Kitty Cheung

What was your relationship to exercise before you started strength training at Fitology Hub?

I've always enjoyed exercise, but I’ve always had very low motivation. Unless there's a specific aim at the end of it, I find it difficult to incorporate into my life. I loved sport when I was young and did loads at school - tennis, netball, swimming. I really loved being part of a team and competing, but when I got older and school was replaced by work, there was no longer that structured routine in place, so I fell out of the habit.

In 2004, I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia. I was in my late twenties and suddenly I was exhausted and experiencing a lot of pain. It all had a profound effect on my relationship with my body.

Later, I decided to take the risk of stopping my medication to undergo IVF and then pregnancy. I worked closely with my consultant to get into deep remission. We knew that stopping my medication was always going to increase my leukaemia blood counts, we just couldn't predict how much. I really had to try to reconnect with my body then and to say to it, You can do amazing things! I had to trust it to do this for me and to keep me safe during my pregnancy.

I started swimming and cycling to help and I think it was only then that I realised my body is stronger than I thought it could be. I had a pretty good pregnancy really, even though I was carrying twins, and it was then that I started to give my body a bit more respect and gratitude. I realised I wasn’t going to collapse or disintegrate if I tried anything harder than what I was used to.

It's been a funny old one! Sometimes I forget that it's happened to me! The side effects have reduced over time - I suppose my body has learnt to tolerate the medication more - but with the medication and perimenopause and getting older, I'm never going to have the energy levels I used to have. But then, who is?!

How has strength training impacted your life?

The sessions are amazing and I feel so good afterwards! I love turning up and letting someone else lead me for an hour, so I can say, Yeah OK, I'll give it a shot! I knew nothing at all about weight training before I joined, but it's been the most positive experience for me.

Being stronger is fantastic! My girls are 8 now and I can physically lift and carry them and play with them.  Before, I would have said, Woah! Don't jump on me! Don't hang off me - I don't think I can take your weight! But I know I can now. I've lost the fear and it's been a real joy. My girls have noticed too.

I think it all feeds back into mindset and mental health. When I first started at Fitology Hub, Suzanne told me that my balance would improve, that I’d be able to walk up two steps at a time and walk backwards without worrying about tripping over myself and she was absolutely right! I'm more agile and more stable now. I can trust my body more and not feel anxious it's going to crumble. Even going up and downstairs has felt so much easier. I no longer look up at a tall flight of stairs and think, Oh god, here we go! I don't have to think about how my body's going to get me somewhere anymore, it just does it. It's been very empowering and I feel so much freer.

How has being a member of Fitology Hub impacted your life?

Joining has been one of the best decisions I've ever made! It has exceeded all and any expectations I ever had and I feel calmer and happier. I came in wanting to get stronger to improve my bone density and perimenopause symptoms - and it absolutely has helped those things - but being a member of the FH community has also really impacted me in other ways that I couldn't have imagined.

The all-female environment has been a huge benefit. I always found gyms really intimidating in the past, so I wouldn't have joined if it wasn’t women-only. I feel relaxed and comfortable here. It's like going for a coffee with friends, while also doing the work! There's just a lovely energy about the place. It's so nice and calm and there’s no sense of fear or dread about coming.

I now get those water cooler chats that I wouldn't otherwise have, being a stay-at-home mum, which has improved my confidence. I've always been an introvert and I like the quiet life, but social interactions feel so much easier now. I aways used to stay back a bit, in my parent-friend group, feeling like I didn't have any news to report, but I can feel myself standing a bit taller now. I don't feel like I need to hide away. I can take the space I want to take, but also feel fine to pass the time of day with people. You don’t realise these barriers are in place, until you get given a different option and you see how important removing these barriers are.

I absolutely love being a member of Fitology Hub and I love that Fitology Hub exists! Some days you feel good and other days you won't feel so good, but you always feel better after training.  It’s given me so much more than I could ever have imagined. I think there should be Fitology Hubs everywhere, so more women can go!