Saying the word ‘Gym’ doesn’t sound very exciting or relaxing does it? For many people the word ‘Gym’ evokes feelings of panic, fear and stress. Very similar to how I felt twelve years ago when I experienced my nightmare gym induction. Twelve years on and I’m now on the other side finding ways to make fitness and movement fun and as non gym like for as many people as I possibly can.
I opened the iOme fitness studio in 2016 with the intention of creating a space that was nothing like a gym. My first thoughts were: ‘What can I possibly do to to help people to achieve their health and fitness goals without giving them the feeling that they’re at a gym? What kind of place would I love to work out in?’ And then it came to mind. I’d bring my love of nature, flowers and beautiful gardens indoors to create a space that’s welcoming, colourful and a pleasure to be in. That was how my indoor garden gym idea was born, and to this day it’s still a place that I, and all my clients love to exercise in.
I’ve spent many a day thinking of ways to redefine the word ‘gym’ so that it’s not immediately thought of as a place that you have to drag yourself to. I want it to be somewhere that you enjoy visiting in order to make yourself feel better, and this is one of the reasons why iOme Fitness was named iOme.
The name iOme is a play with letters to create the words ‘I Owe Me’ and yes that’s exactly why it all began:- because I truly believed that I owed the feeling of wellness, happiness and a pain free active lifestyle to myself. I owed it to myself because when I am at my best I have the energy and ability to do all the things that make me and those around me feel fulfilled in life. Things like going on exciting adventure days out with my two children; going on activity filled holidays and living my life with a constantly youthful energy. We often take all these feelings for granted but having personally overcome not being able to walk across a park without being out of breath; living with chronic hip pain and fighting a condition that stopped me from being able to speak properly for an entire year I am very happy and proud to say that I owed health to myself and I battled against the ups and downs of life in order to claim it.
