• Lift Up Fitness - Women's fitness
Lift Up Fitness - Women's fitness

My name is Karen, I am a Personal Trainer and women’s fitness, health and nutrition coach.  I work with women to help them achieve their fitness, health and wellbeing goals.  I am currently studying Level 4 Nutrition and will soon be enrolling on a Peri to Post Menopause qualification so that I can specialise in helping ladies through this challenging time.

I have spent my life keeping physically fit in many different ways ranging from swimming, running and various aerobic classes through to weight training and CrossFit.  Over the years I have taken part in various events such as Race for Life, Tough Mudder, Rough Runner, Triathlons and Park Run. I enjoy keeping both my body and mind fit and healthy through regular exercise and a varied balanced diet although like most people I have struggled at times with motivation, diet and bodyweight fluctuations.

I offer Personal Training sessions and programs, remote coaching, group training sessions and courses. I firmly believe that with the right coaching and support every one of us can achieve far more than we thought possible. I am committed to helping women be the best they can be listening to what they actually want and what they can fit in. I like to use a holistic approach and empower women to move a bit more, eat a balanced diet, find time to relax, sleep as well as possible and put time aside for themselves to improve their long term health (both physical and mental). I don’t believe in quick fixes, I promote small changes for big results and long term change.

I am passionate about helping women to take the small steps that can make the biggest difference to their health and well-being. It’s not about being skinny it’s about strengthening our bodies and minds. Nor is it about comparing ourselves to others! It is about seeking to improve ourselves a little bit each day. It is about working good habits into our normal every days lives and encouraging and motivating like-minded women to be the best they can be.

I am married with two Labradors and three children, the youngest of which is disabled and my role as his carer has been made substantially easier by keeping my mind healthy through regular physical exercise.  I also founded a community group called Fit 2 Care a few years ago who run affordable fitness classes for family and parent carers.  It was this along with my love of fitness that inspired me to re-train as a fitness instructor and personal trainer and to start helping ordinary women (like myself) to feel empowered and confident to start moving their bodies more, to get their muscles working, raise their heart rates, to enjoy it and lift their spirits.

“I was a case study for Karen while she was training. It’s really changed how I see things. I’ve always gone with the all or nothing approach and it’s always been about a short term drive to lose weight fast.  Karen has helped me to see it as a lifestyle change and that it needs to be sustainable long term, it’s not about today’s weight but about the whole process, she’s helped me see it as a choice which has taken the guilt out of it all.”

“Karen really knows her stuff so she can explain why we are doing certain exercises which helps with motivation. She’s great at working out what will work for someone and what will make working out more fun for them. I’ve never been an exercise fan but I have genuinely enjoyed our workouts and found that Karen can spot exactly where my limits are and when I could work harder!”

“I really enjoyed the bootcamp class ! It was great to be in teams and I liked the mix of activities, it was well planned and adapted so it could suit us all at our own fitness levels.”

“Enjoyed my HIIT style session with Karen this afternoon. Varied movement with continued encouragement all the way. If you want an all body workout with a laugh mixed in, Karen’s your lady.”

“I really enjoyed yesterdays session.  I ache everywhere today which is a sign of a good workout. Your instructions were clear and the exercises were fab, a bit of everything.  Thanks.”