The Instagram edit

THE INSTAGRAM Three amazing personal trainers sharing their fitness journeys, helping to inspire and educate other women about looking after their bodies. EDIT

Angel Howarth

Fashion Marketing graduate Angel discovered a love for fitness which altered her career path and meant that she could combine her education with helping others live a healthy lifestyle.

Sitting in her regular coffee shop Caffè Nero with her nose deep into her laptop, 22-year-old Angel Howarth would be doing one of three things in her final year at university. She may have been juggling her many assignments for her BA in Fashion Marketing or learning about muscles, ligaments and tendons for her personal training course, or posting a motivational picture to her 60,000 Instagram followers - usually of her at the gym. Considering Angel only began her fitness journey in 2017, her account has rapidly grown, yet she is one of the most down-to-earth people you could ever meet. “Initially I started my account because I had taken a few selfies in the gym and thought I wanted to post them to share with the world what I’m up to. But then, I began to see some progress in what I was doing, and not just the physical gains but how much happier the gym was making me. After that my page began to attract a bit of an audience that has just continued to grow since I started. I now want my account to be educational and motivating, a positive space for people to come to on social media.” In between this, Angel would be lifting weights at the gym or working at another coffee shop in her town. “I think exercise is important as part of living a healthy lifestyle, I think we need to create some awareness of the benefits exercise has and educate people about it and taking care of our mental and physical health.” Angel expected that she would take up a career in the fashion industry after studying Fashion Marketing at university. However, as she saw her mental and physical health get better and better, she quickly realised she wanted to combine her love of fitness with her knowledge of business, which she had gained at university. And so, she decided to jump-start her personal training business. Angel’s main goal is to motivate and educate more people to live healthily and take care of their mind and body, to help people change their lives in a positive way. “Now (that) I have a gym routine, I manage to eat healthier, I am more productive, more focussed and generally just happier in myself.” Angel believes that women do get more anxious about going to the gym than men, because lifting weights is not talked about as much amongst women, and so it is a step out of their comfort zone, which can be daunting in not knowing where to start. “My advice would be to expect to feel a bit uncomfortable at first. Don’t be put off if you feel uncomfortable or nervous, because that’s completely normal. I

would recommend getting an induction from a personal trainer or a member of staff at the gym because they can show you around and how to use some of the equipment. They will be able to help you find your way.” Angel also recommends going to the gym with a friend or a sibling because if you have someone to train with, it can make you feel more motivated and confident which is a winwin situation. So why not ask your friend if they would like to go the gym with you.

“Now (that) I have a gym routine, I manage to eat healthier, I am more productive, more focussed and generally just happier in myself.”

From performing gravity-defying spins and some incredible inverts, Hollie Marie Kirk is one talented pole and fitness instructor. The Leicester-born, 23-year-old is all about sharing her love for health and fitness with others, to help them improve their mental health, motivation and fatigue.

“Everyone is different - what I like, may not necessarily be what my neighbour likes to do for fitness.”

Pole fitness is one of Kirk’s biggest interests. She says her first ever pole fitness class was in 2013 and all she can remember is the adrenaline she felt after it. “I don’t think I have ever felt this passionate about something that isn’t food in forever”, she jokes. “To be able to share this (passion), watch people progress, surprise themselves with how fantastic they are, watch them grow, become a part of our pole family and make themselves proud, is 100% the best feeling ever.” Not only that, but she is also a personal trainer at Virgin Active. Kirk began working there this past January, after passing her Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification in September 2019. “I wouldn’t say I decided to become a fitness instructor. Originally I started teaching Pole Fitness because it was and still is, one of my biggest passions and I wanted to share that passion with as many people as I could. Then, as I was working for a PT facility, I found myself lifting weights and doing things I never thought I would ever do. Before long, health and fitness as a whole became my biggest passion in life.” For a gym session, Kirk loves to lift weights, saying that she finds it easier to schedule in workouts now that she works at a gym. It could be in the morning or the evening, she might only have half-an-hour, or she might have an hour, but give her the right music and she will be lifting. “The best way to get a workout in, is one-hundred percent what’s convenient and fun for you. Everyone is different - what I like, may not necessarily be what my neighbour likes to do for fitness.” Kirk takes such a grounded approach to fitness, making it accessible for everyone and is so committed to helping other women with their fitness goals. “Women should look after their bodies because they want to. Not because they feel they have to or because their partner thinks they should or if society thinks they should - but because they want to. Taking care of our bodies does not always mean we have to be in the gym 24/7 lifting heavy weights or doing

Photo courtesy of Hollie Marie Kirk

boring cardio. Caring for your body could be something as simple as clean eating, or looking in the mirror every morning and telling yourself that you look beautiful. Women should look after their bodies just as much as any other person in this world, but we should take care of them how we want to”. Kirk also gives us an important reminder that no one is looking at you or judging you at the gym. It does not matter if you are not wearing expensive sports clothing brands either. Everyone is there to better themselves. “I train because it makes me feel good, it makes me feel proud that I have achieved more than what I did the day before. I train because not only am I training my body, but also my mind, to be more disciplined and more loving of myself.” Kirk also encourages us to not be afraid to get help from gym instructors and personal trainers, who are there to show you how to exercise safely. Kirk gives some top advice for new gym-goers. “Follow people online who inspire you, start small and build your way up. The sky is the limit and you have the power to do anything you put your mind too. Be patient, be disciplined and be brave.” Kirk has many hobbies as well, sharing that she likes to go alpaca walking, an activity in which you quite literally take alpacas for a walk through the countryside. Hey, we told you already - there are so many ways to move your body.

Spreading positivity, sharing her clients’ accomplishments, giving proper exercise form tips and workout ideas, and posting some photos of her life, 30-year-old personal trainer Leona Love’s Instagram is motivating and inspiring.

Based in Wolverhampton, Leona started going to the gym when she was 18 years old but did not start weight training until four years ago when she decided she wanted to start taking better care of herself. She tells me that in the past she struggled with under-eating and doing excessive amounts of cardio. “It’s so easy to go the wrong way just to look a certain way, when all it really takes is a lifestyle change where you can actually enjoy all the things you love.” She turned that all around when she began eating properly and discovered her passion for weightlifting and high intensity interval training (HIIT). “It makes me feel good on the inside and outside and it also makes me feel strong. Whenever I’ve been going through a stressful time in my life it has always helped me.” Growing up, Leona says that she always loved being active, particularly dancing and running. She does not promote fad diets or extremist methods of fitness, but instead has a more realistic approach to staying healthy. Other activities she enjoys include simply walking her dog but concludes that she is open to trying and learning anything new. As a female-only personal trainer, Leona says that she decided to help other women because she felt that she could Photo courtesy of Leona Love

completely relate to them. She thinks that more girls would be encouraged to keep fit if there was a bigger focus on being healthier overall, rather than an emphasis on working out for appearance purposes. And for everyone out there wanting to go to the gym for the first time Leona gives some top tips. “Go with a friend or seek the help of a personal trainer, try classes, find some good tunes to listen to, and focus on you - and only you, when you walk through the doors.” So be brave and just show up to the gym and you will probably surprise yourself. Following women like Leona, can also provide you with some great gym ideas.

“Focus on you - and only you when you walk through the doors”