I qualified as a personal trainer after coming to exercise late in life, much to the surprise of many people who know me. I hated PE at school, got out of it as often as I could and never did any exercise again for years.

I felt like I didn’t belong in fitness spaces, I didn’t “look” like someone that should be there. That changed when I joined a bootcamp with some friends and found that strength training in small groups was actually really fun, and that feeling better as a result was not a myth!

My negative experiences of the past shape everything that I do today. I work 1:1 and in small groups with women who are complete beginners, women who feel nervous and self-conscious, women who have tried before and not found their place and those who love to train but don’t enjoy intimidating gym culture.

I love it when my clients tell me that they can now turn their mattress without having to ask for help, shift furniture when they want to rearrange the living room on a whim and carry heavy stuff in from the car. This independence is what we are aiming for long into our older years and the preparation for that starts now. This isn’t training for a quick fix, this is training for longevity to support an active, busy life now, and an independent and healthy life in the future.