Menopause- said in a quiet voice and hidden under careful layering. It is like you wake up one morning with an inflated rubber ring round your waist, a wardrobe that is just for looking at not wearing any more, sore joints, fatigue and self-esteem that has hit rock bottom.

That was me.

So- I joined a gym, a place that I use to feel at home now felt overwhelming and intimidating but I did the classes, juggled a few weights but after a few months the scales refused to budge and the only changes I saw were to my diary, weighing food and following a meal plan were hard work for me and it became all-consuming and un-natural, so I failed.Next step- research- ‘Weightlifting in menopause can increase testosterone levels, increase muscle strength and bone health and improve self-esteem’ It was at this point that I stumbled across Titan fitness on Instagram- I read every post and was impressed by the small but expertly designed gym and Sylvester’s passion and creativity both in his training methods but also his commitment to helping with nutrition and lifestyle changes which were both realistic and achievable. I made contact- laid it all out all my woes, all of them! The reply was positive and encouraging ‘This is not a problem- you would do great at our woman only training sessions’ How right he was! The classes are small and friendly and I soon realised we all had our reasons for being here and it was more than losing weight- we all wanted to make positive changes to our health and our wellbeing, changes that were not a quick fix but sustainable.Sylvester has a small tight team who work closely together and share his enthusiasm and commitment to all who attend. They create ever changing more challenging sessions each week with a careful eye on our technique and progress and monitoring our results. Our workouts continue to surprise me and the variety is never ending and I embrace the learning curve.A reluctant introduction to MyFitness pal initially was soon overcome and really opens your eyes to how good nutrition is critical to progress- and not hard to do! Sylvester’s attention to detail is also clear in his you tube videos helping his clients through nutrition and exercise- he gets it, he knows we go on holiday, he knows we have our up and downs, he knows we are not all master chefs, he says it like it is and is on hand to help us through it all.So now after 25 weeks attending session twice a week, I have more energy, my joints don’t ache, my body is stronger and fitter and my self esteem is well on the way to full recovery- and my wardrobe…it’s back in action again!