The Power of a Woman
Louise Sylvester discovers an inner strength in her latest exploration of wellness in the West End…
Best Gyms Glasgow West
Strong not skinny. This is the mantra of many modern-day women. Forget the ‘get skinny quick’ diets of the 80s, 90s and 00s, nowadays more and more females are finding themselves in gyms, working out, using weights and discovering a new, much healthier focus – to become the strongest version of themselves. Both physically, and mentally.
Hitting the Gym
Despite running regularly and attending yoga or Les Mills-style classes when I can, I haven’t set foot inside an actual gym in years and so I was keen to reacquaint myself with that environment and excited at the prospect of picking up a free weight. Instagram has a lot to answer for!
A personal training session is a great way to initiate such newfound desires and so when I was offered the chance to train with Michaela Brodie of Mind Body Fitness I did a star jump!
Based in The Gym Group on Vinicombe Street, Michaela offers small group PT sessions for females. And I mean small, with just four in a group Michaela is able to ensure she provides each participant with the support and encouragement they require.
Personal Training
The strength and conditioning coaching programme helps members to fundamentally become the fittest version of themselves, challenging them to do things they never thought were possible before.
Michaela knows her stuff having worked in the industry for over 12 years. She told me: “I have worked with hundreds of people over the years. Within my programme, you are not just another number. I care about all my clients and I am here to help females to improve their lives in a positive way for the long term. I don’t believe that fitness is a short-term fix. Fitness should be a priority in your life, especially as we age.”
But back to my early morning session where I learned I’ve been doing squats wrong all these years… it turns out I’ve only been managing ‘half squats’! And this is exactly what personal training can offer, in busy classes you get lost in the crowd, but one on one or within a small group, your coach has the time and ability to spot when something is being done incorrectly and fix it.
Gaining Confidence Through Instruction
We also did deadlifts, my first time working with weights in this way. I’ve always been scared of a barbell, but Michaela talked me through the technique and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so strong! Or in that moment I had never felt so strong… the next exercise would push me some more. An assisted pull up, and again I found myself working with a piece of kit that had I been ‘flying solo’ I would have avoided like the plague. But it wasn’t scary at all and for the second time that morning I felt strong and incredibly proud of myself. All before 9am as well.
Then it was upstairs for some conditioning work while I joked that it was nice to do a workout that didn’t leave me as sweaty and red faced as running does… I spoke too soon. The rowing machine and push sled worked me hard, my heart rate was up higher than it had been in months and it only took seconds to get there!
I left the gym feeling elated. I had pushed myself in an environment I wasn’t totally convinced I would enjoy. But I couldn’t have been more wrong – gyms are not just for sweaty, musclebound men. Us women can find a space too, a safe, supportive space that lets us, as Michaela says: “find fun in fitness and understand the importance of daily movement in your life all while enjoying a camaraderie with other females going through a similar journey to yourself.”
Western Baths
It’s not just gym sessions that can help with strength and conditioning though, as I discovered in a visit to the West End’s iconic Western Baths where I had been invited to participate in a Pilates session. I was treated to a guided tour of the club before my class began and it was every bit as splendid as I had always imagined when walking past.
While the club may have a lengthy waiting list to join, classes such as Pilates are available to non-members and despite what you might imagine – they are very competitively priced!
It has always been yoga for me, so I was intrigued to experience a Pilates class and see how the two differ. The session I took part in was led by Nicola – clearly an incredibly experienced instructor with a calm but firm style and with a keen eye for spotting those who needed help. Which was me, on more than one occasion!
And I loved it – it was hard work at times, but I felt supported by Nicola throughout the session as she was quick to spot if anyone in the class required help achieving positions and manipulated their bodies so that the ‘proper’ stretch was felt. I really appreciated this guidance, as I already mentioned, it is very easy to attend a class and feel lost in the numbers – never really knowing if you are doing something right, or not.
Mind and Body
The location was special too – a wood-panelled room with mirrors at the front, mats to use and plenty space for everyone taking part. I could see a 10.30am Friday morning session becoming part of my weekly routine for sure.
Speaking after the class Nicola told me: “Pilates is all about the ABCs, that is alignment, breathing and core. Attending a Pilates class will go a long way in helping to improve posture and importantly, your mind-body connection.”
And I guess that’s what it is all about, whether you are in a gym, a Pilates class or swimming lengths in your local pool – that connection between mind and body is paramount. As the body gets stronger, so too does the mind, with a virtuous circle set in motion and a fitter, happier person the resulting outcome.
Best Gyms Glasgow West –
MIND BODY FITNESS
- Each person is treated as an individual in the programme where you are given a clear structure and guidance to hit your own personal goals. There is access to an education hub, a roadmap from A to B to guide you throughout your time within the programme and a WhatsApp community chat which is used for updates, weekly tips, support and recipes.
- You can choose up to two sessions per week where you will be joined by other likeminded females, to help motivate and support you throughout your journey.
- These sessions run Tuesday-Saturday from as early as 6am at The Gym Group, 8 Vinicombe Street, Glasgow G12 8BE
- Michaela is offering a free trial session to anyone interested in joining. You can contact her through her Instagram account – @michaela.mindbodyfitness or on 07757941626
WESTERN BATHS CLASSES
- Classes available to non-members include aerobics, ballet fit, circuits, core stability, spin, Pilates, yoga and Zumba.
- There is also a range of kids classes which only cost £2.50 for non-members and include badminton, tennis, basketball, football and hockey.
- All classes can be booked by calling 0141 576 0294
- Find out more at thewesternbaths.co.uk
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