It’s part of a personal trainer’s job to help people achieve their fitness goals and get to that final destination of being confident in your body and yourself. Seeing as its Body Confidence Week at Her Campus Durham, I decided to chat to Becky Nelson, a personal trainer and fitness instructor at Shaping Futures Health, Wellness and Fitness Studio on Hawthorne Terrace!
After speaking to Becky, it seemed to me like Shaping Futures is a unique enterprise, not like your standard college gym. Their ethos revolves around a ‘circle of health’. “The circle of health consists of a partnership between trainers, back clinic therapists and physiotherapists. Here at Shaping Futures, we believe that working together enhances the mind, the body and the spirit of each of our members,” says Becky. From yoga and Pilates, cardio and body conditioning, to physiotherapy and nutritional advice, I’d say Shaping Futures is definitely the place to go if you’re wanting to kick-start a healthy lifestyle before the temptations of Christmas arrive!
When I asked Becky how she helps the people she works with to feel body confident, she said that, “We all have different body types and I believe it’s important to get people to understand that. I personally promote being kind of yourself through feeding your body correctly, taking rest time when you need it and then challenging your body by coming to a class or a one-to-one session.” The staff at Shaping Futures are sure that by following advice like this, you can achieve not just a stronger and healthier body, but a stronger and healthier mind too!
As students, we all know how difficult it is finding the time and energy to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. Cardiac Hill and the stairs up from Jimmy’s are work-outs in themselves! Based in Durham, Shaping Futures has many student members (including one of my housemates) and so they are used to helping you find a wellness plan that is tailored to you. When I asked Becky what her best advice on how to keep fit as a student was, she replied, “Come to Shaping Futures! We also have beautiful scenery around Durham, so if you like to run it’s the perfect area. When the nights are dark, a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) session, which can be done in your living room in less than 30 minutes, is great.”
I think it’s all about taking that time out to discover what you want and who you want to be. If you’re happy exactly the way you are then that’s great, I’m very envious! But if you’re wanting to get fit in term time, Becky and the rest of her team could be the very people to help shape your future. Check out their website for more information: http://www.shapingfutures.co.uk/