Marrakech: I finally made it!

As the world slowly locked down in March 2020, I watched a long-planned trip crumble away. One of my best friends and I (she’s Aussie and lives in Melbourne; we hadn’t seen each other for 18 months already) were due to go on a tour of Morocco together, before visiting Istanbul. Instead of wandering around …

Charity fitness challenges: what’s wrong with them and how to change it

Fundraising challenges that involve fitness activities are a huge bugbear of mine. I was an events and marketing professional long before I was a personal trainer, so here’s my unique take on what’s wrong and what to do to make it right. Fundraising challenges: who are they for?Here’s our key problem: charities need money in …

Is it ok to take a break from working out?

I’m a personal trainer, and I’m currently on a week off from my own gym training. The response I’ve had when telling friends about this has been interesting, so it’s time to discuss it properly. Signs you need to take a break from the gymI strength train four times per week. I realised a long …

Five things a Personal Trainer wants you to give up for Lent

It’s Ash Wednesday, one of the Western fitness world’s favourite holidays, because it’s a great excuse to spread diet culture messaging and guilt our clients (and prospective clients) into going HAM on their calorie restriction via a Lent Fitness Challenge. If a trainer shared a protein pancake recipe yesterday (bonus points if they made the …

How to measure exercise progress without weighing yourself

I recently completed a consultation with a new client – a “get to know you” session which involves discussing current habits, hopes for the future, and ideas for what a person wants to get out of personal training. This client has “fat loss” on their list of goals, and that’s ok with me. There’s a …

Five ways to support new gym members this January

The January fitness enthusiasm is well-documented online. Post-Christmas in the Western world, many people feel guilty about how they’ve treated their bodies throughout December, or take the dawn of a new year as the sign to start a positive habit, with exercise being a popular choice (Hi, 2017 Me!). With this influx of newbies, regular …

Vanity vs Sanity – which fitness metrics matter?

Human beings just love measurable statistics. And this adoration has been brilliantly exploited by the fitness and technology industries in the form of measuring our bodies and performance. As technology has both improved and become more affordable, we’ve become obsessed with humblebragging, and monitoring our progress. But are all available units worth keeping a beady …

“There’s a lot of colds going around…”

Are you even in the UK if you haven’t said this yet since September? Along with not knowing where to start, one of the biggest barriers to a fitness routine is it stopping and starting due to life, the universe, and colds. Whilst I’m not a doctor and this shouldn’t replace formal medical advice, I …

Should I be drinking protein shakes after a workout?

Other than, “what should I eat to lose weight?”, whether or not to drink protein shakes is probably the top nutrition-related question I get asked. And before I answer it, a disclaimer… I’m a personal trainer. Not a nutritionist, not a dietician. The amount of nutrition content that isn’t in the personal training question may …

Trauma informed approach to exercise provision CPD experience

I recently took part in a training event which was the first of it’s kind in the UK! Mental health has always been a significant professional (and personal) interest for me, and with the public conversation continuing to bubble away, more educational opportunities seem to be popping up each day. But I’m picky, so let …