From weakness to wow.

Before Goodnick

Julie had always been active. Years of running, swimming, and team sports had given her a sense of physical confidence that, in the few years before she found Goodnick, started to slip. Health problems had forced her to stop the things she loved, leaving her looking for something that would actually fit her life.

"Mainly I was worried about becoming more frail and also I was worried about cardio fitness," she said. Her biggest fear about getting older was losing strength and cardiovascular health, the things she needed to stay independent.

Gyms didn't fit. Exercise classes felt aimed at people decades younger. "They were too energetic. They seemed to be aimed at people that were quite a bit younger than me and I couldn't keep up and I couldn't recover in time for the next class." Programmes she pieced together at home lacked structure.

Then Goodnick appeared on Instagram. "When I saw it was specifically aimed at my age group I thought okay, I'll give it a try."

Getting started

"It was really easy. I'm fairly computer literate anyway, but it was just dead easy. You just followed the link and it took you to the class." The sessions were well guided. "Emma's absolutely brilliant. She explains things really well and there are always options if you can't do particular exercises."

Three 20-minute sessions a week fit her part-time work. "Because it's just 20 minutes, I'm like, oh, I can fit this in. This is no problem." She tends to do them after lunch. "I very rarely do it first thing in the morning. I tend to get other things out the way."

Sticking with it was straightforward. "There have been occasions when I might have been unwell or I've been on holiday and I might have missed a few classes, but the rest of the time, no, it's not difficult to stick to because you get that email reminder every day to do the class."

Sometimes she does the sessions in her pyjamas. "I sometimes get home from work and put my pyjamas on and then do it."

What changed

Julie's progress showed up in everyday moments. Reaching for the clothesline and realising she could jump. Running up the stairs instead of walking. Getting up off the floor without thinking about it. "I just find that I can get up off the floor easier. I can run up the stairs now. It's not just walking up the stairs, I can actually kind of run up the stairs, which is nice."

The confidence followed the strength. "I think it definitely gives you more confidence because you feel stronger. I feel more confident doing things. Just carrying the shopping in from the car or whatever, I just think, yeah, I can do that. I can lift these bags up."

Post-class she feels good. "It definitely gives you a little bit of a high, all those endorphins rushing around. Especially after we've done like the Friday mash up, which is usually a bit more intense. I'm just like, oh, I've done some exercise. That feels good."

Her outlook on getting older has shifted too, though she's pragmatic about it. "No one's happy about getting older, are they? But yeah, I do feel a little bit more confident and I will definitely carry on with Goodnick because it keeps me strong and it keeps me cardio fit."

What she'd say to someone thinking about it

"I would say absolutely go for it. You've got nothing to lose, especially if you do the trial one, you've got nothing to lose. And I have tried to encourage some of my friends to do it."

To anyone who thinks it's too late: "It's never too late. It's never too late to start. I mean, you see people in their 90s running marathons, so it's never too late to improve your physical fitness. And the good thing about Goodnick is that it caters for people at different levels of fitness."