Creating new habits at Podfit in York!

Want to try Podfit? Quote BOTHYFIT and you'll receive 10% off any sessions you book for February.

To kick start our 'Get Fit in Feb' month, Amelia and I have been lucky enough to spend some time with Neil & Ryan at Podfit in York, getting to know what they're all about. Read on to find out whether Podfit would be the kind of place that could kickstart your fitness.

Neil founded Podfit in 2014, after spotting a gap in the market for a gym that was focussed on the client, but was also like a private club and removed all those issues you might have about exercising in front of others or feeling intimidated by the other body shapes (which I certainly hate about gyms!).

Podfit is in the centre of York (behind the Disney Store) and once you go up the stairs you arrive into a fitness mecca! The place is geared towards fitness, no airs and graces. But what makes this place really unique is that you work out in your own private 'pod', with curtained sides so you feel like you're alone with your PT. Which means no more embarrassment as you're doing your 500th squat!

You can only use the space is you have a Personal Training session with one of their 5 trainers, Neil explains that this is key to getting results. "Quite often we pay for expensive gym memberships, but rarely go and when we do - it can be quite half-hearted in terms of raising fitness levels. By having a focussed PT, who can hold you accountable, you'll see results quickly. Your PT will also give you homework, so you can continue the workouts at home, further enhancing the work and fitting it into your lifestyle." Neil further explains "All the movements we do as part of our sessions are about achieving strength and training for movements we do everyday (not training individual muscles), so that as our clients age they can retain strength on a day to day basis. But also feel stronger going about their daily lives"

What I love about Podfit's work is that they focus on nutrition & changing negative lifestyle habits that contribute to weight gain (approx. 70% of Podfit's client start with the goal of weightloss). Neil explained that "There's no point putting clients on crazy diets, they'll only fail. We work on giving our clients, small and achievable goals to slowly change their lifestyle. For example, we might ask them to have 5 carb free evening meals per week." I love this... It feels like something I could achieve without too much pain. And I know that all these small habit changes will ultimately make a big difference and have a ripple effect on other parts of my life.

Their key ethos is that fitness has to start with the core and Neil knows better than anyone how important core strength is... He himself suffers from Scoliosis and 3 fused vertebrae - and was told from an early age that without core strength his body would suffer. They also give their clients a digital app, which can help you to track your fitness and progression, working on the 5 cycles of training: Foundation, strength, stability, fitness & finally, power. So you can see for yourself how things are going. Which makes perfect sense, especially because 30% of their clients are training for an event, including ultra marathon runners, before joining the army, body builders and if a professional wants to train there, then they must be good!

We asked Neil what motivates him to get out of bed on a morning and he said that he gets up each day at 5.30am to train before his little boy wakes up and he does it because he wants to be healthy, look great (don't we all!) and also to give himself time to focus on the day. I love that vision and energy and I also love Neil's mantra... 'You're only 1 workout from a good mood' - so so true.

Amelia and I loved our session with Ryan, it was non-intimidating, varied, pushed us to limits we didn't know we had & most of all fun.

Thanks for having us!

Could Podfit be part of your journey?

Open: 6am to 10pm

Cost: £37-£47 per session (you have to sign up for a minimum of 3 months & have at least 1 PT session per week)

Facilities: Showers & towels if you want to work out pre-work or at lunchtime

Most suitable for: Clients worried about the gym environment, clients wanting a more luxe service and highly trained PT'S or if you're focussed on training for an event

More info: www.podfit.co.uk

Quote BOTHYFIT and you'll receive 10% off any sessions you book for February!