Hello and welcome! I decided to start this blog as a way for me to share my thoughts, feelings, knowledge and insights on the world of health & fitness - not just from the perspective of a personal trainer, but as a woman who has found much happiness, comfort and relief from exercise and movement.
It’s not always been that way and, in some ways, I am lucky I have stumbled into this world.
For those who knew me as a child or teenager will know that I was not sporty at all. In fact, I
dreaded every PE lesson and the annual sports day absolutely terrified me - I still remember
thinking of all the different ways I could try to avoid it! In PE I felt anxious about losing, letting the team down or just looking like a prat, and as for dance classes, I just hid at the back hoping nobody could see me. Throughout my school days, I preferred more introverted classes where I wouldn’t get picked on and felt safe, such as art.
My dad has been running marathons for as long as I can remember, but it was my mum who
triggered my love for running. When I was 14 we ran a Race For Life together. I remember our first training “run”, we mapped out a 5km route and ended up walking most of it. When it came to race day, I spent the entire run complaining as my supportive mother stuck by my side, only to ditch her and sprint for the finish line when it came into sight. I kept on running after the event, although I stuck to the treadmill in the gym as I was too self conscious to pound the pavements.
At this point I never dreamed of running a marathon - it was just a case of running on the
treadmill, thinking “5km felt good, should I try for 6?” and getting this little buzz every time I ran a bit further. I didn’t know it at the time, but I liked running because it isn’t scary - it can be hard, but it’s not scary at all. I could just put in my headphones and plod along without stress, dread or fear - it gave me a sense of achievement and empowerment that I hadn’t felt before. From that first race at 14, it was all about small wins, slowly increasing my distance, 1km at a time, until I ran my first marathon at 18 - albeit massively underprepared, but that’s a story for another day!
That is where my journey really began.
If you had told an incredibly shy and awkward teenage Kathryn that she would later choose a
career in fitness, you would have been given the death stare. Sport and fitness can seem
overwhelming and scary - it can feel as though some are born naturally coordinated, graceful, strong and in great shape and that it is unobtainable for you. Now that I’ve hit the big 3 0, I consider myself somewhat worldly and wise when it comes to this topic - here are some of the things I have learnt so far:
Exercise isn’t about anyone else except you.
Even if you don’t like it, you will feel better after a good session.
When you’re feeling down, nothing makes you feel more empowered than putting on your favourite music (personally I love a bit of The Greatest Showman) and absolutely smashing a workout or cycling like you’re about to win an olympic medal.
You look better when you train - not just because you may lose fat or gain muscle definition, but your posture will improve, you will hold yourself better and you will feel better in your own skin.
Exercise isn’t scary.
So there you have it - from a complete outsider to a health & fitness professional, and a few of things I've picked up along the way.
I'll use this weekly blog to explore lots of wonderful topics, offer some advice from my own experiences, as well as share stories from my journey so far. Feel free to request any topic you'd like to read more on and I hope you enjoy!