitness goals. In essence, try to make your workouts feel manageable from the outset.  This removes much of the physical and mental friction caused by sharp changes and removes the possibility of overtraining syndrome - something that can lead to both physical and mental fatigue. Instead of asking your body and mind to adapt to a dramatic shift all at once, you allow both to adjust gradually - which is exactly how sustainable habits are formed. Personal, not performative goals A common reason New Year's fitness routines fall apart is that the goal itself was never truly personal.  Many resolutions are shaped - often unconsciously - by external pressures: how we think we should look, what others are doing, or what feels ‘socially impressive’. These goals can create a strong initial push, but they rarely provide enough depth to sustain effort in the long term. Personal goals, by contrast, are rooted in lived experience. They’re connected to how you want to feel day-to-day, not how you want to appear to others. Wanting more stable energy through the afternoon, fewer aches and pains, better sleep, or improved resilience during stressful periods may not sound as dramatic as a body transformation, but they’re far more motivating over time.  This is supported by behavioural research showing that exercise routines rooted in intrinsic motivation - feeling better, moving more easily, managing stress - are significantly more likely to be maintained long-term than goals shaped by appearance or external pressure. These outcomes are felt quickly and repeatedly, which reinforces the habit itself. Fitting fitness into your routine Again, seems counterintuitive, but a workout routine that only works under perfect conditions won’t survive beyond January.  You can’t change things like long workdays, family responsibilities, travel, and low-energy weeks, and you shouldn’t try to. Your regular workout routine should function around these things. The key here is that fitness is flexible. It allows for shorter sessions, longer sessions, varied training styles, and a broader definition of movement that can all be tailored to your day-to-day routine. Your also not limited by location, you could workout at home, at the gym, with groups, whatever fits into your routine.  The role of recovery in New Year’s fitness One of the most overlooked reasons people struggle to stick to New Year’s fitness routines is actually physical and mental fatigue. While this is to be expected to some extent - and you can control fatigue by following the above tips - you also need to consider the importance of effective recovery and how you are fuelling your body between workouts. Just some of the ways you can improve recovery are: Sleep quality: Quality sleep is when the body actually recovers, repairs tissue, and resets energy levels for the next day. Without it, even light training can start to feel disproportionately demanding. Effective hydration: Staying properly hydrated helps support circulation, muscle function, and focus, making both workouts and recovery feel smoother and more manageable. Complete nutrition: Providing the body with enough protein, carbohydrates, fats, and micronutrients gives it the building blocks it needs to repair, adapt, and maintain steady energy over time. It’s also worth considering tailored nutrition-focused supplementation such as Innermost’s The Recover Capsules and The Hydrate Blend. Reframing New Year fitness: from resolution to routine An effective mindset shift you can make this new year is moving away from the idea of a “resolution” and towards a routine. Resolutions are often outcome-focused - lose weight, build muscle, run faster. Routines are behaviour-focused - train three times a week, walk daily, prioritise recovery. This reframing is also key when thinking about how to stick to your New Year’s fitness resolution. Instead of asking, “Am I seeing results yet?”, the more useful question becomes, “Can I repeat this next week?” Remember, the most effective fitness routines aren’t created in January - they’re carried through February, March, and beyond. References Dai, H., Milkman K.L., Riis,J. (2013).The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior. Management Science. 60 (10), 2563-2582. Click here. Cezar, B., Macada, A. (2023). Cognitive Overload, Anxiety, Cognitive Fatigue, Avoidance Behavior and Data Literacy in Big Data environments. Information Processing & Management. 60 (6). Click here. Ntoumanis, N., Healy, L. et.al. (2014). Self-Regulatory Responses to Unattainable Goals: The Role of Goal Motives. 13 (5), 594-612. Click here. Cleveland Clinic. Overtraining Syndrome. Click here. Sebire,S., Standage, M., Vansteenkiste,M. (2011). Predicting objectively assessed physical activity from the content and regulation of exercise goals: evidence for a mediational model. 33 (2), 175-197. Click here.  
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Why the Festive Period Breaks Your Habits

Why the Festive Period Breaks Your Habits

Every year, the festive period gets blamed for breaking people’s health. Too many meals out. Too many late nights. Too many “I’ll start again in January” moments. By the time the New Year arrives, the narrative is already locked in. Damage done. Time to reset, detox, or punish yourself back into shape. But here’s the truth. The festive period doesn’t ruin your health. Losing structure does. The end of the year is uniquely disruptive. Work schedules loosen. Social plans multiply. Travel, celebrations, and irregular routines blur the days together. Sleep shifts later. Meal timing becomes unpredictable. Hydration drops. Movement becomes sporadic. Stress quietly rises. Food gets the blame because it’s visible. But the real changes are happening beneath the surface. Our bodies are built around rhythm. Circadian biology governs hormones, appetite, energy, glucose regulation, and recovery. When sleep timing drifts and meals become inconsistent, insulin sensitivity drops, hunger cues become noisier, and cravings increase. Not because you’ve lost discipline, but because your physiology is responding exactly as it should. This is why willpower fails so reliably during the festive period. Willpower is not a plan. It never was. Behaviour follows environment. And the end-of-year environment is designed to disrupt even the best intentions. More social pressure. More choice. Less routine. Less recovery. Expecting motivation to override that is unrealistic. Yet the wellness industry loves this moment. January resets. Detoxes. Thirty-day transformations. The implication is always the same. You slipped up. Now fix it. That framing is wrong. You didn’t fail. Your anchors disappeared. So instead of trying to be perfect between now and the New Year, there’s a better approach. Protect structure. Not outcomes. I think of this as a Minimum Effective Routine. 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Hydration often drops at this time of year, especially when alcohol intake increases. Electrolytes support fluid balance, nerve signalling, and muscle function. Protein becomes more important when meals are irregular, helping to stabilise appetite and maintain muscle. Micronutrients also matter when sleep, stress, and food quality are inconsistent. This is how we think about Innermost products. Not as a reset. Not as a fix. But as tools that support the fundamentals when life is busy and routines loosen. The biggest mistake people make is treating the festive period as a write-off and the New Year as a clean slate. That approach creates a cycle of extremes. If you protect structure now, the New Year doesn’t need repairing. There’s no detox required. No dramatic restart. Just continuity. Finally, as we close out the year, I want to say thank you. Thank you for your support. Thank you for trusting us in an industry that often values hype over health. And thank you for being part of a community that cares about doing things properly. I hope you enjoy the festive period with your friends and loved ones, get some well-earned rest, and step into 2026 feeling steady, not behind.
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