Welcome to Mother+ Meets… our new interview series spotlighting women who are building brilliant things while also building a family. These are the stories behind the headlines from the late nights and bold pivots, to the quiet decisions that rarely make it to Instagram, but shape everything.

After a life-changing back injury and years of chronic pain, Allison Huff-Ritchie discovered infrared therapy and has never looked back. The result? SweatLounge: the UK’s first dedicated infrared light therapy studio.

We spoke to the powerhouse mum-of-two about building a self-funded wellness business from the ground up, finding time when there is none, and why she’s determined to live vibrantly not just for herself, but for her daughters.

Tell us a little about what you do and what led you here.

I’m Allison, the founder of SweatLounge, the UK’s first and only chain of infrared light therapy studios. I’m originally from the US, but after twelve years in London (and two daughters later), this city feels very much like home.

SweatLounge was born from personal necessity. During my second pregnancy, I suffered from debilitating back pain that brought life to a complete standstill. An MRI revealed degenerative disc disease and two prolapsed discs. Doctors warned I might never regain full use of my leg and could live with a permanent limp.

A year later, still in constant pain and facing the real possibility of long-term disability, I discovered infrared therapy — quite by chance, on my 40th birthday. After just three sessions, my back pain disappeared. My sleep improved. I had mobility again. It was life-changing.

I knew then that I had to bring this treatment to others. Everyone deserves to live a vibrant, pain-free life. I launched SweatLounge to create an accessible, science-backed space for preventative health and healing, which is something I found was missing in the UK wellness market.

We opened our first studio in Chiswick and are now expanding into two new West London locations. As a 100% self-funded, woman-owned business, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built and where we’re headed.

What does a typical day look like for you if there is such a thing?

With two small children (ages 3 and 5), my days are divided into four acts:

Before school: chaos, breakfast, and drop-offs.
9am–3pm: deep work, meetings, workouts — this is my window for everything that fills my cup.
After school: dinner, homework, play, bath — the family shift.
Evenings: once the girls are in bed, I often jump back online and return to work.

As any founder will tell you, the work never really stops. But being able to shape my own schedule means I get to be present for my children, and that flexibility is something I’ll never take for granted.

I make it to the gym three times a week (one of those on the weekend, my husband and I alternate). Strength training is a non-negotiable. It’s how I support both my physical and mental health and future-proof my body for the long term. I want to be energetic and mobile when my children have children. The time to prepare for that is now.

What’s been your proudest moment so far and your biggest “what now?” moment?

For me, pride is in the everyday moments. Hearing from our clients the woman who can walk pain-free again, the parent sleeping through the night, the person who’s finally feeling good in their body, those conversations fuel me more than any single milestone.

I’m proud of what we’re building, but I also know the work is never done. There isn’t one big finish line. You have to take the joy as it comes, in small daily wins and I do.

How has motherhood shaped how you work or how you define success?

Motherhood has fundamentally changed every aspect of my career, my body, my priorities, my entire life. My previous profession did not align to motherhood and was quite hostile to the demands of having a family.

After my health care and discovering IR light therapy, I knew this was my opportunity to build something that would give back to the community and make so many people feel good in their bodies again, like it did mine.

Everything that I do is for my girls. I want them to know that they can achieve anything in this world and to be an example of how to make a life that works for them.

What do you wish people understood about building something from scratch?

That most of the time, you’ll feel like you have no idea what you’re doing and that’s okay. Don’t let imposter syndrome win. You will make mistakes but every single one is a lesson.

It’ll be harder than you think. You’ll cry. It will get boring. It will get lonely. You’ll wonder why you started. But if you can push through the discomfort — through the dull days and the self-doubt — you’ll build something extraordinary.

The secret? Find joy in the doing, not just the outcome. That’s how you keep going. That’s how you don’t burn out. And that’s how you end up creating the thing you’ll be most proud of.

Where do you find your energy and what drains it?

Honestly, I don’t know where my energy came from when I started this business. My girls were just 1 and 3 — and somehow, I found the fuel.

I knew that I had a once in a lifetime chance to make a significant impact on my life and my community and I had to go for it. The universe doesn’t wait for perfect timing. Doors open when they open. It’s up to you to walk through them.

That said, I’m fiercely protective of my time now. If it doesn’t serve me, my family, or my business — it’s a no. I’ve had to learn that clarity is kind, and boundaries are energy-saving.

What’s one decision that changed everything?

Three decisions which have fundamentally changed the trajectory of my life: My decision to move to the UK in 2013, our decision to have children, and the decision to start my business.

I felt the same other-worldly drive and determination to achieve all three and they’re the best things that I’ve ever done.

You’ve spoken openly about losing four stone through sustainable lifestyle changes and infrared therapy. How did that personal transformation influence the way you built SweatLounge and your approach to wellbeing?

A lot of people say they’d die for their kids. I wanted to live for mine. I was in the worst mental and physical shape of my life, with two small kids, and I knew something had to change.

Infrared light therapy made my back pain disappear, which helped my sleep, which then gave me the energy to exercise and make good diet decisions.

When you’re sleeping, eating right, exercising and not in pain, it is miraculous what this does to your mental health. We are a cog in the wellness machine.

When I was creating SweatLounge, I researched so many different places to see how they were doing things, and I knew I had to do them differently. Using heat as part of your lifestyle is as impactful to your longevity as diet and exercise, but it is a lifestyle intervention that needs to be part of your regular routine.

If I want to make drastic health improvements to our community, the solution needs to be affordable, accessible and convenient, and this is exactly what I have created.

What does balance mean to you right now?

Balance is tough, and I don’t ever feel like I’m getting it right. I am neurodiverse and struggle with staying organised, but I power through it as best as I can. The biggest focus for me is ensuring that I prioritise my sleep. When my sleep suffers, everything suffers.

My top priorities (outside of my relationship and my children) are my sleep, my diet and moving my body. When I focus on these things, everything else seems to fall into place.

And finally, what’s one thing you’d tell other women who are trying to do both: raise a family and build a business?

Focus on progress not perfection. I like to say that every day I’m adding another pearl to the string. You have to trust the process. The job is never going to feel finished, so you have to take joy and satisfaction in doing it every day.

Take the small wins and celebrate them! We go out to dinner as a family every time the business is published to reflect on how far we have come.

Visit SweatLounge at 48 Chiswick High Rd., Chiswick, London W4 1SZ. | Instagram: @sweatlounge.w4

mother+ meets… Allison Huff-Ritchie, Founder of SweatLounge

QUICK FIRE ROUND

mother+ meets… Allison Huff-Ritchie, Founder of SweatLounge

QUICK FIRE ROUND

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