Recently I have realised that people seem to make assumptions about me, when they learn that I am personal trainer. It seems that because I promote a healthy active lifestyle and do the school run in my nikes, people expect me to be a marathon runner and only eat organic, vegan, wheat free food. So, if you think that all personal trainers are health & fitness gurus, here are some confessions that may surprise you.

I don’t exercise everyday.
If you were a taxi driver, I doubt that you would go for a long drive on your day off. When I’m not training with my clients, I do enjoy running and practicing yoga but I also like having days off too. I have a husband, a son, friends, a life! (outside of the gym)

I’m a rubbish swimmer.
Swimming is my nemesis! I have never enjoyed swimming, it’s one kind of exercise that I can’t bring myself to do. I often recommend it to clients as there are lots of great health benefits of swimming, especially anti/postnatally. I’ll gladly cheer you on from the pool side but I’m not getting in.

I love Nutella.
Yes, I love Nutella! It’s great on bananas, crumpets, pancakes, toast, or even a spoon. It’s okay to eat sugary goodies sometimes. If you’re active and you have a balanced diet then I believe you can eat everything in moderation. I don’t count calories and I don’t ‘earn’ food. I really dislike the way people talk about how many sit ups you need to do to burn off one chip. Life is too short for that and it’s just nonsense. Let’s be honest, we all know what healthy food is. I really enjoy cooking, I use fresh ingredients and I encourage my son to help me in the kitchen too. We eat a lot of vegetables, fruits and grains, but we also eat meat, bread, chips and Nutella too.

I’m super competitive.
I know that it’s not a great quality to have but I have always been competitive. As a child I was competitive at school and with my siblings, especially when it came to sports. I know that it’s all about the taking part and all that but if you’re running next to me on the treadmill, then yes, we are racing! *hangs head in shame*

I’m not judging you. 
People will often confess their food sins to me, or admit that they haven’t done exercise for ages. I think they expect me to disapprove and wag my finger at them. I’m not judging you or your lifestyle choices. Personal training is my job and I love it, I’ve always been full of energy and I enjoy motivating women to be active. I’m happy to give advise but I am not going to bash you with a celery stick.

I hope that my honest confessions do not disappoint you, I do try my best to practice what I preach. (most of the time).