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Interviews

Editorial of Neev Spencer looking to the side

Motherhood, Mental Health and Staying Optimistic with Neev Spencer

Innermost Insider, Neev Spencer, is probably best known for her positions as a television and radio broadcaster, having found success in her multiple broadcast roles, including her notable award-winning shows on popular UK radio station KISS FM. Having spent years of her career supporting industry-giants on tour, hosting for some of the world’s biggest brands and being the face of some of the UK’s favourite TV programmes, Spencer is also known for making waves with her advocacy for mental health, particularly following her own experiences with postpartum depression since becoming a first-time mum. The subject of mental health is one that Spencer is hugely passionate about, combining her wealth of industry experience with the topic to interview A-List celebrities such as Ed Sheeran on the topic live on air. Having been inspired by her incredible work and dedication to raising awareness surrounding mental health, we sat down with Neev to discuss the reasons behind her passions, her incredible fitness and mental health journey, and all things optimism. Hi Neev! Can you tell us a bit about how you got into your fitness journey? I would describe myself as a yo-yo dieter. My whole life I was never very happy with my weight but never quite took it seriously enough – I would go through phases of trying this and trying that. I would say that it became a very important thing to me when I was pregnant, this is when it became a priority in my life. I wanted to do a lot of pregnancy yoga and wanted to be the fittest I could ever be or have ever been ahead of the birth. A couple of months after my first baby was born, I found out I had an undiagnosed slipped disk in my back – not the kind of surprise that you want when you’ve got a tiny baby to look after. It was horrific. It was an injury that they think happened years before, from DJing – maybe carrying my record bag around, but it was a terrible, terrible surprise. It meant that I was separated from my baby a lot which really impacted my mental health. It was a dark and difficult time, but a time for me to learn so much about myself. I had to have physiotherapy to get walking again and take care of my little one – this is when I learnt about my body in a much deeper way and had a much deeper appreciation for my physical health. After this happened, I was hell-bent on helping people with their mental health, especially pregnant women. I had gone to deep depths and had to rise and swim to the top, and thankfully, I made it. But – not everyone does. This is what motivates me with my charity and mental health. Following his journey, fitness is now something I prioritise and enjoy. Why is fitness so important to you as a woman? As a woman, a lot of us want to be mothers. As a result of this desire, it’s very important that you keep your physical health up there. It’s also really important for our hormones, and our mental health. It’s good to feel proud of yourself! As women we have high pressured jobs – many of us whilst juggling being a mother, being able to create that time for yourself and your preferred exercise method is you and that thing – and that is important. It is for you. What is the one piece of advice you would give to our readers regarding their fitness journey? Listen to your body, and what it is telling you. Don’t just think of fitness in an aesthetic way. I’d love to be able to fit into my jeans before I had children, but you need to take your time. You’ve got to nourish the changes you are making and cultivate it – that’s where Innermost comes in. Those supplements supporting your goal, keeping you maintained and on the right track. What is your greatest life accomplishment? First and foremost, my children. But, I am also immensely proud of the fact that I was the first British-Asian woman to ever get a commercial mainstream radio show. How did you know that you were ready to become a Mother? I had always wanted to be a Mum. I’ve always loved children and after I met my partner I knew that was a priority. We are so grateful that being a parent was able to happen for us – there were many years when this dream seemed very distant, and this struggle really opened up my wellness journey. Being a parent and having gone on that natural journey is a blessing. Can you tell us a bit more about your mental health campaign work? I use my own lived experiences to help relate to other people and help them through what they’re going through. These range hugely – from domestic abuse, to personal struggles: I lost my best friend to drugs and alcohol when I was in my 20s, I suffered depression in my teenage years, and again, as a first-time Mother, when I was separated from my little one, this took a huge toll on my mental health. I’ve found that being honest and sharing how I got through those moments is what drives me to help other people, and that’s why I make it my mission to do as much mental health work as possible. Do you think ‘optimism’ is something that we can learn? Absolutely. It’s something that we have within us naturally – children are very optimistic, they are innocent and joyful. Life really wears us down – experiences, loss, trauma and grief, all of that plays a part in where we begin to lose that optimism. For me, optimism really is faith. I am Sikh, but this faith doesn’t necessarily have to be in God, if you’re not religious. It’s a faith in the greater good. Faith in humanity – that something good is out there. It is the most important thing you can have as a human. What are your top three life tips for staying optimistic? I think the place we are in as a society with the pressures of social media can lead us to forgetting how lucky and fortunate we really are. When you focus on where you are in comparison to someone else, this can be really powerful. It’s important to ground yourself. Get a blessing box. This comes from Tibetan culture and is a way of looking ahead towards your dreams and never give up on your fantasies. This allows you to really focus on what is important. Allow yourself to see the positive sides of life, don’t focus on the negatives. Do you think that optimism affects our physical health, as well as our mental health? Absolutely – without being optimistic you can begin to feel lost. Optimism gives us direction, and we need this grounding to feel at peace. This allows us to feel less anxious and in control. Being able to look ahead to our dreams is a way of us constantly motivating ourselves. Small practices like setting an intention everyday and using this as motivation to keep this together is a great way of keeping your mental health in check. Optimism is the line that lies beneath all of this – regardless of what your intention is.  This is hugely important for our psyche. You can’t have good mental health without good physical health – they work in synergy. Finally, who are your role models? I’d have to say my parents. They are just wonderful. They’ve been through so much, they care for my little brother who has special needs, and even though they have been dealt with unbelievably difficult cards in life, they have always taught me to persevere. They taught me that you must remain kind and compassionate and have really instilled those morals on me. I’m very proud to be their child. Other than that, I would have to say Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Muhammed Ali – anyone that uses their platform and voice to help motivate and change the whole world we live in. That’s what a role model is to me. To keep up with Neev, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. 
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James Pook lifting in Gym for Innermost

James Pook / Q&A

We sat down with James Pook, Head Coach at Crossfit Putney, to talk about his Crossfit journey, how he’s adjusted his coaching during the pandemic and how the fitness industry has evolved recently. Tune in to the recent conversation here.
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Photo of Lauren White with headphones on

Lauren White On Motivation And The Importance Of Reflection

Lauren White is a fitness enthusiast, celebrity personal trainer, coach, and motivational speaker. Innermost sat down with Lauren to find out how she got started in the motivational speaking world, her work with Amy Winehouse Foundation, how she uses reflection to guide her through hard times, and why she has decided to go full force with life coaching in 2021. 
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Olympian's Ashleigh Nelson and athlete Kerry Dixon posing for Innermost

Meet The Athlete Method

We recently caught up with The Athlete Method to discuss the challenges they’ve faced in their careers and how they’ve stayed resilient in the face of adversity.
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Phoebe Greenacre practicing breath work with Innermost

Phoebe Greenacre On Mental Health And The World Of Wellness

The yoga teacher, holistic therapist and co-founder of activewear label Silou, gives us her thoughts on wellness, therapy, and the importance of staying active.
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Photo Naiara Bras with Innermost: The strong booster and fit protein

Naiara Bras / Q&A

We caught up with Innermost Insider Naiara Bras to get the low-down on what she's been up to and what health and fitness means to her.
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Maiken Brustad posing in Gym gear

Maiken Brustad / Q&A

We sat down with PT, fitness influencer and Innermost Insider Maiken Brustad to find out about what she's been to up to lately and what health and fitness means to her. 
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Kate Bacik on performance and being a woman in MMA

Kate Bacik On Performance And Being A Woman In MMA

Kate Bacik is a fighter, a coach and a personal trainer. From MMA, to Brazilian jiu jitsu, to wrestling, and even yoga, Kate does it all, and she’s the ultimate example of high-level performance. We sat down with her (over Zoom, of course) to ask her all about how she ensures she’s performing her best, and how she’s made use of the past few months to get even better at her craft. Hey Kate! So tell us, what’s your hustle? I’m a fighter, a coach and a personal trainer. I like to mix it up. I do a bit of Brazilian jiu jitsu, some wrestling, kickboxing, boxing. I also enjoy yoga too. Who inspires you when it comes to performance? I don’t really have role models or particular people I look up to. I never have. But I do find quite a lot of ‘day-to-day’ people inspiring. For example, some of my clients; they might have a really hard day but they still show up, push through and feel better after. I also feel extremely inspired by some of the fighters I've seen in Asia. I spent a few months living in the Philippines and there are children there - 10 or 11 years old - putting so much hard work and focus into their fighting, despite the fact that there aren’t really any prospects there for them. There’s not as many opportunities as we have here in the UK, and little money. But they’re putting all the hard work in just because they love it, and they have passion. They get up at like 5am and their coaches are super tough on them, but they do it all with a smile on their faces. When was a time you felt you performed your very best? That’s a funny one. I’ve had quite a few fights in my life and some have been quite important - for a belt or a title or something. There’s a lot of pressure with those. But some of those I would lose really badly. And actually, when I’ve felt like I’ve performed my best, it’s been in the fights I really didn’t care about. When I only had a week to prepare. I think it was the lack of pressure. When you’re the underdog, or no one expects you to do well, that’s when we tend to do better because there’s less pressure on ourselves.  What role does mindset play when it comes to performing better? It’s the most important thing. We can train our bodies to do whatever we want. Our bodies are amazing and they’re capable of so much, but it’s a matter of activating that power in your mind. Your attitude can change everything.  What’s your pre-fight ritual?  I used to have a really set routine. A whole list of things I’d do the day before. I used to think if anything broke the routine, then I wouldn’t win. But sometimes, I couldn’t do the whole routine for whatever reason - like if I had to fly there or do a weight cut. But it made me realise I didn’t need all of it. There was one time I flew in from another country at 5am and fought at 8.30am on no sleep and no food. And I still won. I realised I didn’t have to go through all these steps. I like to just absorb the energy from the people around me and the other fighters. Which Innermost products do you use to boost your performance? My favourite is The Health Protein. I love how it tastes. I’m not vegan but I can’t really do dairy. And I like that it’s got glutamine because it’s important when you’re training a lot. But I also like The Focus Capsules. I’ve been taking those for about a month now and they’ve definitely made a difference. View this post on Instagram Those of you that know me are well aware of how 'picky' I'm when it comes to nutrition and, especially, supplements which I genuinely consider not necessary. However, quality natural supplements, picked to suit individual's needs and preferences can be a great addition to one's lifestyle. Especially when you're very active and need a little boost to aid your recovery, sleep, focus and performance but without bombarding your body with loads of ingredients you can't even pronounce. I took a long time to find a brand I'd like to collaborate with but I couldn't be happier about my decision to get involved with Innermost. Bold, bright and different - Innermost provide targeted nutrition for body and mind. Natural ingredients, nootropics, and adaptogens combined to help you think, feel, and perform your best, whoever and wherever you are on your journey. 'We empower people to live a more inspired life because a world where everyone can realise the best versions of themselves is for the good of all.' Agree 💯 welcome in my corner @liveinnermost 💜 thank you for your support. ✨ Grab a 10% off 💷 with KATE-10 ✨ A post shared by Kate Bacik (@purplesupernova7) on Jun 18, 2020 at 4:57am PDT MMA is a stereotypically masculine world. What’s it like being a woman in that industry? You have to have a thick skin. There’s a lot of stuff that will hurt you and not only physical stuff. When I was younger, I was the only female training and there were a lot of big, tough guys and they’d go 100% on me. Obviously that wasn’t always fair but you had to deal with it. If you flinched they’d make fun of you.  Also, I lived in Cyprus for a couple of years and trained there full time in the MMA gym there. The coaches there were lovely and they helped me loads, but a lot of the guys who trained there had never trained with a female. We’d be sparring and the guys would be like: “I can’t hit you because you’re a girl.” But then there’s other guys who would hit you with 150% power just to prove to you that you’re not supposed to be there. But that doesn’t prove anything. Why is fitness so important to you? It’s what I do all day every day. It’s like my meditation - I’ve got ADHD and get easily distracted. So I can’t just sit down and do nothing. Instead, training is like active meditation where I don’t have to think about any other life stuff. Nothing else can fill that hole in my life. So how did you find lockdown? How did you stay active and healthy, mentally and physically? It’s been quite difficult because I normally go 100% all the time. I used to overtrain a lot, so I do think for me it’s good that it happened because it forced me to slow down a bit. I was very fortunate to have access to a gym, so I started working on whatever I could and trying to sort out old injuries. It allowed me to get much stronger so I feel like I made the most of that time. It was also a big test that made me ask myself: do I love what I’m doing? You have to distance yourself from it a bit to really assess if you still want it. But I really missed it and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Did you take up any new hobbies or learn something new? I did a lot more yoga than I used to. Like up to three hours a day, going really deep into the techniques and positions. I tried running for about a month too, but I hated it. Then I decided to be a DJ and hosted a live DJ set with my friend! Hopefully I'll be doing more of that in the future. View this post on Instagram Back to basics A post shared by Kate Bacik (@purplesupernova7) on Apr 20, 2020 at 3:13am PDT Anything you’ve read, watched or listened to lately that’s inspired you? To be honest, no. I needed something uninspiring because usually, I like to read quite serious things about mindset, psychology, self-help, even poetry. I took the time to just watch rubbish and chill out. I’ll probably get back into the serious stuff soon. Best words of wisdom you’ve ever received? My coach said I should try to listen to people a bit more. I think I sometimes feel like I’m the only one who can give myself advice, but I know that’s not true. So I'm definitely working on that. Advice you’d give? If you want to perform well, you need to ditch comparing yourself to others. Only compare yourself to yourself. Aim to be better than the you from the past, and as good as the you from the future. Any current goals, fitness or otherwise? I’ve gained about 5kg over lockdown. I’d like to believe it’s all muscle but I need to drop it to go back to my fighting weight. I also want to go back to MMA as I haven’t really fought MMA since 2017. There’s no more time to keep postponing it, I just have to do it. Who or what motivates you and why? I don’t really think other people have the ability to motivate me. I’m quite resistant to other people’s influence so I have to motivate myself.  To see more from Kate, follow her on Instagram @purplesupernova7. And to read other Q&As with Innermost Insiders, click here.
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Kathryn Pinkham looking happy for Innermost

Kathryn Pinkham On The Truth About Insomnia

Kathryn Pinkham, founder of The Insomnia Clinic, the UK's largest and leading insomnia service, answers all our burning questions about sleep.
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Olga Naumova doing cardio by running in desert

Olga Naumova / Q&A

Olga aka Umka is a ASICS Frontrunner and a professional skydiver based in Dubai. When she is not jumping out of planes, Umka enjoys Canopy Piloting and inspiring woman to be curious, courageous and brave enough to get involved in extreme sports through her lifestyle blog. We recently caught up with this adrenaline junkie to see how she is working towards turning her passions into reality.
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Mike Chapman and Amy Costello F45 studio opening

Mike Chapman + Amy Costello / Q&A

Innermost ambassadors Mike and Amy are joint owners of F45 Tottenham Court Road and huge supporters of Innermost. Always focused on putting in the work and maintaining an attitude of self-belief, they constantly strive to be happier, stronger, faster and fitter.
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Coach Stephen Adjaidoo looking to one side for Innermost

Stephen Adjaidoo / Q&A

Stephen is a qualified running coach and founder of LDN Brunch Club, a community of runners who train collectively in a supportive environment. Each run finishes with brunch somewhere in London, providing a perfect way to refuel, rehydrate and build friendships.
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Trainers Kirsty Raynor & Alice Rickard stretching in urban setting

Kirsty Raynor & Alice Rickard / Q&A

We met Kirsty Raynor and Alice Rickard for the first time at an event at partner studio F45 Tottenham Court Road. One thing led to another and we ending up supporting them at one of their amazing Burn Strength Yoga (BSY) classes.
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PLAYLISTS

Adam Husler Workout Playlist

Adam Husler Workout Playlist

 Adam is one of the leading yoga teachers in London. When we asked him to create a workout playlist, he came up with a deeply soulful mix of tracks that won't fail to get a smile...
Claire Fountain Workout Playlist

Claire Fountain Workout Playlist

 Claire knows yoga. Claire also knows music. Here's her selection of workout songs compiled just for Innermost.health
Bethany Duckworth Workout Playlist

Bethany Duckworth Workout Playlist

 Bethany knows a good track when she hears one. Buckle up and get this workout playlist into your ears pronto.
Dan Morgan Workout Playlist

Dan Morgan Workout Playlist

 Dan getting zen on the decks. Here's his playlist for your next yoga session or if you need to kick back and drift away.
Elisa Rossi Workout Playlist

Elisa Rossi Workout Playlist

 Elisa's most comfortable creating works of art in the kitchen. Here are the songs that help her do just that.