Ali & Fitness

Being a writer involves a lot of sitting down, but I try and keep as fit and active as possible!

This is the story of how I found fitness, or rather fitness found me!

"If you’d told Ali McNamara’s parents, PE teachers, or even Ali herself that she would grow up to become a successful fitness instructor & personal trainer they might have thought she was dreaming up a fictional storyline for one of the novels she would later enjoy writing so much.

Because when Ali was at school she was unable to take part in any sport or PE lessons after being diagnosed as having junior Rheumatoid arthritis at four years old. Ali later conquered both this debilitating disease, and the excess weight it had left her carrying, and as a result left her keen to make up for lost time. She became an enthusiastic participant in exercise classes, and then took up running, completing many fun runs and 10ks, her greatest achievement being the Great North Run half marathon. This newfound love of exercise not only helped her lose weight and kept her sane after the birth of her two children, but also helped her overcome post-natal depression after the birth of her second child.

Ali then decided she would like to pass on this new found enthusiasm to others, so set about qualifying first as a fitness instructor, then as a personal trainer, and finally as an Exercise referral consultant, so she could help those in the same situation she had once been in herself. Ali was now able to accept clients referred to her by GP’s who had conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and like Ali before them depression and joint problems, all of which could be improved with regular exercise.  With her background Ali was able to empathise with her clients and share with them the joy that regular exercise can bring in improving your health. She firmly believes there's so much more to be gained than how you look in the mirror, or how much you weigh on the scales!

But Ali thinks scales are a good analogy of how her career path has changed. A few years ago they were very much tipped in favour of fitness over writing, these days they are much the reverse.

But the scales will never tip so far that fitness and exercise will be off Ali’s radar for long. They make her feel too good to be out of her life for more than a day or two. And the memory of being prevented from taking part in physical activity as a child will never be entirely forgotten."

This photo is of me after I had just completed the Great North Run half marathon in 2002.

Keeping it in the family; my daughter, Rosie & me completing 'Race 4 Life' together.