Introducing the experts…Marion Foreman

We will be introducing a range of different experts from WIFE throughout WI Sports Week so make sure you check back in regularly to hear more….

What do you? 

I am a nurse and Personal Trainer, specialising in working with older ladies and those people on their cancer journey.  I work not only in my gyms but also in a local residential home and with a local cancer charity.

How did you get involved? 

I wanted to find my own Personal Trainer who would understand me, I am not in my 20s  so wanted a more mature PT.  I couldn’t find one, so I decided that I would retrain to be a PT and be able to offer this service.

Why is sport and exercise important to you? 

The benefits of exercise have been well documented but I am constantly delighted to see the change in people as we work together.  Not only do they become healthier, they start to feel far more confident about themselves.

How can more women get involved? 

Exercise isn’t all about going to the gym, plenty of other options exist. It’s about being more active – whether it’s walking, swimming or even doing the housework! The same thing does not work for everyone; find something that motivates you to keep active.

Website: www.alltogetherbetter.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alltogetherbetter2016/?fref=ts 

Twitter: @ForefrontMarion

Introducing the experts…Lillie Pragnell

We will be introducing a range of different experts from WIFE throughout WI Sports Week so make sure you check back in regularly to hear more…

What do you? 
I am a health coach with a twist. I am a personal trainer, nutritionist and beauty therapist. I like to use my knowledge and skills in each area to help women take back control of their life and appreciate how amazing they are.

How did you get involved? 
Originally I ran my own beauty therapy business but I have always had a true passion for health and fitness.  One day I woke up and decided that beauty really was only skin deep and want to help my clients get more from me so I retrained gaining a degree in nutrition and completed my Personal Training qualification.  This allows me to give a well-rounded, holistic approach to their lifestyles.

Why is sport and exercise important to you? 
Having never been particularly sporty growing up I was relieved to find I loved running at 23 and now 7 years later I am competing in my first ever Triathlon. It opened my eyes that we categorise and stop ourselves believing that we can do it.  I now help many clients that are scared to exercise, as they have never done it before or they are intimidated by gyms.

How can more women get involved? 
By incorporating belief, motivation and homebased exercises into women’s lifestyles it gives them the confidence to go for it. We all have to start somewhere, even if it is a power walk or slow jog for 5 minutes, every day that will grow minute by minute. I design workout plans tailor made for my clients to ensure they feel comfortable with the exercises. By achieving them week after week it gives them the positive mind-set they deserve and shows them that they can ‘do it’!

Website: www.restartcoaching.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/restartcheshire
Twitter: www.twitter.com/restartcheshire

Introducing the experts…Mary Huckle

We will be introducing a range of different experts from WIFE throughout WI Sports Week so make sure you check back in regularly to hear more…

What do you?
I am the founder and owner of Breakthrough Fitness.  I’m a personal trainer and Pilates instructor working with clients from all walks of life, and I’m qualified in pre and post-natal exercise and children’s fitness.

How did you get involved?
I have a background in banking and finance but decided to embark onto a fitness career about 12 years ago as health and fitness was always a lifelong passion of mine. The majority of my work is for a variety of personal training and I also run Pilates classes.

Why is sport and exercise important to you?
Undoubtedly, the general benefits of exercise are immeasurable; after all, there is enough evidence to suggest that exercise is the new drug. For me personally, however, it means so much more. I have been twice diagnosed with breast cancer and exercise has been my saviour. Furthermore, having first-hand experience and knowledge of a chronic illness now enables me to pass on my expertise and help others in similar situations.

Every day, exercise is being recognised for its long term health benefits, in particular for people who have suffered some kind of illness. Being unwell can throw us off track to wellbeing and this is when we may need encouragement and help from someone else. I actively help women during and after breast cancer surgery and treatment, empowering them with the reassurance and knowledge that their quality of life can and will improve at a time when all seems quite bleak. The key is to recognise that you can remain or become active during these difficult times.

Website: www.breakthroughfitness.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/breakthroughfitness1/
Twitter: @mary_huckle

Introducing the experts…..Karen Laing

We will be introducing a range of different experts from WIFE throughout WI Sports Week so make sure you check back in regularly to hear more…

What do you?
I run a fitness business with my husband Chris teaching Pilates in classes and online, specialising in women’s health.  I also write about fitness, physical and mental health and women in the fitness industry.

How did you get involved?
If I’m completely honest, my ‘portfolio’ fitness career came about by accident.  After four years as a management consultant for PwC Consulting I took voluntary redundancy I re-trained both in fitness and as a journalist.  Since then I’ve developed my business from being a freelance fitness instructor to a fitness business co-owner with my husband.  I write.  I present.  I teach.  And hopefully, I inspire.

On reflection, my ‘portfolio’ fitness career is everything that I need for job satisfaction. I’ve always loved teaching and coaching and always craved a mixture of activity and the need to use my brain with my work. My business lets me have it all. I can write, research, interview and present but I can also do and instruct.

In everything I do, I aim to inspire and inform. I want to break down barriers to activity and exercise in order that more women can improve their life quality through small, yet informed changes to their exercise and activity levels.

Why is sport and exercise important to you?
I used to just move because I enjoyed the freedom and fun of movement.  I especially loved dance.  I was never particularly ‘good’ at sport and was never in any teams but I could dance and I enjoyed it.  I used to play tennis with my friends in the holidays but never attended sports camps.  As I’ve got older I’ve realised that anyone and everyone can learn to play sports for fun.  I felt I didn’t learn how to get better at sports and therefore didn’t enjoy them because I hadn’t naturally excelled.

Today I love to move and exercise because it makes me feel good and helps me to manage my anxiety and a chronic health condition (I suffer with general anxiety disorder and an over active thyroid/Graves disease).  I also know it helps to keep me mentally sharp and gives me the best chance of staying healthy and active as I age, vital now as I approach 40 with two young children.

Sport and activity is also important for body image. As the mum of a girl, I would love for her to learn and understand that her body is not something to be objectified but that she can be strong and fit for whatever sport she chooses.

I do Pilates, I run, I cycle, I lift weights, I play golf and tennis, and I love to try new sports.  In the past few years I’ve tried gymnastics, open water swimming, surfing, and river kayaking.

How can more women get involved?
My plea is for women to just move more. There is no snobbery in sport or activity. Find something you love. Do it with people you love or make new friends. And find a great instructor. Don’t give up at the first instructor who doesn’t float your boat - be persistent. If you really want to improve your quality of life, it’s worth sticking at it until it becomes a habit.

If you try to squeeze exercise around your busy schedule it will often if not always slip of the end. I’d recommend fitting your busy schedule around your exercise, then you can squeeze more activity around your busy schedule!

Website: http://fit-school.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FitSchool
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenllaing

WI Sports Week – launching on 12 September

On Monday 12 September, the first ever WI Sports Week will kick into action with a huge range of activities and events planned and run by federations across England, Wales and the Islands.  The NFWI Facebook page will be dedicated to sharing as many of these as we can, as well as showcasing expect information and advice from members of WIFE - Women in Fitness Empowerment.

WIFE brings together some of the most inspiring and influential women working in the health and fitness industry today and provides training and education, as well as a platform for women to share their expert knowledge.  Engaging more women in taking part in regular exercise, sport and activity is an important part of their role and they hope to help as many women as possible to the health benefits and the enjoyment of leading an active lifestyle.

During WI Sports Week, the WIFE Expert Team will be bringing tips, advice and videos to motivate and encourage everyone to try something new, or answer any questions you have.  Their expert team represents true diversity of ages, interests and ability and includes busy mums with small children as well as older women with grandchildren.  From fitness competitors and athletes to disabled instructors, there will be someone on hand who understands your particular needs because they are just like you.

Throughout the week we will be introducing experts from the WIFE team and linking through to their social media accounts so that interested members can contact them directly to ask questions and find out more information.  We will also be showcasing some of the activities and events taking place in federations everywhere, and sharing photos from members who are getting involved – so if you are planning to attend an event, please let us know and send over your photos!  Keep an eye on the NFWI Facebook and Twitter accounts for more information, and for inspirational help and advice from fitness and sports experts.

We will also be sharing information, images and events planned by federations and WI members everywhere, so please do get in touch to let us know what you're up to, and check in with our social media accounts to see what fellow members are up to.  It promises to be a really inspirational week!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/womensinstitute
Facebook: www.facebook.com/theWI
Instagram: www.instagram.com/womensinstitute

Guest blog by Enid Grattan-Guinness, High Cross and Thundridge WI, Proposer of the COOL campaign

I joined the WI because of the resolutions. My mother was also an active WI member for the same reason. However it took me from 1972 to find what I thought was a really suitable subject that affected all of our members, and one which (at the time) I thought could be easily dealt with.

A member of my WI told us about a Federation current affairs meeting she had been to, where she had learnt about the lion mark on eggs. I was curious, and when investigating the egg and the lion for myself, I ran into the subject of the mislabelling of food. I read about an East Anglian MP who was trying to get the law changed on the label wording of imported pork which could be called 'British' if it had been processed in some way in the UK, even though it had come from another country whose treatment of animals may not match the stringent regulations in this country. He was doing this on behalf of the East Anglian pig farmers. I wrote to him, and he was delighted that I had picked it up and was thinking of making a resolution about it.

Enid Grattan-Guinness with pigs on a British farm

I wrote to my own MP, the Ministry in charge of food, the NFU and my local trading standards office, all of whom sent me a great deal of information. The most important information I found stated that there was an EU ruling with a loophole, which had originally been nothing to do with food but with making parts of white goods in various countries within the EU and the final assembly in one country, which could then say it was a product of that country. It was later agreed by the European court that this could also apply to food. Thus in the UK chickens and other meat could be imported from overseas, cooked and re-sold in various ways, and then labelled as 'British' quite legally.   

My WI agreed that it was a good resolution and that we had a right to know where our food came from, and encouraged me to continue with it. So I carried on with my research, and started on the resolution wording. This is not as easy as you might think, as a WI resolution has to be something that we as members can easily get involved with and follow up in our own way in our own areas, as well as writing letters to MPs and asking the government to do something about it.

The rest is history regarding it being short listed, and to my total amazement, being finally chosen as the resolution that year. I was well into my 70s when this resolution was chosen, which just shows that age is no barrier to your going ahead!

Following much campaigning by members, in 2015, EU rules came into force which introduced country of origin labelling for unprocessed, sheep, goat, chicken and pork meat products. This means the label must show the country in which the animal was reared and slaughtered.

In the UK the government has gone further, and worked with the large supermarkets to voluntarily put country of origin information on packaging. This means that the vast majority of fresh produce, meat, milk and dairy products now include this information.

Many members also went to their local shops and restaurants and lobbied the manager to give them what they wanted.

The issue of country of origin labelling is still live. The resolution and our strong campaigning locally and nationally have made it clear how important knowing the source of our food is to us and our families. This has helped make decision makers aware of other labelling issues that they are able to deal with, which perhaps would not have been dealt with had our whole membership not made it quite clear that we wanted honesty from our food producers.   

Inspiring resolution

Guest post from Amelia Wilson, President of Nedderton and Bedlington WI, proposer of the mandate that inspired the Love Your Libraries campaign

Although I was initially nervous about submitting a resolution for consideration by the WI, I felt concerned enough about the proposed cuts to library funding and threatened closures that I reached a point where I could not let the opportunity pass.  Once I had composed my resolution, I was grateful for the support I received from my local WI members and the committee at my local federation. after proposing the resolution, it was so gratifying to watch it progress through the selection procedure and eventually find it accepted, although I was somewhat nervous about the prospect of addressing over 4,300 fellow WI members at NFWI Annual Meeting in Liverpool.

I felt fully supported in the debate from my fellow WI speakers on the day, from the guest speakers Erwin James and Sir Steve Redgrave, and to my delight, the resolution was passed by a large majority.

It is not every day I am called upon to address a very large crowd, but I would definitely encourage anyone who feels as strongly about any subject as I did about the library cuts to press on and confront their initial reluctance.  If I can produce a resolution, I am sure most members can enjoy the same success.