Rebecca Shuttleworth, 30, has been a personal trainer for five years and runs her own service which aims at helping clients achieve their own fitness goals.

Using her own experience of weight loss, Rebecca tailors her programs for her clients so they can get the most out of training.

Rebecca said: “I lost eight stone originally and that’s how I got interested in becoming a personal trainer.

“That was six and a half years ago now. I lost weight and then wanted to inspire others to do the same. That’s how I got started.

“I’ve been a trainer for five years now. I’m fully booked at the moment and business is going really well.

“Lockdown has been tough on everyone, especially the self-employed. We were completely cut off from each other and it’s a difficult time for people who were struggling with mental health problems.

“The gym is a mental health lifeline for so many of us and having that cut was a big deal for a lot of people.

“We got there. We get fit, we workout, we socialise. It’s just a nice place. For it to be taken is hard for many people.

“Lockdown has been very tough and it has hit a lot of people in different ways so I’m trying to do what I can through the business to bring people out of that if I can."

She went on to add: “Since restrictions have started to come down things have been getting a little bit better. When working with clients I tend to work on an inside out approach.

“Rather than just going for the symptoms of weight gain and loss, I try and find the root causes so it’s more of a long-term solution rather than just combating symptoms.

“During lockdown I felt low and for me food was a comfort so I saw significant weight gain, and when I saw pictures of myself, I knew it had to stop.

"I wanted to feel more confident and actually feel like a personal trainer. It’s a big part of my identity. I’m lighter now and back to doing a lot of running. The benefits come so soon after.

"I'd like to thank my clients for inspiring me to try and inspire them. All I can say is never give up.”