Emma Kneebone Personal Trainer
Share
Share
Emma is a personal trainer who knows all about the need for motivation when it comes to working out. She tells us about her magic '5 second rule'.
Tell us about your journey to fitness? Where did it all start?
I wasn't particularly sporty as a child or through my teenage years, it was only in 2008 when I ran my first 10k that I started to develop a love for being active. I trained hard for the 10k and since then have entered various sporting challenges and tried a variety of sports. In 2014, I cycled 876 miles from Land's End to John O' Groats in six days for charity and after that realised I wanted to take things to the next level and train to become a PT. Nowadays, it's all about HIIT for me and making exercise fun, efficient, convenient and easily accessible to all.
What are your training goals now?
To maintain my fitness and motivate and encourage others to reach their goals. A massive part of my job is motivation – most people know what they need to do, but they see exercise as a chore. I try to make my classes fun and enjoyable as well as making sure they have a hardcore workout! I’ve always wanted to run a marathon, so perhaps that will be my next goal.
Tell us one unusual fact we wouldn’t know about you:
I can roll my tongue three times! It’s my only party trick!
Do you follow a specific nutrition plan? If so, what/when do you eat?
I generally eat healthily, particularly when I'm working and in a weekly routine. I always eat three meals a day, have a high-protein diet and drink a lot of water. That said, I also have whatever I want when I'm eating out and never deny myself something if I'm craving it, life’s too short not to enjoy food! When I started consciously thinking about my diet and nutrition, I would make small changes, so brown rice instead of white or Quorn instead of mince. The little changes soon built up, but I didn’t notice it and I naturally prefer the healthier options now.
What do you do to keep your clients motivated? Do you have any top tips to keep motivated?
People often presume I love exercise because I’m a personal trainer, but that’s not always the case. I love the feeling afterwards and I love pushing my body to its maximum and smashing the goals I set for myself, but I struggle just as much as the next person in terms of getting myself off the sofa and out into the cold to a class or for a run. I find the five second rule really helps: the mind has an idea and you only have five seconds before it then starts to counteract that thought with reasons why not to do said idea. I make the most of those five seconds as they are the maximum motivation window!
Talk us through your training regime.
I enjoy a really varied regime, as it keeps me enthused and allows me to benefit from different types of training. I do a lot of HIIT, which I love because it's so effective, efficient and can be done anywhere. I also play squash, netball, run, swim and go to my local yoga class. I try to make sure I exercise five times a week for about thirty minutes, which is usually a couple of HIIT classes, a couple of cardio-based sessions such as squash and netball and then a yoga class to work on my core strength and flexibility.
How do you keep your fitness knowledge up to date?
I network a lot with other fitness professionals in the area I live in which is great, as there's a real community for fitness and sharing each other's successes and learning curves. I sign up for courses as often as I can to ensure I'm always learning and creating new classes to keep things fresh and help motivate my clients.
What are your top 3 trainer tips?
1) Have a bottle of water beside your bed and drink as much as you can when you first wake up before getting out of bed. The body is dehydrated, which only adds to the lack of motivation some of us feel in the morning.
2) Try lots of different classes or team games until you find something you actually enjoy. You're more likely to stick at it and keeping active is more important than counting calories or sticking to a strict regime.
3) Motivation fluctuates, but determination will keep you going. Sometimes I will feel motivated to do a class, but then a couple of weeks can go by with zero motivation. The key is to focus on what you are trying to achieve and dedicate your mind to achieving it, don't wait to feel inspired or motivated. Get up and grind for your goal.
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Freshly cooked crusty bread and butter or my mum's roast dinners!
Why work with Sundried?
I love the ethos of the company and the positive message behind its branding, which is unique and refreshing to see. I like the fact that with every purchase a donation is made to charity and that the manufacturing of all its products is completed with consideration to minimise their carbon footprint. The Sundried Breithorn Bra is my favourite - think I will be purchasing more than one of those!
Favourite fitness quote:
The mind gives up before the body.
