About ME

Hi! I’m Karen and I have been a Personal Trainer since 2005, Pilates Teacher since 2006 and Yoga teacher since 2014. I was based in Manchester then relocated to Penrith in Cumbria during the last lockdown and restarted my business here when we were allowed to open up again. In September 2022 I joined Penrith Leisure Centre as a Personal Trainer working alongside James Pittam.

In a previous life I worked in the IT industry and spent most of my spare time in the gym to de-stress before I went home. I took on a Personal Trainer to help me lose weight, and quickly realised that this was my true vocation. I gave up my stressful career in IT after much deliberation and qualified as a Personal Trainer so I could make a difference to other people’s lives. Having benefitted from a Personal Trainer myself, I have real experience what a massive difference it makes having someone to be accountable to, who will motivate you to keep pushing towards your goals.

While working in a local club as a PT I attended some studio classes so that I could see what they were about and advise my clients on what classes they would benefit from alongside their sessions with me.

I really enjoyed the Pilates classes and they helped me learn how to relax and focus my mind, and helped to improve my posture. It felt so good that within 3 months I had started my Level 2 Pilates Matwork training with Future Fit. I then attended the intermediate and advanced training modules and later I upgraded my qualification to Level 3 Pilates Matwork which became the new industry standard. I then trained in Pilates for Lower Back Pain and Pilates for Pregnancy to widen my knowledge. 

In 2009 I started attending Body Balance classes and loved them so much I decided to train up to teach it. Body Balance then ignited an interest in Yoga and after attending various styles of yoga classes I felt that teaching yoga was the next step for me to take.  So, in 2013 I began my Level 3 Yoga Diploma with Group X training, and qualified in 2014.

Pilates and Yoga have made such a big difference to my life, both physically and mentally, and I want to help other people to feel the benefit as I have done.

In 2015 I qualified as a Level 3 Instructor in Exercise Referral and Level 4 Instructor in Exercise for the Management of Lower Back Pain.

In 2022 I invested in further training and qualified as a Level 4 Pilates Instructor and Exercise Therapist and L3 Exercise for Older Adults Instructor.

Before my relocation I was also teaching Pilates and Yoga at various gyms around the Manchester area, in addition to teaching 5 Les Mills programmes – Body Balance, Body Pump, RPM, Sprint and Barre. 

About PERSONAL TRAINING

Exercise is great not only for your physical health but also your mental health, it releases feel-good endorphins and I always feel amazing afterwards. Having benefitted from a Personal Trainer myself, I have real experience what a massive difference it makes having someone to be accountable to, who will motivate you to keep pushing towards your goals. It’s so much harder trying to do this on your own, so let me help you to make that change. It doesn’t matter where you are now, we can work together to get you where you want to be.

I will create a personal training programme tailored to you and your goals and will motivate you to keep going when you might otherwise have given up. I will also help you with your nutrition by providing you with advice and information to enable you to make the right food choices.

About PILATES

Pilates creates balance and natural poise. Pilates movements gently stretch the muscles, making them longer and leaner. It helps to keep us healthy through the development of good posture. We often slouch at our desk or on the sofa in front of the TV, this can cause our spine to gradually lose its natural curve which can eventually lead to back pain. Pilates makes you more aware of your posture.

About YOGA

I teach a gentle Hatha style yoga class, and incorporate an element of flow to the postures.  Hatha yoga is a widely practised combination of physical postures (asana) and deep breathing exercises (pranayama). Anyone taking part in a Yoga class can expect to improve their strength and flexibility, seeing the benefits within 8 weeks. They will learn how to understand their bodies and begin to move more effectively and efficiently, improving posture, self-awareness and confidence.

About YOGALATES

This is a fusion of Yoga and Pilates, taking elements from both disciplines to help improve flexibility, lengthen and strengthen the muscles, and to help you feel calm and relaxed.

About BARRE PILATES METHOD 

The Barre Pilates Method combines basic Ballet Barre exercises with Pilates, body conditioning moves and stretches. It is a full body workout to music, we start with a warm up to introduce the moves and terminology, then move onto the main Barre part of the workout to work the lower body, followed by some Pilates matwork exercises to focus more on the core, finishing with stretches. Socks are worn to enable us to slide our feet along the floor. No previous dance experience is required!!!

MY QUALIFICATIONS