When Lois Simpson was growing up, cruel bullies made her life a misery.
But instead of letting that difficult time define her, the 31-year-old has instead used the experience as the motivation behind her successful personal training business.
“Your mind really is the most powerful thing,” says Lois who lives in Aberdeen.
“If I’d let my mind take over, especially when I was at my worst and most vulnerable, I could’ve had a completely different trajectory in life.
“I could’ve went down any route, I could’ve become an alcoholic, I could’ve become a drug user to numb the pain but instead I transmuted the pain and negative energy into a positive thanks to exercise.
“Exercise became my outlet and I’m so grateful that I found it.”
350k followers on social media
So much more than just a healthy outlet from the bullies, exercise has completely changed Lois’s life as she’s now a successful personal trainer (PT) with no fewer than 350k followers across her social media pages.
By sharing her story, Lois hopes it will bring hope to other young people who have experienced bullying.
“I don’t speak about my journey enough because it still brings up a lot of emotions but I feel like it’s so important nowadays as we’re in this generation of social media,” says Lois.
“I want to show kids that you can become anything you want to be no matter what your popularity status is.
“I’m evidence of that because I was never cool.”
Lois suffered both verbal and physical bullying…
Originally from Arbroath, Lois says she was bullied relentlessly at school.
“It was more verbal bullying but there was one time that a girl physically battered me – it wasn’t pleasant,” says Lois.
“I was actually just standing up for myself and she decided to wallop me one.”
During this tough time, PE at school proved to be a refuge for Lois.
“When I was in school, I loved PE,” says Lois.
“A lot of girls in my class would always bunk off PE but one of the teachers took this body combat class and I absolutely loved it.
“It was at that moment when I thought ‘I want to do this’.”
‘Fitness changed my life’
Determined not to let the bullies hold her back, Lois left school and studied sport and fitness in college before becoming a qualified PT, all before she turned 18.
“In my early teens, I was motivated and travelled to nearby towns to teach fitness classes,” says Lois.
“By 20, I fully embraced my PT qualification, focusing on energising classes, with lots of energy and amazing music to put smiles on everyone’s faces.”
Beginning a new chapter in Aberdeen
Keen to start a fresh chapter in her life, Lois moved to Aberdeen seven years ago, a move that proved to be the making of her.
“After facing bullying in my hometown for many years I moved to Aberdeen, where my career flourished as a self-employed PT,” says Lois.
“I started at a franchise gym, quickly built a client base, and then transitioned to an independent gym in Westhill.
“Over the years, I’ve expanded my services to include home PT, online coaching, and mentoring aspiring PTs through a certification programme.
“There truly is no better feeling than doing a job you’re so passionate about and getting to help people feel and look better as well as educating them on the power of movement and diet as a lifestyle.”
‘Clients love my energy’
Glowing with health, happiness and with an infectious zest for life, it’s no wonder that Lois’s positive approach to her fitness career has amassed such a huge following online.
“The following is mad,” laughs Lois.
“I think it’s because a few of my workout videos went viral during lockdown and I also created a running playlist that went viral.
“A lot of clients come to me because of my energy and that’s what they’ve seen online.”
‘I want people to fall in love with health, wellness and fitness’
Lois, who is based at Apex Fitness in Westhill, says her aim as is to help people discover a love of fitness.
“My motto has always been my business name ‘Lois Loves Fitness’,” says Lois.
“I want people to fall in love with health, wellness and fitness.
“My goal is for them to say to me ‘I’m so excited to go to the gym today’.
“If I hear those words then I’m happy.”
Exciting fitness journey ahead…
For Lois, nothing is better than seeing her clients excel.
“It’s really rewarding – it’s the best job ever,” says Lois.
“I’ve got one client who has been with me for five years, she’s amazing.”
Strong, empowered and with the world at her feet, Lois is excited about where her fitness journey may take her in the future.
“I’m so grateful for what I’ve achieved as little Lois didn’t think she could achieve much in life because she was told that she wouldn’t,” says Lois.
“In the future, I’m thinking about maybe working abroad for a while.
“I already go out and work in a hotel in Mexico for a week doing fitness classes which I love.”
Wellbeing diary with Lois Simpson
What are your top three tips for health and wellbeing?
1: Find something you enjoy and you’ll never find it a task/chore.
2: Start simple, increase your steps, or focus on spending 30 minutes moving your body, whatever that looks like for you.
3: Plan ahead, life will always be fast paced, so give yourself the head start and plan your gym outfit in the morning, or prep your lunches for the next three to four days.
How do you like to de-stress?
I like to destress by working out, (I know right!) other ways I de-stress is by listening to my favourite podcasts.
Do you have any daily habits which help your mental health?
Movement daily no matter how big or small it is. Movement truly is medicine.
Have you read any inspiring health/wellbeing books or listened to any good podcasts recently?
My favourite podcasts at the moment are ‘What’s The Juice’ and ‘In Hindzsight’, one is very informative towards health, healing and wellness and the other is very much geared towards mindset and reflection.
Where do you shop for your workout gear?
I’m very fortunate to get my workout gear for free as I am affiliated with a couple brands but my favourite workout clothing is Lazuli Label and also NVGTN.
For more details about Lois Loves Fitness, check out her website loislovesfitness.com or her Instagram page @loislovesfitness
Or check out Lois’s running playlist.
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