Confidence With Sophia

It’s time to welcome our next guest blogger onto Bo+Tee’s Locker Room. Today we’ve got the lovely Sophia Housley, letting us quiz her on life as a PT, why she loves Bo+Tee and her top tips on finding confidence and motivation within. After all, we all know confidence is key.

If you’d like to get to know her even better, or find out more about her personal training courses then check out her Instagram, @sophiahousleypt

So, tell us a little bit about yourself… 

 

I’m an ex- gymnast, competing at nationals. When I was 21 I basically snapped my knee in half and ended up having a complete career change. 

 

I never wanted to be a personal trainer. Never in a million years.. but here I am 3 years into running my own business and being a female entrepreneur. Go ME! 

 

My mission in life is to change the fitness industry. Being fit and healthy is the majority's need and want. However the fitness industry pressures so many on how they should train and what they should eat, when really it doesn’t matter what you do as long as you do it in moderation. 

 

I could go on and on about this topic, however a goal for me would be to own a few little gyms to show people what a healthy balanced life really is, inspire confidence and boost people's self esteem.

What made you want to become a PT? 

 

Honestly, I liked the idea of changing people's lives but I wasn’t fully sold as I loved gymnastics and I was obsessed with coaching athletes. However, my first client will always be my most memorable and changed my mind forever! 

 

She sat me down and said “Sophia, you have changed my life, I was going down a spiral that I couldn’t stop and I feared I wouldn’t live another 5 years” - that was 3 months after training her and she never looked back and neither did I. That to me was the most rewarding feeling I could have ever imagined.

 

What does confidence mean to you?

 

Confidence is key, but to me it doesn’t mean you are 100% all the time. Confidence to me is being ok with being uncomfortable. Knowing you will come out on the other end and be just fine. 

 

Gymnastics taught me that, the beam especially, as you never know when you're just going to slip - ha! With confidence, it takes practice of not caring what others think and not even thinking about what they are thinking! That is the goal.

How did you build your confidence back after being out of sport due to a knee injury?

 

So I tore my Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and Meniscus Cartilage. Funny story, I studied this at uni and did my dissertation on it 3 months prior to my fall. So that helped a lot as my knowledge was more than most and no one has got your back more than yourself. 

 

But my self esteem was knocked and I had a lack of self confidence. When you’re injured, it’s expected to gain weight and feel weak and it took me 1 year to fully get back to training. Baggy t-shirts and headphones on and no one was distracting me on the gym floor. 

 

My confidence came with the more I exercised, getting my strength and fitness back to where it should be. But what I have found over the years of my injury is the stronger and fitter I get, the less I care about how I look. 

 

There is nothing more empowering than knowing you are stronger and fitter than you’ve ever been before, boosting your confidence levels to new highs. The rest of your fitness goals will follow, so I don’t worry about that anymore.

What’s your 3 top tips for feeling confident in yourself?

 

1) Get moving and eat something that you know is good for you! 

 

2) Lift some weight and aim for a personal best in the gym to confirm you’re better than you’ve been in the past. 

 

3) Don’t feel bad for putting yourself first, be selfish. If you want something like to lose a couple of lbs or get bigger glutes then don’t feel bad for saying “no” to friends who aren’t helping you towards gaining your confidence. There’s nothing more liberating and empowering than saying “NO” when you know it's going to serve you well! 

 

Why do you love wearing Bo+Tee? 

 

Because the leggings are very high waisted, they suck me in and hide a few insecurities I’ve got called rolls. I’m a PT without a six pack… so the pressure’s on when I step on that gym floor. But, when I put on some leggings and a sports bra that has a nice contour and fits well… no one's stopping me from hitting my PB’s! 125kg deadlift.. you’re mine very soon!

How do you feel when you’re wearing Bo+Tee? 

 

Not going to lie, I feel on trend and quite pretty. I lift heavy, I’m a strong girl.. so when I wear some gym outfits they make me look a lot bigger than I am. When I put on my Bo+Tee outfits I feel more feminine and, in a way, more attractive with it on.

 

What’s your best piece of advice for someone going to the gym for the first time? 

 

Walk on the treadmill until you feel ready to hit the gym floor, watch others and calculate what’s what.. find your bearings. Remember no one is looking at you and judging you. 

 

That person looking at you is thinking “oh god, they’re looking at me” while you’re thinking “ oh god they’re looking at me!” The truth is.. you’re both panicking about how you look and couldn’t care less about the other person. People go to the gym to do one thing.. to better themselves. So focus on yourself!

How do you stay motivated to work out?

 

Motivation is a one hit wonder. It’s like a dream. One minute you are like “YES GET ME TO THE GYM” 2 mins later you're thinking “ argh,cba” So, myself and my clients work on discipline and being 1% better everyday. Soon enough motivation subsided and you just go to the gym like you brush your teeth every morning.

 

What’s your favourite energy boosting snack?

 

A Nocco Energy Drink, Soreen Slice or snack bar, or some mango chunks. I’m also partial to a couple of Haribo's if I’m due to train! 

 

We hope you've enjoyed learning more about confidence with Sophia. Hopefully she's motivated and inspired you as much as she does us! Make sure you check back soon... our next guest blogger is just around the corner!