Anytime Fitness: Gateshead Review

Anytime Fitness Gateshead

Anytime Fitness in Gateshead asked if I would like to try out the facilities that they have in their gym and a have a 1 to 1 with their personal trainer. I thought it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.

The gym is located opposite the Tyne Bridge and below the 24/7 Tesco in Gateshead. I’m awful with direction but I didn’t get lost so that says something about how easy it is to find. There is a tonne of parking as you can park in the Tesco car park which is open 24 hours and every time I’ve been I’ve found a space really easy.

The first thing that I noticed about Anytime Fitness is that when you come in there is like a mini welcome area where there are leaflets, magazines and where the staff members are located. My one pet peeve about some gyms is when you can’t find a member of staff when you need them so when you at least know where the office is and the doors always open, it gives you a feeling that someone is there if you need help and it just makes me feel comfortable when I'm in the gym.

When I arrived for my tour of the gym I was greeted by Andreea who is the manager and she was absolutely lovely. She showed me around the gym which is all on one floor and even tho the space is smaller than other gyms it doesn’t feel overcrowded with machines as the layout that they have makes it feel quite spacious. When Andreea was showing me around the gym she asked me questions about what workouts I like to do or was their things that I preferred doing the jump. I mentioned that I was really into classes rather than doing machines.

 This is when she showed me what I think might be one of the best things about this gym and that is the Wellbeats Virtual classes. If your one of them people that loves classes but can’t make them because of work or the time doesn’t work for you this will be great for you.  Wellbeats is an on-demand virtual class which means that if you turn up to the gym and fancy doing a class you can go up to this screen pick a workout you fancy including indoor cycling, kickboxing, and Pilates, they have 50+ classes on offer and you do it in their studio there and then, you can do it alone or with a friend it is the best thing ever. I did my first virtual class and went for an indoor cycling class (I really did die a little). I haven't seen anything like this is other gyms in Gateshead and Newcastle. I've definitely found that because I go at times that suit me rather having to try and fit my work schedule around the gym class schedule I go more often.

The gym is full of high-quality equipment including all your normal cardio machines (watching big bang while on the treadmill is my new favourite thing to do), they have battle ropes, TRX, squats racks, kettlebells, power bags, double-loaded leg press and dumbbells up to 50kg, so anything that should be in a gym is in this gym.

The final part of my night was to have a 1 to 1 with Sian who is the personal trainer at the gym. Sian e-mailed me before the session asking if there was anything that I wanted to work on, in particular, I mentioned that I had pretty much no upper body strengthen and that I would like to work on strengthen my lower back after injuring it back in March. Sian was great and made me feel really comfortable as I hadn’t really had much experience working with PT, I have friends that are PT and have worked out with them but it’s not really the same. Sian had me do exercises that I wouldn't do on my own and pushed me to do a number of reps that I might have not really done if I was alone.

I had a great experience at Anytime Fitness and I would definitely recommend it anyone that is looking for a gym in the area. I've now got a membership for this gym and have enjoyed every time that I have gone in. The Membership is £32.95 a month, you have to pay a one-off fee for the fob to be able to get into the building. You can get FREE 3-day trial so that you can have a look around the gym and try out all the equipment before you join.

Here are all the links that you need to check out Anytime Fitness Gateshead.

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Exercise, Why do we start?

Everyone has their own reasons why they start something. When it comes to fitness some people find it harder than other to start. I work with young people, middle aged people and even the older generation who all at some point decided that they wanted to get into exercise for their own reasons. Some reasons are more serious than others but they all have one thing in common and that is that they took the first step and did something. Some people far really fit when they're younger and then life gets in the way and it isn’t the main priority of their life but then something clicks and it then because more of a priority.

This post is to show that everyone has their own reasons for starting and that it isn’t straight forward but if you keep trying you’ll get there eventually.

I thought I would start by telling you about how I got into exercise. I started doing sport at a young age I was involved in every sport at school but when I was at university I couldn’t handle juggling doing exercise, having a job and assignments. That was when I stopped doing exercise but unlike most students I lost a lot of weight and my confidence wasn’t what it used to be. I was so underweight that a lot of people got very concerned about my health. I decided that was when I needed to get back into exercise and found tennis. Tennis was my stress release and soon become the sport I would coach as my main sport. I wanted to get fit again because while at university I lost any fitness I had, I had signed up for the Great North Run in 2015 and started running and strength training at the gym. Now I’m slowly putting on weight and my fitness is definitely better.

Some people find the hardest part of getting involved in exercise is the starting point. I’ve run 2 beginners running programs for the past 6 months with over 20 people starting each one. Every one of them starts wanting to make to make it through the 10 weeks but for some that doesn’t happen but it doesn’t stop them trying again just like Shivani and Laura who I’ll talk about that later.

Most people have to try more than one type of exercise to find the one that’s best for them; Helen from Nelly's Cupcakes told me she wanted to get fit so she could keep up with her toddler and be a good/healthy role model for her which is a perfect reason to get fit. She first tried out Zumba which she did enjoy but because of class politics, she started to not enjoy it anymore and decided to try running. She started running and she started alone doing the Couch to 5K and a year later she is still going. If you’re like Helen and find that you’re not enjoying what you’re doing mix it up and try something new you never know you might fall in love with it.

Helen wasn’t the only person I spoke to that wanted to get fit because of their kids Pixie from Fashion Voyeur wanted to get fit because she has a severely autistic son and wanted to get fit so she could give him the best life but also so that she could handle anything that he threw at her. She first started with Barre but now does a large range of exercises including boxing and roller derby. Pixie went on to tell me that exercise has become a coping mechanism for her as for her ‘its pure escapism.’ Pixie has become to love exercise so much she became an This Girl Can ambassador in 2015 along with 100’s of other women across the country.

From talking to a people I work with a lot of them get involved in exercise because they want to lose weight. Shivani Malhorta from Cloud in a Teacup told me how she had always been an overweight adult and after trying to get fit on a number of occasions decided that last year was the year to get serious and started the gym in June. At first, she hated it but she kept going, she started off cycling, walking on a treadmill and doing a few minutes on a cross trainer, she started off really slow but she’s kept going and now she is doing HIIT workouts and weights. For her, it’s not about being skinny it about feeling healthy and strong. Shivani has lost 4.5 stone (give her a round applause because that’s amazing) in weight but she has seen a huge change in her body shape because of the exercise she is doing and that has given her a lot more confidence. 

Laura Dawson from Elle Blonde was another amazing lady that started off being a big lady and decided she wanted to change that, she took herself to the gym and for her, that was when it clicked. She lost 4 stones in a matter of months (I’ve seen her in person and she looks amazing) and that was where her healthy obsession began. Laura had horrendous depression two years ago and refused to go on medication and one night after a few too many drinks signed up to do the biggest half marathon in the North East. After training and running further, she discovered that her depression got better.

After I left university I really got into research about how exercise could have a good effect on people’s mental health. I know myself that when I feel low that going out and doing some sort of exercise I feel always feel good after.

So when Kayleigh Lindstedt from I Dream of Coco told me how she suffered from mild anxiety and she started running as a way to clear her head as well as keep herself fit. She has even signed up to do the Great North Run which is a half marathon (Good Luck Kayleigh). Holly Olivia Stephenson from Bisous, Holly Olivia (http://bisoushollyolivia.blogspot.co.uk/) was another lady that started exercising to help reduce anxiety and depression. Holly decided that she wanted to work on her upper body which now she doesn’t have to cover up in warmer weather and has helped to improve her confidence. Like many other people, she tried swimming, running and cycling but fell in love with body weight exercises and hula hooping.

When Andy Hooper from Here Come the Hoopers told me how he got involved in exercise because he wanted to use it as a way of socialising. Alan recruited the dads from his estate after his wife Catherine had decided to recruit the mams from the estate to do a couch to 5K together. After running for a few weeks Alan decided to do the Disneyland Half Marathon in September.

I’ve used these stories with a hope that these might inspire someone to want to exercise or keep some people already exercising motivated. Writing this post is making me want to go out and go for a run and I hope it has inspired you.

I hope you like this post I have. I have loved writing this and can’t thank the bloggers in this post enough for telling me their stories. If you like these types of post please leave me a comment below.

Why not tell me your reasons for getting involved in exercise?

The Songs That Just Keep You Going.

Photo Taken by Nicole Marshall

It was International Women's Day on Tuesday and last saturday Active Newcastle held there first This Girl Can Awards evening which was all about inspiring and making women feel empowered by other women. For the event I had to put together a list of songs together that women got empowered by or that motivated them to take part in exercise. I thought that the playlist would make a great blog post and here it is. The list below is full of different songs that a lot of women will related to for different reasons and some of these are my favourite songs to listen to.  

Jess Gylnne - Don't be so hard on yourself

Heather Small - Proud

Alicia Keys - Girl on fire

Alicia Keys - A woman's worth

Lady Gaga - Born this way

Glee - Survivor & I will survive

Ellie Goulding - Army

Chaka Khan - I'm every woman

Jordin Sparks - I am women

Britney Spears - Stronger

Little Mix - Salute

Sara Bareilles - Brave

Kelly Clarkson - Stronger

Florence and The Machine - Dog days are over

Florence and The Machine - Shake it out

Colbie Caillat - Try

Selena Gomez - Who says

Katy Perry - Love Me

Aretha Franklin & Annie Lennox - Sisters are doing it for themselves

Demi Lovato - Confident

Jessie J - Flashlight

Rachel Platten - Fight song

Calvin Harris - Let's Go (ft Ne-Yo)

Katy Perry - Roar

David Guetta - Titanium (ft. Sia)

Taylor Swift - Shake it off

Leona Lewis - Fire under my feet

This is becoming one of my favourite playlists to listen to while pretty much doing everything.  In the gym its motivates me to keep going and even walking to work it get my head ready for the day. 

Why not tell me what your favourite motivationals are or what songs make you feel empowered?

This Girl Can Clothing Range*

                                                   All photos are taken by Nicole Marshall

I don’t even know where to start with this blog post apart from saying ‘I’M IN LOVE.’ When I was first asked if I wanted to try out items from the ‘This Girl Can’ sporting range from Marks & Spencer, I was so excited.

 Top: Marks & Spencer*

Bottom: Marks & Spencer*

Jacket: Marks & Spencer*

Shoes: Nike

If you’ve been living under a rock you might not have heard of ‘This Girl Can’. ‘This Girl Can’ is a national campaign by Sport England and local authorities aimed at increasing women’s participation in sport and exercise in an empowering way. I work for Active Newcastle, an organisation that is one of the core cities of ‘This Girl Can’ campaign and I have a big involvement as a ‘This Girl Can’ ambassador. I just love this campaign!

Here is the link for the advert for ‘This Girl Can’ in case you haven’t seen it.

Marks & Spencer recently launched the ‘This Girl Can’ clothing range after making a small range of t-shirts last year which sold out instantly. The sporting range includes various clothing items including leggings, t-shirts, vest, jackets and even a bag. The clothing has the signature ‘This Girl Can’ logo on it as well as the signature pink colouring.

I was given a pair of leggings, a t-shirt and a jacket to review.

The quality of the range is great; you can definitely tell it’s from a good quality high street store.  This week I trialled the jacket whilst on a run: personally I wouldn’t wear the jacket as running wear during this season, as it really isn’t thick enough for this weather. However, as a jacket for the gym, it’s great and perfect for the incoming spring. It has the signature black and pink colour with the logo on both the front and back.

I also received the long leggings, which are tight and have a thick band across the top. The leggings are thick material and definitely good for going out running or again going to the gym. You might have to size up since the material is quite thick. The t-shirt is a loose t-shirt style which is great for women who might not feel self-conscious while doing exercise. Though I’m not usually a fan of loose fitted t-shirts I do like this one. I think this will definitely be a regular as a gym item rather than a running top. It also has the ‘This Girl Can’ logo bright and big in the middle of the t-shirt.

As you can guess, I love this range and I might have to go out and get a few more of the items (particularly the pink sports bra that I’ve got my eye on!)

I’ll leave all the links for the ‘This Girl Can’ range and website below.

This Girl Can @ Marks and Spencer

This Girl Can Website

Leave me a comment telling me what your favourite item is and what you think of the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign.

These items were sent to met from Marks & Spencer. These thoughts are all my own and not influenced by anyone.