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HEALTH&FITNESS
246
January15
My crazy schedule means I don’t eat as healthily as I
would like to, but I always tell my clients to do as I say,
not as I do – and I have a great nutritionist I refer them to
if they need any advice. If I need to shed a few pounds, I
switch to a low-carb diet for a few weeks and then follow
Ooberfit’s “Bikini Challenge” to keep it off.
Ooberfit’s Six-step Bikini Challenge
1.
No alcohol during the week, Monday to Friday,
with the exception of twice in the entire month.
2.
Absolutely no snacking. Choose between five
small meals or three of your usual meals a day.
3.
Ban all crisps, chocolate or any other treats. You
can nibble on a carrot if you feel peckish!
4.
P
articipate in a minimum of two bootcamps per
week, plus…
5.
At least one other cardio exercise per week.
6.
Absolutely no cheating!
What’s the best advice you’ve ever
gotten?
“Finish what you started” – or, to put it another way, “Don’t
start what you cannot finish”. When you build steadily, you
can achieve what you thought was impossible.
I was 19 when I watched my first London Marathon go
past, and was absolutely certain I could never run such a
distance. I was almost 40 when I decided to run my first
marathon, in New York of all places. Six weeks before it was
due to take place, the Twin Towers collapsed during the
9/11 terror attacks in the US. Many charity runners dropped
out, but I was determined not to waste all my training nor let
down my chosen charity, so I opted to go anyway.
Completing that race turned out to be a pivotal moment
in my life. The sense of achievement I felt was huge; it
changed my whole perception of myself and gave me a
much-needed confidence boost. That was to be my first
of several marathons; just before we came to Singapore,
I completed three marathons in five weeks, just to see if
I could.
What do you love most about being a trainer?
I think I have one of the best jobs in the world. I get to work with
people who have made a conscious decision to change their
lives by getting healthy, and I help them achieve their goals. My
clients come in all shapes and sizes, and vary from the very fit
to people who haven’t worked out in years, if at all. Watching
them grow in confidence, get fitter and change shape is the best
reward for any trainer.
I get such a buzz fromworking with an older client whose heart
murmur is no longer detectable with a stethoscope, a woman
whose bone density has improved significantly, a guy who has
shed 12kg in eight weeks and a postnatal mum who has closed
up a three-finger gap in her abdominal wall. I never expected I
would end up doing a job that had such a positive impact on
others – that’s why I love it!
I think my unique selling point is the fact that I’m just a
normal mum who, in the past, has been everything from lazy
and post-natally overweight to sporadic with exercise, so I really
understand how my clients are feeling and the battles many of
them struggle with.
Do you believe in making New Year
resolutions? If so, what are yours for 2015?
I occasionally make them, but, honestly, I think we set ourselves
up to fail by not being realistic. If you want to lose weight and get
fitter, set a reasonable target; start with small milestones and build
on them. If I’m out running with a client, I get them to concentrate
on the next turn, not the top of the hill or our final destination.
Pick an interim target and then expand on it as you reach the
smaller milestones – just don’t decide to start with a marathon!
2015 is going to be a pivotal year for Ooberfit, as I’m in the
process of going into partnership to incorporate the business so
that we can expand it. This month, I'll also start teaching fitness
classes for families at the new Tanderra Club in Loewen Gardens,
which is exciting. If I were to make a New Year’s resolution, it would
be to take Ooberfit forward without compromising its reputation
for fun, safe and effective training, and to build on the foundations
already laid, while always remembering that one size doesn’t fit all.
8218 8513 | ooberfit.com