I hate the phrase ‘Go hard or go home’. I hate the phrase ‘Bikini body’. The words ‘guilt-free’ when used to describe food get my back up too. There’s a lot of things I dislike about how health and fitness is sometimes packaged and sold, so I’m doing something about it.

For the past couple of months I’ve gone back to school to study and qualify further to be part of the health and fitness industry. Because I believe that a healthy body is for life, not just the two weeks a year that you take it to the beach. I believe that your body is not a fashion accessory and shouldn’t be shaped to fit the latest trend. And I believe there’s a need for more trainers who think like that.

This weekend I finished the Level 2 Gym Instructor qualification. I’ve been studying with Bodyaid who just happen to be based in Peterborough where I’m from which has meant getting to visit my family and a packed lunch from my mum. I didn’t know what to expect going into the course and whether I’d come up against the ideals pushed out by so many outlets. I very pleased that I didn’t.

I had two tutors on my course: Dan and Andi, one male one female, both with a lot of experience in a range of settings from the NHS to luxury gyms. When they talked about why they’d gone into training trainers and all the bad examples of fitness professionals they’d come across I knew we were in safe hands.

It was really interesting meeting the other students on the course. There were a range of ages and backgrounds with many already working in the fitness industry full or part time (a Zumba instructor, a lifeguard, a group exercise teacher) while others had a personal interest in health and fitness they wanted to pursue as a career. Everyone had different things they wanted to use the course to do too. I’m a runner and I eventually want to broaden my knowledge to better help the runners I train with a personal training qualification. Others were using the course to move into other areas where their own interests and future clients are.

As well as brushing off my old A level knowledge of biology for units on anatomy and physiology and the science of exercise, we looked at helping people become more active and what that means in practical terms. Prompted by our tutors, we all discussed the various barriers to exercise faced by various groups, how we could remove some of these barriers and encourage clients to be more active. I’m pleased that nobody in the room floated the promise of a bikini body as motivation.

A lot of home studying, many hours spent in the gym practicing, a couple of exams and practical assessments later and I’m now qualified. What does that mean? Well, I could now get a job in a gym if I wanted, but that’s not where my interests are. I want to work with people one-on-one outdoors. So I’m taking my certificate and using it to gain entry onto a personal training qualification so I can do just that. In February I’ll hopefully be returning to Peterborough to further my training with Bodyaid. 2015 is going to be an exciting year, and I’m not just talking about the promise of a packed lunch.