Celiac's

What Recovery Actually Looks Like When You're Running on Empty


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Training your core when your body is already fighting something.

Core training with an autoimmune condition isn’t about backing off forever—it’s about learning how inflammation, fatigue, and nervous system disruption change the way stability is built. This post unpacks why traditional ab-focused advice often misses the mark for women navigating Hashimoto’s, lupus, RA, MS, and more, then offers a smarter framework for training through flares, low-energy days, and stronger seasons. It explores how breath, bracing, symptom-aware strength work, and progressive loading can help rebuild true core function without working against the body. If you’ve ever felt like your core weakness or back pain didn’t match your effort, this will change the way you understand training—and what’s actually possible.
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Meet Amy Karas

Hi, I’m Amy Karas—coach, mom, and believer in grit built over time. I help women cultivate durable strength through smart, compassionate training. After years coaching diverse women, I saw how many were under-served by one-size-fits-all fitness—especially those with autoimmune conditions or shifting seasons like postpartum or perimenopause. Refinery Strength Collective was born to change that.

Creds & Lived Insight:
  • NASM-CPT, Girls Gone Strong L1
  • Specialty: Autoimmune-aware, female physiology, power development
  • Philosophy: Faith-forward, science-driven, client-led
Values:
  • Dignity First – You are not your diagnosis or decade.
  • Evidence & Empathy – Data + lived experience guide us.
  • Progress Over Perfection – We refine; we don’t punish.
Photo of Amy Karas