The Aberdeenshire gym is one of the first in Scotland to have staff specially trained to support menopausal customers.
Fiona Chapman, who works as a personal trainer at Energy Fitness in Inverurie, is raising awareness about menopause by sharing her journey.
After setting up a local support group to help others, she wanted to do more.
Everyone at her gym is now trained by the Menopause Specialist Group, and Fiona is their ‘Menopause Champion’.
Fitness instructors can now identify the needs of their menopausal clients and tailor their training to help them achieve the best results.
“I think it’s really important to understand how a woman’s body changes as she approaches menopause,” Fiona told STV News.
“I think exercise is one of the best things we can do going forward to prevent stroke, osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes, and most importantly longevity and mental health.”
With many of the gym’s customers experiencing menopause, they say it has made a big difference for staff to have the knowledge and understanding to support them.
“Whether it’s personal training or classes, they get it,” Joyce Massim said.
“They understand if you’re just not feeling well that day or are having a hard time, and they just encourage you to do the best you can.”
Alana Ross said the training helps raise awareness about living with menopause.
“Just to know that people understand. I think when it comes to menopause, things that aren’t being talked about are kind of swept under the carpet.
“So being around people who empathize with what you’re going through has a huge impact.”
Nick Ruta, owner of Energy Fitness, hopes the training will give clients the confidence to share how they’re feeling and receive support from staff.
“Having that kind of information would allow us to say if we have a member who is struggling with movement or joint pain, that might be the cause,” Nick said.
“Then we can reverse it or consider a different course of action. And it gives us the education and knowledge to help them accomplish what they want to accomplish. .”
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