My philosophy

 

I think being fit and healthy is about being able to step out of bed without pain. It is about being able to carry heavy groceries with ease. Walking stairs without getting out of breath. Having enough energy to get through the day. And feeling good in your own skin when you look in the mirror.

As a personal trainer I am focused on helping women integrate health and fitness in their life. I want you to experience the strength that comes from fitness, both mentally and physically. I want you to feel amazing about yourself and to make well being, balance, and positive mindset a priority.

You deserve to feel confident.

Everyone has unique nutritional and fitness requirements

that keep them running efficiently. For the most part, exercise is really good for you. The problem arises when you overdo it.When you don’t pay attention to your own needs you might be setting yourself up for hormonal imbalances, deficiencies, and adrenal fatigue. For example, women who train very hard and restrict their calories can stop menstruating. Mental stress can stop menstruation due to the stress put on the hypothalamus, the area of your brain that controls hormones and regulates periods. The end result is often infertility and brittle, weak bones.

I got interested in the difference between men’s- and women’s fitness because

I experiences hormonal imbalance myself

Begin 2016 I suddenly stopped menstruating for six months. After waiting for it to come back I decided to get it checked out with the doctor. He diagnosed me with PCOS (short for polycystic ovary syndrome). For me it meant that my ovaries contained follicles that surround the eggs. As a result, the ovaries failed to function regularly. When I got this news I was shocked. I was planning for children in the future and with having PCOS this might be more difficult. I went on hormone medication to help my body to get back in balance. This caused mood swings, acne and emotional ups- and downs. A year of medication and more balanced nutrition and exercise got me my period back. Now I am committed to spread information about women’s fitness and how we should treat it differently.  

Balance is key,

for example alternating yoga or pilates with cardio, and weights can protect the adrenals and balance hormones. Also, warm up and stretching are as important in an exercise routine as burning calories.

My background story

I grew up in Utrecht, The Netherlands and within my family sports and nutrition have always been a main focus. Two of my sisters were in the top level of gymnastics and the other one played in the national women’s youth soccer team. I found it always difficult to focus on just one sport. During my youth I tried out many different sports: gymnastics, ballet, hip hop dance, swimming, running, tennis, soccer, and snowboarding. In the end I decided to stick with tennis and running. Nowadays I also added yoga and weight training to my routine.  

In 2014 I moved from The Netherlands to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I finished my bachelors Media, Communication and Information, at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and started my first full-time job in Market Research in Malaysia. During this time I also did some fashion modelling on the side and to keep in shape I worked out a lot. Furthermore I discovered Spartan’s obstacle race and fell in love with. It motivated me to work on my whole body and required different training techniques. I did a lot of research on different training methods and got more knowledgeable. Some friends started asking for advice on training and I realized I really enjoyed helping them.

When moving to Singapore I decided to give up my full-time job in Market Research. I started my personal training career at Fitness First. During my time at Fitness First I learned a lot. It is also the time I got pregnant from Valeria. 

Although I always had a big interest in female fitness, during my pregnancy I dived deeper in pre- and postnatal fitness. I researched and studied a lot to make sure me and my clients trained in a safe way, during and after pregnancy. After giving birth to Valeria I noticed I needed a different work environment that would offer me more flexibility to be with my daughter. I decided to set up my own company Active Women. 

Coming to now; having a number of fitness certifications and determined to keep learning. I find that following courses and acquiring certifications gives me different insights on training, fitness and health. This enables me to give my clients the best support they can wish for. 

My certifications

Among others are;