I moved back to the UK in 2017 from Singapore, where I had built up an award-winning fitness company. Since returning, my focus has been mainly on women’s health, although I do work with other rehab issues, such as back pain and low fitness and run regular Pilates and HiiT classes and 1-1 sessions.
I have always worked closely with both physios and medics, to ensure my clients get the best fitness programmes for their conditions, over the years building up a bank of shared knowledge with many other professionals. I also hold webinars and in-person training for GPs, physiotherapists, and other medical professionals to highlight diastasis risks (abdominal separation) and to demonstrate how to check a patient/client for separated muscles.
My Studio Pilates International Matwork Instructor’s certification was designed and taught by Australian physiotherapists. Based on classic Pilates, it enables me to offer safe, effective exercises for clients of all fitness levels. Combining Hypopressives and Pilates in one class, enables me to offer a unique approach which has become the foundation of my core-building programmes and resulted in some great outcomes for my clients.
I recognise the importance of designing programmes to carefully restore strength from the inside out. I’m passionate about spreading awareness of the need to do abdominal checks on all post-natal mums. This simple but vital examination is not currently a prescribed part of post-natal checks, nor taught to medics or GPs in their training. Left undetected, it can lead to serious complications including back issues, incontinence and prolapses.
This has prompted me to launch my campaign FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. I’m calling for NICE (the National Institute for Clinical Excellence) which sets medical guidelines and practices, to introduce the training and to make the test a compulsory part of post-natal checks by midwives and GPs.
With five children myself, I know how difficult it is for us mums to find the time to put our health and wellbeing at the forefront; I have also seen how hard it can be for many women to get the medical help and treatment they need promptly. I hope in a small way I can help change this mindset, so women’s health will be a priority rather than an afterthought.
In September 2022, following my own abdominal surgery, I developed a programme to help women prepare for and recover from both laparoscopic and abdominal incision hysterectomies, a programme which also benefits women post C-section. I was one of the lucky ones as I knew how to rehabilitate myself post-surgery, but for most women they are having to guess their way to fitness, with many opting to do nothing out of fear of doing themselves damage.
As a Personal Trainer, Pilates Instructor and Pelvic Health Specialist in Singapore, I was able to build up a strong reputation across the island, culminating in my company Ooberfit being awarded the accolade of Best Fitness Provider by a national magazine two years in a row (2015 and 2016). I also featured as a headline trainer at Singapore's inaugural fitness event, FitnessFest 2017, and introduced Hypopressives over there. Since arriving back in the UK, I have twice been a finalist in the annual Harrogate Mumbler Awards.
When I’m not training clients, you might catch me writing an article or two on fitness and health, drawing on my previous skill set as a journalist and sub-editor on daily, evening, and national publications.
Aside from offering weekly classes and one-on-one sessions, I also lead corporate workshops and staff wellness sessions and teach Pilates in schools. Using Zoom, I work with women with abdominal separation/pelvic floor/prolapse and other rehab issues across the country and in Singapore.