When I was at school, the forged-sick-note cliche to get out of P.E. was a real Thing. I’m not sure if it was the lack of privacy for swim changing, or maybe the kit (hideous, unforgiving shiny leotard + leggings for gym; grey granny pants under our pleated netball skirts), but there was a good couple of years when my entire form developed a recurring bout of flu.
For some reason, I went against the grain on this one. I was on the netball team, played tennis on the weekends with dad, and was borderline addicted to all forms of dance. When GCSE options came around, I immediately added Sport Science to my schedule, gleefully dropping some of the other subjects in favour of 12-minute-runs, bleep tests and training theory.
Then I joined the army, and along with themes of officership, marksmanship and operational tactics we were trained to lead groups of men and women both in camp and in the field, on exercise. We had dedicated PTIs (physical training instructors) who planned our fitness schedule, but we would occasionally take groups out for runs or basic circuit training. So we needed a little bit of knowledge. Which brought out my inner geek and I’ve been slightly obsessed with the theory behind training ever since.
These days, I train with a PT, and love quizzing her about the functions and mechanisms that allow us to perform. There is a reason behind everything, and once you strip back the layers and start from the very smallest details you quickly realise how logical training principles actually are. Elevated blood pressure? Avoid intense resistance training because heavier weights can cause a greater increase in blood pressure, and focus instead on aerobic cardiovascular training. This is because stronger cardiovascular system needs less pressure to move enough oxygenated blood through the body.
So I’ve decided to take my knowledge further by embarking upon a PT Instructor course with No 1 Fitness. The course is split into e-learning and practical sessions, which means I can happily slot my progress into my hectic schedule. For me, having a PT qualification will give me the credibility and authenticity I need as a fitness influencer, and I’m so excited to meet other wanabe-PTs. I’m now four modules into my 55 module course – I will update you as I go!
