How to get into running – Interview

I am super excited to share this interview I did with Jen Baden Howard, writer and lifestyle, features and well-being journalist for various magazines and newspapers (the Telegraph, Elle, health & fitness, Marie Claire, Baby London and more). Jen wanted to interview me about how to start running and I share some of my tips…

Ellie, Surbiton

“Katy offers an essential service for new mothers. She helped me to regain my strength, muscle tone and fitness after the birth of my daughter. Coming to my house made it an easy way to exercise when it takes so long to get out the door and having the baby in the room with you is also no problem. Overall, I would recommend Katy’s PT services for local new mothers wanting to feel like their old selves once again.”

Mitun, Wimbledon

“Katy is a brilliant personal trainer. She has been able to push me but in a supportive way to build my strength and tone which were some of my key goals. She’s also really responsive and approachable which is also great!”

Sophie, Kingston

“I started seeing Katy when the pandemic started as I didn’t feel comfortable going to the gym. I thoroughly enjoyed my weekly sessions and Katy pushed me to test my strength each week with a mix of cardio and strength work. My main achievement was finally rising to the challenge of full press ups after years of dodging them!

After two years of seeing Katy, she is more of a friend than a trainer.

Tamsin, Ham

“I have been sharing a  PT session with a friend for almost a year now.

I was feeling absolutely exhausted and out of shape post Covid and perimenopause. I was hoping that Katy’s sessions would make me exercise properly on a weekly basis and also kick start me to be more active in general. This has definitely been the case!

I had only planned to have sessions for a few weeks but have found them so helpful that am still doing them. Katy is very down to earth and non-intimidating. She finds the right balance between making sessions fun yet still pushing us a little to get results. She uses all sorts of equipment and activities which stops exercise feeling like a chore.

I feel more confident generally about my strength and fitness- I’m not a naturally sporty person but still enjoy the variety that these sessions offer. In particular I have loved the incorporation of weights-something I needed to start doing but had no idea how to go about it.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Katy’s PT sessions and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her. She has been great at encouraging a slightly recalcitrant perimenopausal client- not an easy task!”

Garman, Thames Ditton

“I really struggled with getting back into an exercise routine post baby.  Not being able to achieve what I used to be capable of physically was difficult and left me struggling to know where to start and how to push myself.  A friend recommended Katy who she used during her pregnancy and we decided to go to her post natal group sessions.  Katy is energetic and the classes were fun and really helped me kick start gently back into exercise safely, whilst fun and baby friendly (thank you for cuddling R so I could focus on the exercises).  I quickly noticed my fitness improving and my body getting stronger. I have now moved onto private PT sessions with my friend. The classes are thought out and planned and Katy is very open to exercises which I enjoy.  This makes the sessions so much more enjoyable and tailored. Katy took my weight, metabolic rate and measurements during the personal training sessions so I can focus on these areas hopefully see an improvement on these as the sessions continue. “

Alex HB, Kingston

“After struggling to do any exercise in my pregnancy due to exhaustion and nausea, I started personal training with Katy in the third trimester of my pregnancy to regain a bit of fitness while ensuring I did so safely. The sessions were great – I loved the mix of cardio, strength and pelvic floor/ab separation exercises in the sessions. I always felt I was in a safe pair of hands with Katy, which was crucial to me. I only wish I’d started the sessions earlier on in my pregnancy! After my son was born, I came back to Katy to do post-natal PT sessions too. Katy is a great motivator, keeps the sessions different and fresh, and always pushes me to my limits.”

Julia, Kingston

“I signed up for one-to-one sessions with Katy having enjoyed her postnatal classes but wanting a bit more accountability than you get in a group session. I love the fact that I can’t wiggle out of my weekly slots, and that Katy plans her classes very carefully and in such a way that I can really see progress. In spite of having never done any weight training at all and being quite exercise-avoidant, Katy has shown me that it’s not too late to change. She’s also great for a natter which somewhat alleviates the pain of planking.”

Sarah, Kingston

“I started seeing Katy because I wanted to increase my physical fitness but my various health problems mean that I struggle to exercise without causing myself more pain. Katy was brilliant at adapting exercises to suit me and has been very patient with me as we work out together what I can and can’t do.”

Lis, Kingston

I invited Katy to work with me as I wanted to lose weight and improve my fitness. She is so adaptable and encouraging, enabling me to follow a customized programme and always encouraging me even when my weight has gone in the wrong direction or I am finding the exercises too hard. She is great at adjusting the workout to suit my particular needs, is always careful over safety and health at and is great fun to be around. Thank you Katy!

Alex H, Kingston

I found Katy’s details online after searching for a prenatal exercise specialist to help me exercise safely during pregnancy. It was a happy coincide that I had actually trained with her before but never knew her full name.

With my first born I had borderline high blood pressure and quite a big ab separation. With my second I was determined to do as much as I could to reduce both of these things…

Katy and I met weekly all through my pregnancy and I went on to have a home birth with zero complications. I also had minimal ab separation.

I’ve continued seeing Katy weekly in my post natal journey to focus on shifting that baby weight but mainly to rebuild my strength and fitness levels. I find it very easy to prioritise everything but exercise when I’m busy but with my weekly sessions with Katy I know that I’m in the hands of an expert and I have one hour focused just on me and my fitness.

Thanks Katy!