When the business started to grow, I took real care to pick out a group of fabulous trainers to work alongside me delivering personal training and wellness in South West London. With the launch of the new website I thought it would be good to share a bit more about each of these trainers so you can get to know them a little better! First up is Milly…
Q. What made you decide to become a trainer?
A. I have always been active and into sports, and passionate about living a healthy lifestyle. I wanted to use this passion to make other people feel good. I love motivating people to be healthier and make positive lifestyle changes.
Q. What has been the highlight of your training career so far?
A. There are so many! In general it’s seeing people’s lives change…those that hate exercise at the start, maybe they’re overweight and feeling low…and now they can't imagine their life without regular exercise and are feeling completely different!
Q. The winter is coming – what are your top tips for surviving and thriving in this season?
A. The winter is tough on everyone! I have already switched from a cold to a warming breakfast like porridge, and herbal tea to start the day. Go to bed early – we need more sleep in the winter. Eat more veggies and try to be in the daylight as much as possible to get fresh air and sunlight. Going to and coming home from work in the dark can be very depressing, so getting out at lunchtime is essential.
Q. You mentioned your breakfasts – can you tell us more about your diet?
A. I have been following a mostly plant-based diet for many years. At home we cook every day – things like chilli with beans and pulses, tofu curry, tons of veggies (particularly green) and fruits. In the winter lunches tend to be soups. Dinners might be quinoa, beans, pulses…often I’ll include 2 beans and 1 pulses in a dish. It’s very easy to get a good amount of protein from a plant-based diet. Dinners are also super quick to cook – many meals I can whip up in just 5 minutes.
I do take a B12 supplement, however, as one can be B12 deficient following a vegan diet if you’re not careful.
I find it hard to digest meat - I feel sleepy, full and low on energy afterwards; whereas with a plant-based diet you can eat big portions but you are then full but energised. I have not completely eliminated meat, however, and will eat meat when I’m back home in Slovakia – as that’s a real staple! I do also eat fish – I try and get 2 portions of oily fish/week as it’s so good for you. I also eat things like canned sardines which are a great source of calcium.
Q. What would a treat meal be for you?
A. My husband LOVES pizza! So we probably get a really nice pizza once a week – sourdough style. There are about 10 pizza places near where we live in Balham! We are not strictly vegan so we will eat the mozzarella on a pizza, we just tend not to eat other sources of dairy in our daily lives, opting instead of plant milks such as almond milk (great in porridge!)
I’m definitely more of a savoury person, although I do like gelato in the Summer – there’s an amazing place on Clapham Common! I also love bread but we try not to eat too much of it.
Q. What’s your favourite kind of workout?
A. A mixture! I love weights and high intensity workouts, but also reformer pilates, running and yoga.
Q. How often do you train?
A. I train 4-5 days a week – so one weights/HIIT, one run, one reformer pilates, one yoga and then something else.
Q. What’s your favourite piece of kit?
A. The TRX! And my clients love it too. I also love kettle bells and resistance bands – both the long ones and the mini bands. You can take them anywhere and use them for really tough workouts!
Q. You mention your lovely husband, Peter. You got married this Summer – congratulations! Did you feel a pressure to look a certain way on your wedding day?
A. I did but not from others! As I had trained so many brides I felt a pressure to ‘go hard’. I made the mistake of pushing myself too hard and injured myself. I realised (just as I would tell others!) that it’s more important to be healthy, and for me that meant really slowing down. I would never encourage a bride to over-train, and having done this myself I am even more passionate about helping them to find the right balance.
Q. Based on your own personal experience what advice would you give to brides?
A. Look after your health. Try to enjoy the lead up to the wedding and don’t put unrealistic expectations on yourself, or be too hard on yourself. I would suggest including yoga and meditation as part of your wedding prep, to control stress and be kind to your body. Remember this is your moment, so try and be ‘present’.
Q. What’s the most common client mistake you see?
A. Sometimes people start training and place unrealistic expectations on themselves. They try and overhaul their entire life, cutting out all the ‘treats’, and then massively fall off the wagon – it’s always better to make small sustainable changes. Also this can be due to wanting to see big results, fast, but slow and steady is always best!
Q. I know you’re quite passionate about the planet. Can you tell us more about that?
A. I try to think about the impact things I do has on the planet. I think we can all do little things. I try not to overuse plastic; for example we go to a shop and refill our washing liquid, shampoos etc. I try not to waste clothes – I don’t like fast fashion. I will try and wear clothes out, and buy less. I will then pass clothes on afterwards. Likewise if I’ve got toiletries I don’t use I will send to the homeless shelter. I try and reduce waste as much as possible.
Q. And what are your hobbies outside of training?
A. We like to go for walks. My favourite place in London is Richmond – I love the park and along the river. I also love meeting friends, and we enjoy eating out. In winter we watch a lot of Netflix! We also love going on holiday.
Milly is not just a fabulous trainer, she’s one of my favourite humans. She mostly trains people at the outdoor gym near Broomwood Road, Clapham. She trains people from all walks of life, and is a delight to work with. Life is a little brighter with Milly in it! 😊