Sona Osman

What was your relationship to exercise before you started strength training at Fitology

Hub?

Exercise was a big part of my childhood. My mother was a PE teacher and she made me

exercise before bed every night. I remember when I was 7 or 8 years old, I wasn't allowed to

go to sleep until I'd done 100 forward rolls and 100 backward rolls. Then I'd have to pull

myself up on these rings that we had in our kitchen - up and down, up and down - before

standing on my head! I was a swimmer too and, even when I was older, I was always active.

That all changed when I broke my ankle just before the pandemic. And then I immediately

broke it again on the same side. I was hobbling about and I put on loads of weight and

ended up having to walk with a stick. I wasn't feeling like myself and my children actually

got quite worried about my health. I knew I needed some structure in my life when it came

to exercise and, even though I now live in France, I found out about Fitology Hub because

my daughter lives in Brockley.

I didn't want to go somewhere that felt intimidating or that was full of preening people

flexing their muscles at me. I really liked the sound of Fitology Hub - it sounded like my sort

of place. I remember saying at my initial consultation that my main goal was to be able to

run around after my grandchildren and you know what? Now, I can!

How has strength training impacted your life?

Being stronger has been a game changer for me. In my house in France, I have to use wood

pellets for the heating, which come in 16 kilo sacks. Six months ago, I had to ask someone to

carry them upstairs for me - there's no way I could have done it - but now I can carry two

up by myself without thinking about it. That is massive for me!

It's made me braver too. I've just signed-up to swim a mile in the Serpentine with my son,

which is something I've always dreamed of doing, but it didn't feel within reach for me not

all that long ago. I've come so far in a relatively short time.

Only a couple of years ago, I was walking with a stick and the other day I walked 20,000

steps, no problem. The biggest thing for me is that I can be a better grandmother now. I can

carry my 3-year-old and 8-month-old grandchildren at the same time - not for long, but I can

do it!

I used to be a barrister and was very career-driven - always thinking about the next case and

the next - but that doesn't mean I was comfortable with myself. Since training and working

with Suzanne and Amber and all the other fantastic trainers who have helped me at Fitology

Hub, I feel so much better. I have so much more energy and feel competent in my body. I'm

65 now and I'm more confident than ever!

How has being a member of Fitology Hub impacted your life?

Let's be real. My natural inclination, when the alarm goes off in the morning, is to turn over

and go straight back to sleep. I started all this, thinking I needed to outsource my motivation

by paying someone to get me going, but I have something better than motivation now: I

have discipline.

It's so much more holistic to work with women who understand the challenges and who are

compassionate and sensitive but, at the same time, push me just as much as I need to be

pushed and in the right way for me, personally.

My coach, Jeni, told me that what sometimes holds me back is thinking I can't do something

that she knows I absolutely can. Hearing that from someone who I've built this trusting

relationship with has made me trust myself more. I feel supported and there's a freedom in

that. I feel safe to be myself and to express myself freely.

Feeling comfortable has made me braver. I feel more confident to try things while I'm

training and that's fed into other aspects of my life too. I'm half-Finnish and it's always been

a dream of mine to go husky sledging and in January, I finally did it! I'd spoken to Jeni about

it a few months before and we worked on exercises that would help me to get the most out

of whizzing through the snow-filled forests as possible.

My personal experience with Fitology Hub has been incredibly holistic and tailored. If I have

niggles or aches and pains, it's never a problem to adapt an exercise for me, but the main

thing is that I now feel like I am worth taking care of; that I deserve to take the time and

space I need for self-care. It can feel like a luxury to commit the time and money to train

and I know I'm lucky to be able to do it, but it's given me so much back. What I've been

given at Fitology Hub and all the daily habits that I've been able to implement since joining,

has meant that I'm enjoying my life more now.

Despite all the madness going on in the world right now, if someone were to press a button

tomorrow that turned me into a pocket of dust, floating about in the atmosphere, I know

that I would be such happy dust! I have fulfilled, times a zillion, any potential that I've ever

had. 

I really believe Fitology Hub should be available on the NHS!