If you’ve ever been through something that absolutely shook you — physically, emotionally, mentally — you’ll know trauma isn’t just a “mind thing.” It doesn’t politely stay in the past either. It hangs around in the body like a flatmate who doesn’t pay rent. It shows up in how you move, how you breathe, how you carry stress, and even how safe you feel just existing in your own skin. A lot of adults who walk into CityFitness Upper Hutt tell me the same thing in different words

In Aotearoa, many Kiwis juggle work, whanāu and the hustle of life — and that constant pressure causes both stress and restless sleep. Here’s the good news: regular exercise really does help. Exercise offers a proven route to calmer minds. Regular physical activity reduces our stress reactivity: a meta-analysis shows that a single bout of moderate exercise reduces blood pressure spikes and cortisol responses during stress testing. Over time, consistent exercise helps the body

You do not get fitter and stronger from doing exercise. You only get fitter and stronger when you recover from the exercise and your body adapts to the training. Recovery is therefore an important part of fitness. However, when most people think of recovery from exercise, they immediately think of things such as ice baths, massages, compression pants, saunas and supplements. Yes – these do have their place, but unless you get the big three sorted, you are just throwing your m

In a world where stress seems constant — work deadlines, family pressures, and the endless to-do list — anxiety can quietly creep in. For many Kiwis, that mental noise feels like the new normal. The good news? Moving your body is a powerful tool for calming your mind, and one which I have used in my tool kit to overcome my own PTSD and anxiety. Research shows that regular exercise significantly reduces anxiety symptoms, with consistent improvements seen across all ages and fi

Getting back into exercise after a break can feel daunting. You walk into a new gym, everyone looks like they pretty much know what they’re doing, and you’re thinking crap… what does that machine do? Here’s the truth: you don’t need to know what you are doing to start; you just need to start. Many of my clients come to me after years away from training. Life, work, kids — it all happens to all of us, and we can easily get stuck in a rut. But the biggest win is showing up agai

If the word “cardio” makes you picture gasping on a treadmill or reliving your high school beep test trauma... you're not alone. Many...

🧘‍♀️ When people return to exercise after a break—or when they feel their current training just isn’t quite doing the job—most tend to...

Probably not. Forget what you see on Instagram 📱, or what you see in the gym 🏋️‍♂️, or what your buddy tells you. Most people in the...

🏋Gym Towels🏋 ❓ Should you have one? Most definitely yes. 👉Why? Unless you like lying in other people's sweat, it is highly...

Have you ever felt like you're putting in the effort at the gym, but the results just aren’t coming? Maybe your strength gains have...

💪 Rest between sets is crucial for performance… but let’s be honest—are you actually recovering properly, or just deep in the scroll...

Ah, the age-old battle of cardio versus weight training. On one side, we have the runners, cyclists, and group class attendees, armed...

If you’ve been hitting the gym regularly, you may start asking yourself, when and how should I switch up my resistance training?  How...

When most people hear "core strength," they immediately think of six-pack abs or endless crunches. But here’s the truth: your core is way...