Sarah R Fitness

Well… I’m off on holiday… again! 😂✈️☀️

I know, I know… didn’t you only just get back?! 🙈

But with six whole weeks of summer holidays, we’ve decided to fill them with as many memories, adventures and new countries as we can before life becomes all about GCSEs, option choices, revision and taxi-driving teenagers everywhere! ❤️🌍

Unfortunately, because some of the programmes I teach (especially BodyPump and Shapes) require specifically qualified instructors, there may be a couple of class cancellations while I’m away if cover can’t be found. It’s nobody’s fault - there simply aren’t always instructors available to teach those programmes, even more so during the summer.

I’ll be back on Thursday 13th for BodyPump and BodyBalance at The Village, ready to put you all through your paces… until I disappear again for another two weeks at the end of the month! 🤣

If you do see a class disappear from the timetable, thank you for understanding. I promise it’s only a week, and before you know it you’ll all be groaning through squats and firefly again… and probably wishing I’d stayed on the beach instead! 🏖️🏋️‍♀️😂

Thank you, as always, for being the best bunch of members. See you all very soon! 💙

Move. Sip. Connect. Coming September.

🌞 Holiday mode activated! 🌞

Just a little heads up that I’m off on my holidays for the next week! 🏖️

I’ve managed to find some brilliant instructors to cover as many of my classes as possible (thank you, you’re all legends! 🙌), but unfortunately a few classes will have to be cancelled.

Before anyone blames the gym… please don’t! ❤️ It’s genuinely nobody’s fault.

It’s the school holidays, so lots of instructors are away with their families too (as they absolutely should be!), which means cover instructors are in very short supply.

Something that many people don’t realise is that teaching fitness is my full-time career, so I’m lucky enough to teach daytime classes too. For many instructors, though, teaching is something they do around their full-time jobs, which is why they mainly teach evenings and weekends. So even if they’d love to help, they’re often at work during the day and simply can’t.

If your usual class isn’t on, why not use it as an opportunity to try something different? You might just discover a new favourite! 😊

And if you do come along to one of the cover classes, please give the instructor a really warm welcome. Covering someone else’s regular class can be quite daunting, and if they’re made to feel appreciated, they’re much more likely to say “yes” the next time someone needs help. ❤️

I’ll be back next week, refreshed, recharged and ready to put you all through your paces again! 😂

Thank you, as always, for your understanding and support. Have a fabulous week, keep moving, and I’ll see you all very soon! 💙

POV: a fitness instructor’s favourite things.. One of the best parts of being a fitness instructor isn’t the fitness.

It’s you.

Tell me your name. Tell me what your dog did this morning. Tell me your daughter’s just passed her driving test. Tell me your son finally ate something green. Tell me about the job you secretly love (or secretly hate). I genuinely want to know who you are when you walk out of the gym.

I absolutely love it when someone who’s sworn allegiance to one class for years suddenly says, “Go on then… I’ll try your Pilates,” or swaps yoga for indoor cycling, or BodyPump for reformer. That little leap of faith? It means more than you probably realise. And when I suggest giving PT a go, then later catch a glimpse of you absolutely smashing it… I’m probably prouder than you are.

Then there are the little things that make me smile.

Walking into BodyPump to find my bar already set up. Although… if you’ve lovingly loaded it with 10kg plates for squats, I do have questions. You do know this is class number ten this week for me, don’t you? 😂

And can we have a quick word about injuries…

If I ask whether anyone has one and you quietly wander over saying, “It’s fine, I’ll just do my own thing,” the answer is almost always… absolutely not.

I’ve spent years training, continuing to study, researching adaptations, and working alongside physios to understand safe alternatives. Give me thirty seconds and I’ll find you an option that keeps you moving, keeps you progressing and, most importantly, doesn’t make things worse. Looking after you is part of my job. It’s a part I take very seriously.

What I never stop enjoying is watching confidence grow.

The first full press-up.
The heavier bar.
The deeper squat.
The first time you stop looking at your feet and start chatting to the person next to you.
The friendships that quietly form between tracks.
The eye rolls when I deliver another completely unnecessary innuendo because everyone’s legs are on fire and laughter is sometimes the only thing getting us through the final reps.

I’m right there with you.

Every rep.
Every breath.
Every spring change.
Every sprint.
Every shake.
Every “there is absolutely no way I can do another one.”

And if my body continues to let me…

I’ll be right there beside you for many, many years to come. ❤️

Last night’s post-yoga feedback was… illuminating. 😂

As everyone packed their mats away, I was treated to this collection of glowing testimonials:

💬 “Bad. Bad bad bad.”
💬 “What on earth was all that?”
💬 “WHY?!”
💬 “Wow… what’s got into her tonight?”
💬 “That was hard. Like, REALLY hard.”
💬 “The way she smiles in plank… pure evil.”

To be fair… we did spend the evening stepping off the mat, moving our hands around, taking up space, challenging balance, building core strength, improving mobility, and gently reminding our brains that our bodies are capable of much more than they think.

Every week they’re quietly building stronger foundations. Every week I notice them moving better, feeling more confident, and becoming more aware of what their bodies can do. So every week I sneak in a little more challenge to build on that progress.

The best bit? Half the time they don’t even realise how much they’ve improved until they’re doing something they would’ve sworn was impossible a few months ago.

So yes… I may smile in plank.

But only because I know they’re becoming absolute champions, even if their reviews suggest otherwise. 😈🧘‍♀️💙

POV: beating all my kids in Duel and up The Wall. Reliving my 90s best life at Gladiators Experience - what a great day! Viper 🐍 waving at me was a huge bonus 💪

Birmingham 10km thanks for having us! Great team results from Mums on the Run, with the youngest runner on the course, my daughter, plus husband came 17th overall, Ellie and myself 5th and 6th in our age category, Genette and Jane 2nd and 3rd in their age category, queen Marie first in her age category and Grace coming in 18th out of 80 in her age group! Absolute pleasure despite the hills… twice!

MAY YOGA 🧘🏽 just two Mondays in between bank holidays!

This is yoga for the people who think yoga “isn’t for them.”

If you’ve ever thought:
• “I’m not flexible enough”
• “I haven’t done yoga in years”
• “I had a bad experience before”
• “I’d feel intimidated walking into a class”

…this is exactly why this class exists.

No pressure. No expectations. No perfect poses.

Just an hour to move mindfully, breathe deeply, stretch out the stress of life and let the world stop turning for a little while.

Expect incredible music, supportive guidance, a relaxed atmosphere and movement that feels good in YOUR body — whatever your level, shape, age or experience.

All professional mats and props are provided, so you literally just need to turn up.

And because yoga should be accessible to everybody and every body, this class is intentionally low cost — high quality yoga with an award-winning fitness professional, without the intimidating price tag.

Come exactly as you are. 🤍

HOW TO KICK ASS IN BODYPUMP CLASS…. be Unlike Anyone. No adjustments mid class. No ill fitting fabric that gets in the way of your lifts. No cling. Space to move your body through 1000+ reps, sweating and picking up grimy barbells and plates, lying down and touching grubby benches… it won’t show that gym dirt and it’ll be touch dry before you leave the gym to crack on with the rest of your day. So many confident women are wearing these in your class. Be part of it.