"Exercising has helped me in every aspect of my life"- Becky

When Becky first joined the gym, she was too scared to use the weights and instead stuck to cardio and classes. Working with a PT helped her overcome this fear, and she's seen a huge improvement in her fitness, relationship with food, and confidence.

Hi! I'm Becky. I joined PureGym when Leeds Hunslet first opened, which was about 7 years ago.

When I first started going to the gym, I used the cardio machines such as the treadmill and cross-trainer as I was too scared to use weights. I also went to the Zumba classes as I really enjoyed it.

Exercise has been in and out of my life a lot as I have struggled with my weight for many years. It got to a point when I was at my heaviest, lost some weight with a slimming club but then realised that their way of dieting wasn't really promoting a healthy relationship with food and exercise.

I wanted to work on my fitness rather than trying all the fad diets I've done before so I reached out to Seb, a personal trainer at my gym, as his expertise in weight loss and lifestyle coaching seemed a great fit with my goals. I have been training with Seb for just over 2 years now. 1 year in the gym and 1 year from home.

Having a personal trainer like Seb is great. He is so approachable and I feel like I can tell him anything. I have struggled with my relationship with food and always feel embarrassed by it but I feel that I can open up to him about these things. I know it is all for my benefit, as if he can’t understand my issues, he can’t help me. 

"It's been a massive journey in terms of your ability but also not just me but other people have noticed the growing confidence you've had. It's incredible to see that change from start to where we are now." - Personal Trainer, Seb.

I now feel much more confident in all areas of the gym.

I now know how to lift weights and use the weights, kettlebells and dumbbells without wondering what people are thinking. I feel more confident in general since having personal training sessions with Seb. If you're not sure how to approach your training to reach your fitness goals, having a personal trainer is really beneficial. 

Exercise has helped me in every aspect of my life.

I don't get out of breathe walking up the stairs anymore - I can now walk up and down them. Mentally it's still a challenge but coming to the gym really helps keep me focused.

If you're new to the gym and feeling nervous, just know that most people will have felt the same nervous feeling when starting out. You're not alone.

The personal trainers at the gym are friendly and always happy to help members navigate the gym and lend advice so don't be afraid to ask for help.

If I see someone who looks to be struggling with using equipment I will personally always help and I'm sure other members do the same. PureGym has a friendly environment. There are all types of people that use PureGym so I don’t think anyone has to worry about feeling out of place. The range of equipment available is really good. I feel safe being in the gym and I think that the Trainsafe measures are great.

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Check out our Starting Out In The Gym guides for plenty of tips and workout ideas tailored for beginners to help you get started on your fitness.