By Lucy Roberts
Fitness coach Georgie Spurling went against her doctor’s advice following a heart operation when she was younger and started dancing when she reached sixth form.
Georgie Spurling
But fear not – this hasn’t caused her condition to deteriorate but instead it has done the opposite as the medical advice for people who are in a similar situation to her are now told to be as active as they can be.
Dancing changed her life and that’s what made her decided to train as a fitness coach, and she now has her own fitness business called GS Wellness which focusses on high burn but low stress workouts.
Spurling spoke to Female First about her journey to becoming a fitness coach, revealed how it feels to be able to help people with their fitness and explained what the future holds for her and her business.
Q) Why did you want to become a fitness coach?
A) Long story short, when I was a child, I was told I could never exercise due to a condition which necessitated a life-saving heart operation. I'm pretty tenacious and didn't like being told what to do so when I got to sixth form, I decided to take up dancing and I just fell in love with movement and how it makes you feel. Mentally and physically, it changed my life and so, against all advice, I decided to train to be a fitness coach so I could help others find this joy through movement. I really love the body and mind and the powerful connection they have together. I now keep fighting to be my strongest, for my heart and my mind. The medical advice for people with my condition now, is to be as active as you can, and I am proud to say I have been a part of that change.
Q) How would you describe your coaching style?
A) Personable and detailed. I like to teach clients how to move intuitively. It’s not a one size fits all approach. I love figuring out for each individual what works best for them and their needs. I now specialise in my own method, which is low impact, low stress but high burn - we work the body from the inside out, creating long-lasting results and strength. I work with a lot of people who have come from a background of high intensity exercise and are either not seeing results or are experiencing burnout or are just having trouble sticking to a wellness journey. I also am a strong believer in holistic wellness. Every pillar of wellness needs to be supported to feel our best - physical activity, healthy diet and mental health. My digital platform GS Wellness is all about putting every pillar of wellness under one roof, in one easy, accessible place. It’s a one-stop shop for wellness for individuals and businesses alike.
Q) When and why did you create GS Wellness?
A) This actually came from a place of experiencing burnout myself and seeing a lot of my corporate clients going through the same thing. I spent tons of time researching stress hormones and how exercise and lifestyle can affect them. I created a unique method that burned your muscles whilst keeping your cortisol and adrenaline balanced. My corporate clients went from doing high intensity exercise such as a spin class for an hour at lunchtime to 40 mins of my method and the results were beyond impressive! I then decided to put my method online in 2018 to reach and help others. Due to my previous health concerns, I knew being well was more than fitness, it's nutrition, stress management, mental health, and more. About two years ago I expanded the business to a four or more-pillar approach to help people holistically with their wellness. Wellness has become so overcomplicated and overpriced, I therefore wanted to create a place where you can easily access everything in one place with no stress or extra costs.
Q) What are GS Wellness' core values?
A) At GS Wellness we are acutely aware that wellness is not a one size fits all approach and depends on each individual’s needs. It does not have to be complicated, overbearing or costly. Our fitness strategy is centred upon building strength from the inside out - it’s high burn but low stress. My mission is to make wellness available to all businesses so that employees of all ages have all the resources and help they need regarding their mental and physical wellbeing, as we navigate a post pandemic world.
Q) How rewarding does it feel to know you're helping people with their fitness journeys?
A) On a personal level, not only is it incredibly rewarding to be able to continue my own fitness journey (I’ve been in the industry ten years!), but when I help someone else feel better, the satisfaction is indescribable. For me it has never been about aesthetic results being the focus, it's being able to give someone mental and physical strength and power that fills me with joy. I have wanted to teach people how to fall in love with movement and wellness just as I did a long time ago. I have clients who have been with me for over eight years because it's a lifestyle, not a quick fix. To see them nourishing their body and minds is incredible!
Q) Is there anything in the pipeline for the future either with GS Wellness or you personally?
A) There is so much going on at the moment both personally and business-wise. We just ran our first retreat and have the second one in October which I am really looking forward to. In a couple of weeks GS Wellness will be an app for all clients, which is a really exciting next step in expanding my business and the GS world! I am growing the team with more coaches, therapists and recipe developers to continue to produce helpful and supportive content for all members. Personally, I am currently in talks with the NHS, in particular the heart patients to try and give something back to them in the way of classes, talks, and showing them that they can be healthier than ever with this kind of approach. It is one of my life goals to help others like myself. Other than that, lots of travel this year and exploring - it’s needed after the past two years!!
For more information on GS Wellness corporate and individual memberships head to www.gsmethod.co.uk