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Hi! I’m Cristíona, originally from the west of Ireland. My journey has taken me across the world, from studying and working in law, to spending years in modelling, dabbling in acting, and now to where I feel most aligned: mentoring and coaching high-performing individuals to optimise their health, energy, and longevity. I’m a personal trainer, with certifications in nutrition from Cornell University and Health Coaching from the London College of Naturopathic Medicine. I’m also a certified meditation teacher from Alchemy, Bali. My approach blends science-backed strategies with a holistic, personalised method that supports both physical and mental well-being and nervous system health. But the lessons that shaped me didn’t come from textbooks or careers. They came from experience, resilience, and deep personal growth. I’ve loved deeply, navigated challenges, and evolved with every season of life. Divorce, reinvention, and redefining my purpose have taught me that true well-being goes far beyond just training and nutrition. It’s about mindset, self-trust, and long-term vitality. Through it all, I’ve learned this: The most important investment you will ever make is in yourself. This reel is a glimpse into the first half of 2024 - highs, lessons, and the people and places that have shaped me. I’m endlessly grateful, and I know this is only the beginning. If you are ready to step into your strongest, most energised, most confident self - with a coach who understands the nuances of high-performance health, personal training, longevity, and self-mastery - let’s talk. You don’t need another quick-fix program. You need a bespoke strategy that fits your life. 📩 DM me or book a call to find out how we can work together. The best investment you’ll ever make is in your future self.

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Sundays are my exhale. I make zero plans (here in Bali at least - no family). Walks, a stretch if my body asks for it, sun on skin, fruit or whatever I’m craving, sea air. A glass of wine… maybe two. Just enough to feel warm, not foggy. I don’t crash into rest anymore. I choose it, so the week ahead feels clean, grounded, and strong. Slow living isn’t laziness. It’s strategy. Rest isn’t my escape – it’s part of my discipline. Long game energy only.

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When you go to the gym during Easter holidays + you realise you’re the only person above 21 😂 And everyone your age is at home married with kids 😅

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These are two of my favourite exercises for the rear delts. Rounded and flat looking shoulders usually come down to this muscle group not getting enough direct work. If you spend half your life in front of a computer or on your phone, these two are a must add to your weekly rotation. Screen time pulls your shoulders forward all day, so you need something pulling them back the other way. First, standing cable pulls with arms out wide. Focus on squeezing the shoulder blades together rather than just moving through the range. Keep your chest up so your traps don’t take over. Second, bench supported Y raises. Face down on the bench so your lower back stays out of it. This one also brings in your lower traps and serratus anterior, so it’s not purely isolated to the rear delt but that’s still the main target. 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps on each, slow and controlled, with RIR 2/3 at most. Online coaching available www.cristionaaston.com

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If I was starting from scratch with my health at 45 this is what I would prioritise. More strength training, less HIIT. Lifting heavy protects your bones, your metabolism and your hormones in a way that daily high intensity training simply cannot. More sleep, less screens. Everything depends on the quality of your sleep. Screens before bed suppress melatonin and steal the rest your body needs. More whole foods, less supplements. Real food eaten consistently will always do more for you than any supplement stack. More breathwork, less news. The news keeps your nervous system in a constant state of low level threat. Breathwork brings you back to yourself in minutes. More root cause investigation, less antibiotics. Ask why before reaching for something to suppress the symptom. More warm herbal teas, less alcohol. One supports your body, one quietly works against it. More real dopamine, less cheap dopamine hits. Real dopamine comes from movement, creativity, connection and purpose. The other kind borrows from your future self. More morning light, less artificial light at night. Free and one of the most powerful things you can do for your circadian rhythm. More blood tests, less guessing. You cannot optimise what you cannot see. Your health is not complicated. It has just been made to feel that way. Ready to start designing your future self? DM or comment “Rebuild” now

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Facts ✨ If any of that made you roll your eyes, no hard feelings. If it made you laugh and nod, welcome. You are in the right place.

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Week 2 of my six week glute growth programme and I want to share exactly what I am doing so you can follow along or take inspiration for your own training. A little context first. I took four months completely off weight training and just walked. So I am starting from a place of rebuilding and I am documenting every week of this six week programme with progressive overload added each week. Here is exactly what week two looked like. I always do a warm up set on every exercise to get used to the movement pattern before going heavy, so across the board you are looking at four sets with the first being a warm up and three working sets after that. Abduction machine to start, beginning with thighs closed and driving outward against the resistance. I placed yoga blocks on the outside of each thigh because the machine runs a little wide for me and I want to maximise my range of motion. Four sets including warm up. Hip thrusts on the Smith machine, four sets of ten including warm up. Smith machine RDLs with a plate underneath my feet to increase the range of motion and get a deeper stretch through the hamstrings, four sets of ten including warm up. Cable kickbacks, three sets of fifteen each leg. Weighted glute extensions to finish. I held a 20kg dumbbell for ten reps, then dropped the weight and did ten reps with both legs, and finished with ten single leg reps to really fatigue the muscle completely. Progressive overload is everything here. Same exercises next week, more weight added. Nutrition is running alongside this programme. At 5ft 10 and 68kg I am aiming for 1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, which works out at around 180 grams per day. It is not an easy number to hit but it is non negotiable for building muscle at 45. Check back each week for progress and let us see where this takes me. My personal record on hip thrusts was 130kg for 3 reps on a floor setup leaning against a box, and I am now working on the Smith machine which is a different stimulus entirely. It will be interesting to see how the two compare as the weeks progress. I may end up alternating the two to hit the glute fibres from every angle.

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When was the last time you actually woke up without an alarm, lay still for a few minutes and let your body come to life on its own terms? I want to talk about something that has genuinely changed how I feel every single day, and it starts the moment I open my eyes. Cortisol has been getting such a bad reputation lately and I really want to push back on that because the truth is so much more nuanced. Cortisol is not your enemy. In the first 20 to 30 minutes after you wake, your cortisol naturally surges in what is called the cortisol awakening response. This is your body doing exactly what it was designed to do, mobilising energy, sharpening your focus and preparing you to meet the day. It is a feature of your biology, not a flaw. The real problem is that most of us are living completely out of sync with our natural rhythms. We grab our phones before our eyes have even adjusted to the light. We pour coffee into our bodies before they have had a chance to complete this beautiful natural awakening process. We sit under harsh artificial lighting until midnight and then genuinely wonder why we cannot fall asleep or why we wake up exhausted. So here is what I do in the morning and what I would love for you to try. Get outside within the first 30 minutes of waking and let natural light hit your eyes. Wait at least 15 minutes before your first coffee and give your body a chance to do its thing first. Let the cortisol awakening response complete itself naturally before you intervene. And in the evening, support your melatonin rise by dimming your lights after sunset, wearing blue light blocking glasses with red lenses, finishing your last meal at least three hours before bed, keeping your bedroom cool and taking magnesium glycinate before sleep. Where does cortisol genuinely become a problem? Living in a chronic state of stress, with cortisol flooding your body for hours every single day, is seriously damaging over time. It suppresses your immune system, disrupts your sleep, drives inflammation, accelerates ageing and contributes to cardiovascular disease among other things. So throughout the week ahead I invite you to (continued in comments)

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Let your work speak for itself. Booty class 9:30am Saturdays @evan_garvey_fitness . Learn to lift like a pro and build a posterior chain to keep you moving into your 90’s +

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Years of building muscle, eating well, moving my body and taking care of my health means I’m not starting from scratch. I’m on day 2 and already feeling that familiar strength coming back. There’s something very satisfying about knowing you’ve built an engine that can sit quietly for a while and still knows exactly what to do when you turn it back on. Whole foods. Consistency. Muscle built over years. Let me teach you how. Day 1 at @evan_garvey_fitness done. Loved training the women who attended Booty class. So lovely to meet those who came, and well done!! Also some fab PT clients. Day 2 training myself after 4 months off weight training. What I’m offering for August in Kilkee: Booty class 9:30 Saturdays Shred class 10:45 Tuesdays and Thursdays Personal Training @evan_garvey_fitness (DM me for details) My usual online health coaching online see www.cristionaastom.com or link in my bio. In person health and nutrition coaching in Kilkee or Carrigaholt. Learn to meditate- DM me. Book classes via Evans @wunderbookapp or DM me for PT, nutrition and health coaching. One last thing - would you be interested in an evening Shred instead? See poll below.

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Dear algorithm, Send me the women who care more about feeling well than looking busy. The women who are choosing strength over burnout, quality over quantity, and peace over people-pleasing. The women who know that ageing well isn’t luck - it’s the result of thousands of small decisions made every single day. If that’s you, welcome. 🤍

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Big news 🤍 Kilkee, this one’s for you. From Saturday 8th August, I’m bringing weekend sessions to Evan Garvey Fitness @evan_garvey_fitness covering movement, food, and mindset in one place. 🍑 Booty Burn Class - Every Saturday, 9:30am Heavy lower body work, upper body sculpting, and core, built to make you stronger week on week. Go heavy on the hip thrusts or stick with the bands, it’s built to meet you where you are. Glutes, hamstrings, and core done properly, with the energy to match. 💪 Personal Training - Sat & Sun, 10am to 2pm One-on-one, built around your goals. Strength, better movement, or simply someone keeping you accountable every week. 🌿 Holistic Health Coaching - 1:1 Your health looked at as a whole picture: nervous system, hormones, sleep, stress, digestion, and lifestyle, working out the root cause instead of chasing symptoms. 🥗 Nutrition Coaching - 1:1 Practical, sustainable changes that fit your actual life. No restriction, no guilt, just food that works for you. Spaces are limited, especially for PT slots. DM me now to lock in your spot for August. 📍 Evan Garvey Fitness, Kilkee, Co. Clare 🗓️ From Saturday 8th August