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Maiken Brustad / Q&A

2nd October 2020

2nd October 2020

By Caitlin Bell

We recently sat down with PT, fitness influencer and Innermost Insider Maiken Brustad to find out more about what health and fitness means to her, her biggest achievements, and her plans for the future. 

Hey Maiken! So what's your hustle?

My hustle is the mindset that I never give up if I want to do something.

What does #liveinnermost mean to you?

Innermost to me means passion and to be passionate about your life and what you do.

Your favourite Innermost products and why?

I love The Strong Protein powder in chocolate because it tastes amazing and it makes me feel stronger. I also love The Detox Booster because it contains everything you need and it also cure hangovers!

Maiken Brustad lifting weight

So what does health and fitness mean to you? 

I've always been into sports and fitness, doing everything from football, to dance, and track and field. I started competing in track and field when I was eight and went on from there doing almost all events, even throwing snow balls (I know, very Norwegian). My love for running and competitive sports grew and I ended up as a coach in my track club training young athletes. I loved the coaching role and after several years in the industry, I'm now a full time personal trainer and instructor in London.
My background as a national athlete in Norway has benefitted me hugely. I've learned so much throughout the years and I know what it takes to be the best and how to deal with let downs. I feel that I was born to do what I do, and I could never do anything else. I believe a strong body comes with a strong mind and that it's so important to take chances and experience rejection. It's also important to me to have fun and let loose sometimes. 

What did all those years in athletics teach you?

It taught me to be more independent, and when I didn't do well it was only my fault which made me more hungry to succeed. It gave me a purpose in life and I am forever grateful for that.

Biggest athletics achievement?

I've won the biggest athletics competition in Norway several times and been on the junior and senior Norwegian teams. I also went to Wang which is a private high school for the best athletes in their field and you can only get in based on results from competitions and interview.

What do you miss most about living in Norway?

My friends and family for sure - and my dog. It's a very calm life over there and compared to London it's very different. Every time I go to Norway I can completely relax and eat Norwegian food and speak my language (which I weirdly miss a lot). Luckily it's not far away and I go several times a year.


What made you want to settle in the UK?

My fiancée has a place here in London so after meeting and living in Spain for a bit we decided that it would be great for us to move to London together. Best decision I've made!

Do you have any plans to move around the world in future?

Not at the moment. With Norway being so close and easy to get to, I can easily see myself settling in London.

Did you always know you’d make health and fitness a career?

Kind of. I did have a dream once about modelling and I was lucky to get to try it out in Milan and Barcelona. But they always made comments about my body being too muscly and that I had to lose wight around my hips. I didn't like that and I'm so glad that I didn't crumble under the pressure. Now, being a trainer for me isn't just a job, it's my lifestyle.

View this post on Instagram

Lockdown?? I call it knock down👊🏼

A post shared by M A I K E N 🍀 (@maikensb) on


What motivates you most as a trainer?

Client results and feedback from people who come to my classes. I love having a positive impact on peoples' lives and making people go above and beyond.

Best piece of advice to anyone looking to become a fitness trainer?

Be yourself and use your contacts for all it's worth. Don't be afraid to make mistakes and know that everyone starts somewhere.

Favourite city and why?

Madrid, no doubt about it. It's an amazing and vibrant city with so much happiness and love. We were supposed to get married there this year, but had to move it due Covid-19. I can't wait to get back there.

Favourite inspirational quote?

"If it doesn't challenge you it won't change you."
To keep up to date with everything Maiken's doing, don't forget to follow her @maikensb.

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Navigating Indulgence with Chloe Thomas
Chloe is a life, nutrition and fitness coach from the South East Of England. She has been a coach for 7 years now, working mainly with women. Her goal is to help women become their healthiest and become the best version of themselves, Innermost helps to achieve this.    View this post on Instagram A post shared by CHLOE THOMAS || ONLINE COACH 🦋 (@_chloeinspires_) Our topic for July is Indulgence. Tell us what indulgence means to you, and what are your favourite ways to indulge. Indulgence for me is having time away from the chaos of life - relaxing in nature, reading a book, going on a hike, seeing a friend or family. I love being outdoors and going on adventures like kayaking or surfing and I love to travel! It brings me back to “me” and allows me to re connect with myself and my values. I do also like to indulge in some yummy unhealthy food every so often too- on my holiday recently I indulged in a delicious pizza and yummy scones! How do you strike a balance between indulging in something you enjoy and overindulging to the point of excess? I think this is important as it can become unhealthy if you over indulge too much as this can lead to an addiction. If you are indulging in something excessively it may be because you are unhappy in your life elsewhere, and are using that thing to avoid the pain or discomfort you are feeling in your life. For example, I see sometimes in my clients over-eating due to emotions (emotional eating), which is where they are over-indulging to try and avoid uncomfortable feelings - which inevitably doesn't work and leaves you feeling uncomfortable and guilty. In what ways can indulging in something be beneficial to our mental health and well-being? I guess it is important to take time out from our “go-go” lives where our brains are constantly being stimulated - especially due to our phones. So taking time to indulge in having time out with your friends or alone is important. I also think it is important to indulge in nice foods from time to time - especially in social situations.   View this post on Instagram A post shared by CHLOE THOMAS || ONLINE COACH 🦋 (@_chloeinspires_) How can indulging in certain activities, such as eating or drinking, have negative impacts on our physical health? Over eating or drinking can leave us feeling low in energy, low in mood and tends to exacerbate anxiety, aka “hangxiety” when it comes to alcohol. It can also cause weight gain and inflammation within the body which can lead to auto-immune diseases and illness. It is important to be conscious of not over-indulging in these two things too much - it's about striking that balance between a healthy amount and an excessive amount. How can we practice self-control and limit indulgences in order to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle? I think it is important to think about our future and what damage over indulging can do to our health long term. I try and remind myself of this. And even thinking of how you will feel the next week or day if you over indulge. For example, when I drink too much alcohol I sleep bad, it effects my training, my mood, my cravings etc - so I don’t drink often or in excess. I remind clients to think of their ‘why’ and also where they want to be in 5 months and 5 years time. Can indulgence ever be considered a form of self-care, or is it always a potentially harmful behaviour? I personally think it’s about that balance I mentioned before. For example, on my recent holiday I had a big pizza to myself which was overindulgent BUT I rarely have pizza - think the last time was February! So it’s fine for me to do it once in a while. I think too much indulging in anything is a sign that you may be not content in your life and are looking for something on the outside to soothe something uncomfortable on the inside (mentally speaking). What Innermost product(s) have you been loving recently? Definitely the The Digest Capsules I love them and so do my clients! They help with my bloating and IBS massively. I also love The Relax Capsules for around my period when i have PMS and trouble relaxing. They are great! Our final question is ... What’s your innermost desire that you’re hoping comes true this year? To reach even more women across the world to join my community of women and reach their healthy and fitness goals, build a better relationship with food and learn how to love their body again! I want to get women off fad diets and know there are easier ways to be healthy and lose weight! I would really like to be at the point where I can hold retreats for them by the end of the year. That's a wrap on this months interview questions. Thank you so much Chloe for your time! it’s been a pleasure chatting with you! To keep up with Chloe be sure the follow them on _chloeinspires_ Read more
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