058 Activity after toxic relationships with Kirstie Groves

Creating Active Lives

First off, I do want to just give you all a trigger warning. In this episode, we are going to be talking about toxic and controlling relationships. So if this is a sensitive subject for you, or if it raises any issues in you, you might want to give it a miss. However, it is important to raise awareness of some of the more subtle red flags in these types of relationships, particularly around activity participation.
In this week's episode, I am joined by Kirsty Groves. Join us as we discuss how being in toxic relationships limits your availability to exercise as you cannot always commit to it, as they change plans which means you are not reliable.

• The benefits of group exercise and social connections for mental health recovery.
• How past relationships can affect fitness and healing.

About Kirsty Groves:
Kirstie met her ex-husband at just 17 and moved in with him before her 18th Birthday, she was in a relationship with him until age 42. She then jumped straight into another, possibly more toxic, relationship due to her lack of self and her identity desperate not to be on her own, as loneliness was so scary.

At school, she was very active taking part in swimming and gymnastics and she wanted to be a travel rep abroad. Leaving school, she wanted to continue with playing hockey, but when she left home at 17, her ex said she didn’t have time to play hockey. Throughout her marriage, she tried to stay fit but was always unable to fully commit as his life came first, and then after the birth of her son in 2003, she had to fit around her son's needs and husband's needs.
Sometimes when she had a match, she’d get a phone call saying he would be late, and she had to phone in sick. Kirstie tried running but was unable to commit to training. As her ex was very anti-exercise so didn’t support her. Despite this, she managed to finish the London marathon in 2015 with no training due to a lack of time and support, she made the trip to London alone.
After leaving that marriage, her second relationship also gave her no time alone as he was also anti-sport. However, now single, she has retrained as a swimming teacher, taken up yoga, and joined a running club all to help with her healing but also to help her mind and focus and she is starting to thrive as a result. It has given her a new social circle, that all support her growth.
Kirstie now helps other women to rediscover their identity and transform after toxic relationships often with a narcissist, be it a partner, family member, friend, or work colleague. Kirstie allows her clients to have space to explore and experience personal growth from surviving life to Thriving at it.
[e-mail] www.kirstiegroves.co.uk

About Sarah Bolitho:
Sarah Bolitho helps fitness and health professionals develop their careers and grow their businesses by providing specialist training in teaching, assessing, and internal quality assurance, together with qualifications in exercise referral and disability.
For more about the training and support Sarah offers, visit www.sarahbolitho.com or contact her at [e-mail].
Follow her on social media
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabnewlous_active_lives
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fitnesscareer mentor
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbolitho