Anna Marsh - Functional Medicine & Fatigue Recovery

Anna Marsh - Functional Medicine & Fatigue Recovery I help women with fatigue increase their energy and regulate their nervous systems. My approach combines Functional Medicine (MSc.

Personalised Nutrition), Coaching and Somatic Work. For more information about how I work, please visit my website at www.annamarsh.co.uk

29/05/2026

Movement can feel like a complicated topic for people living with chronic fatigue conditions.

Many people have been told to exercise more.
Others have experienced crashes after pushing too hard.
And over time, movement itself can start to feel risky.

But something interesting often emerges during recovery.

Certain types of gentle, rhythmic movement can actually help the nervous system settle.

In this episode, Anna explores why the body sometimes responds positively to movement — not because it improves fitness, but because it can help the nervous system process activation and return toward regulation.

This episode also introduces the idea that movement can support the body in discharging and organising sympathetic activation, which can reduce internal agitation and support nervous system balance.

Comment EPISODE and we'll DM you with the link to the latest episode.

I was asked this question via a DM and this was my answer.​​​​​​​​​I wanted to highlight here in the caption that I am n...
27/05/2026

I was asked this question via a DM and this was my answer.​​​​​​​​​

I wanted to highlight here in the caption that I am not saying that we should necessarily embrace an unhealthy body weight that is contributing to health issues.

What I am encouraging is that healing from a chronic illness like CFS/ME is a big deal and we cannot focus on everything at once.

If someone has a pattern where they have used food and exercise to cope with the dysregulation within their nervous system and they continue to try to use these tools, this may stall or sabotage fatigue recovery.

This is a part that is asking to be healed and therefore healing from CFS/ME will come hand and hand with broadening the coping mechanisms which feel available.

As we work on our health generally, this will likely encourage a healthy body weight more specifically.

However, weight loss in most cases should not be the primary goal.

Its a complex issue so I welcome your thoughts on this.

💚

26/05/2026

Understanding the difference between a true chronic fatigue relapse and a temporary recalibration can reduce a huge amount of fear and help people respond more calmly when fluctuations occur: we scale back and see if the system settles again when we scale back.

Comment EPISODE and we'll DM you with the link to the latest episode.

25/05/2026

“Movement matters… but not in the way you’ve been told.”

It’s common to hear that you must exercise to recover.

And in many ways, that’s partially true…

Because movement creates real, measurable changes in the body:
– It can support mitochondrial function
– It can influence immune regulation and inflammation
– It can improve circulation and tissue health
– It can support brain chemistry and nervous system resilience

But here’s the nuance most people miss:

👉 More is not better
👉 And pushing through is often what backfires

For many people with chronic fatigue or pain conditions, the body’s capacity is reduced.

So the same movement that helps…
can also overwhelm the system if the dose is too high.

This is where we see:
– Energy crashes
– Flare-ups
– Post-exertional malaise (PEM)

Not because movement is “bad”
But because the body isn’t ready for that level yet.

The goal isn’t intensity.
It’s appropriateness.

For some, that might look like:
– 5 minutes of gentle walking
– Lying down and slowly moving your limbs
– Short, consistent moments of movement across the day

And for others with very low capacity, it may mean:

Building stability first by supporting sleep, blood sugar, nervous system regulation, inflammation.

Before structured movement is even possible.

This is why a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work.

Your body needs the right dose, not the “perfect” routine.

If this resonates, start here:

Can you do something small…
and feel the same (or better) the next day?

That’s your starting point.

—

If you want a deeper understanding of how to approach movement without setbacks, I go into this in more detail on the podcast (episodes 16, 26 & 27).

And if you’re navigating this right now — you’re not alone in finding this confusing 🤍

Save this for later, or share with someone who needs to hear it.

Kerry had been struggling with CFS/ME for 20 years. She felt like she had lost so much due to illness; any chance of a c...
24/05/2026

Kerry had been struggling with CFS/ME for 20 years. She felt like she had lost so much due to illness; any chance of a career, friendships, hobbies that she loved, ability to exercise, or even watch movies with her husband.

She felt like she was just marking time until her time was up :(

She was mostly housebound and frequently bed bound. Simple everyday tasks like loading and unloading the dishwasher would cause her to crash. She could only shower and wash her hair once a week.

She felt really hopeless about the future.

One year since starting to work with Anna, she isn’t 100% where she wants to be, but life is so much better!

She can do most everyday tasks without much problem, she can see her friends without crashing. She has been able to dabble in her hobbies again, and even see movies at the cinema.

She is starting to get to the point where she is able to start physical therapy to slowly rebuild her body and get strong again.

She still has to be careful with her energy and listen to her body's cues but she recently went on a 4 day trip across the country to meet some friends and didn’t crash! Her friends were amazed at the changes.

In her words:

“Working with Anna made me feel less alone on this journey. I've done online courses before for ME/CFS and while they were useful, they weren't personalised like working with Anna. Anna has helped me so much more than any doctor or specialists at the CFS clinic local to me.

As much as possible, Anna gets to the root of the problem and explains things in a really accessible way. We did a lot of tests that my doctors never thought to do. A few surprising things showed up and we took steps to correct those.

I also liked the accountability she gave me. I have a better understanding of my body now and relationship with food.

Anna is really easy to work with, and it really helps that she's been there with CFS, and knows what it's like. And she has really cute cats. Big plus in my book!” 🐈‍⬛

22/05/2026

One of the most frightening moments in recovery can be when symptoms suddenly return after a long period of stability. Relapse or Recalibration? In this episode of the Chronic Fatigue and Burnout Recovery Podcast, Anna explores why symptom waves can occur even after months or years of improvement, and why these experiences often don’t mean that progress has been lost. Understanding the difference between a true relapse and a temporary recalibration can reduce a huge amount of fear and help people respond more calmly when fluctuations occur. One of the things we really want to avoid is protocol stacking.

Comment EPISODE and we'll DM you with the link to the latest episode. 💚

New research suggests that elevated glutamate in the brain may be linked to symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and that “...
20/05/2026

New research suggests that elevated glutamate in the brain may be linked to symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and that “wired but tired” feeling seen in Long COVID and ME/CFS. But as always, the full picture is more complex.

Comment LEARN and we’ll DM you the link to the full blog.

When symptoms return after months or years of improvement, it can feel terrifying.Many people immediately think:“I’m goi...
18/05/2026

When symptoms return after months or years of improvement, it can feel terrifying.

Many people immediately think:

“I’m going backwards or back to the beginning.”

But often… that isn’t actually what’s happening.

Swipe to read more 🩷

Comment EPISODE and we'll DM you with the link to the latest episode.

Prior to becoming unwell Gail was very busy, passionate about life, adventurous and energetic. When her health crashed s...
17/05/2026

Prior to becoming unwell Gail was very busy, passionate about life, adventurous and energetic. When her health crashed she couldn’t digest her food properly anymore, she couldn’t tolerate supplements or use skincare, she reacted to smells, flared in heat and cold, experienced frequent fatigue and couldn’t tolerate foods she had eaten her whole life!

"When I first started listening to Anna's podcast, and then joining the Nurturing Resilience Membership, it was beyond satisfying just listening to how much she UNDERSTANDS what you are going through! I had no idea how easy these exercises are to fit into a day! - in fact I wish I had known about them 20 years ago. Anna’s guidance has been without a doubt the primary source of my healing thus far.”

If you are experiencing a Chronic Illness and looking for Somatic Support for your Nervous System, considering joining the Nurturing Resilience Community for just £39+VAT per month.

Comment RESILIENCE and we’ll DM you the link to learn more about the Nurturing Resilience membership. ✨

15/05/2026

One of the most frightening moments in recovery can be when symptoms suddenly return after a long period of stability.

And many people immediately think:

"I’m back where I started."

But in many cases, what looks like a relapse is actually something quite different.
Sometimes the body is simply going through a temporary recalibration.

In this episode, Anna explores why symptom waves can occur even after months or years of improvement, and why these experiences often don’t mean that progress has been lost.

Understanding the difference between a true relapse and a temporary recalibration can reduce a huge amount of fear and help people respond more calmly when fluctuations occur.

Comment EPISODE and we'll DM you with the link to the latest episode.

13/05/2026

There’s nothing wrong with supporting your symptoms.
In many cases, it’s an essential first step.

But for many people…
that’s where things stop.

True progress often comes from
understanding what’s underneath.

If you want help exploring what may be contributing in your body,
I’ve created a 2-minute quiz to guide you.

Comment QUIZ and I’ll send it over 🤍

Address

Poole
BH137BB

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Anna Marsh - Functional Medicine & Fatigue Recovery posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category