Hi I am Kirsty Percival I am a Personal Trainer and run a business called Asgardian Fitness & Wellbeing. I work with people to get the right balance for them through fitness, nutrition and lifestyle. I come from a Sport & Exercise background and have worked in the fitness industry for over 20 years now. I am also a Reiki Master/Teacher which is where the ‘Wellbeing’ comes in. I have always been physically active and enjoy running half marathons, mountain walking, generally anything that involved physical activity!!
I am very passionate about the connection between exercise and mental health. I was (undiagnosed) struggling with post natal depression after my first baby back in 2009. I had suffered with SPD (separated pelvis disorder) during the pregnancy, so the pink and fluffy world of mummy yoga and anti natal swimming etc was ‘out of the window’ by 20 weeks. Even putting my own clothes on was a painful mission!! Resulting in comfort eating my way through it. The second pregnancy (2013) was even worse as I was bed ridden from 8 weeks…. As it was really at this time that I decided I was going to do something about it. Enough was enough and I was not prepared to just exist…. I wanted my life back, I wanted to be HAPPY again.
Now the science bit, I knew that exercise was the key to getting me out of the dark mess that I found myself in. It is widely researched that there are three main effects on the body from exercise alone;
- Biochemical - ‘runner’s high’ from increased endorphins & serotonin
- Physiological - lower blood pressure, feel better, sleep better, more energy - enhanced by being outside and getting fresh air/change of scenery.
- Psychosocial - self worth/esteem, body image, social interaction
All of this supported with being more mindful of the foods that I was eating, starting with what I was having for breakfast, snacks and main meals. Then adding in a daily amount of 2 litres of water, rather than buckets of coffee to ‘keep me going’.
I soon started to notice a difference, the daily walks outside where proving to be working (Biochemical & Psychosocial). They kept me motivated to stay away from chocolate and biscuits - otherwise, what was the point! You can not reward yourself with treats, just for going for a walk. This is where “needing a feed or feeding a need?” comes in. Are you emotionally eating due to being tired, hormonal, happy or sad? If so, you might want to think about what you can swop it with. Like going to bed earlier, having a hot bath, celebrating with a pamper session (which is what I did instead) or talking to somebody about why you might be sad/angry etc.
Once I noticed the results on the scales (Physiological). I gained more momentum and re-joined the local gym. They had a creche on site and it was good for both of us to have a bit of “me time” twice a week. When I finally lost my three stone and felt awesome again. I really wanted to share this with others. I was quite aware that if a happy, healthy woman could feel like this, I was convinced that so many others would be feeling like this too. So in 2015, we launched Fitcamp Flintshire a community based group exercise sessions. Everyone was welcome. Then in 2016, we launched Asgardian Fitness & Wellbeing so I could work with more people on a Full Time basis around the children. I now spend everyday helping people find their happy place, through programmes like Project Fabulous.
I hope this has helped you or someone that you know. If you would like to discuss any of this please feel free to connect me on kirstylpercival@gmail.com. Good Luck finding your happy xx
