BIO
Holistic Personal Trainer
Hey there, it's great to have you here and I appreciate your time in checking things out. I have been in the fitness industry for 22 years and besides being a mum to two beautiful boys, I live and breathe energy management, exercise, and all things health-improving. Our energy is precious and our time is finite. My goal is to help you feel the strongest and most energized that you can to live a life the way you were meant to and have a tonne of fun along the way.
Join me on socials @Vanessabhealth:
I loved exercise, swimming, tennis and dancing from a very young age. I guess though that I was destined for this when as an 8 year old, I would set my alarm for 6am, wake up, press RECORD ON THE VCR for 'Aerobics Oz Style,' then come home from school and complete the routine.
(What 8 year old wouldn't do that!?)
At 23 I had four personal trainers working for my business (from flyers and a basic website) and I loved teaching classes so was always in and out of gyms. We did mobile personal training, servicing a large part of Sydney.
I looked fit and healthy, but was overdoing it and it caught up - badly. I burned out with symptoms of chronic fatigue, had adrenal dysfunction and was totally wiped out for 2.5 years at the ripe old age of 28.
What was worse - whenever I did exercise it made me feel worse, not better and drained my energy even more.
I knew something was terribly wrong when the exercise I did meticulously and for years started to make me feel worse. WAY worse, to the point where I would have energy setbacks and crashes for 3-4 days after participating in a regular 45-60 mins of exercise.
There were also other elements contributing to the fatigue I know now. Like not enough rest in between exercise (it was industry culture that you get up early, train people, teach multiple classes, then work again that night for days in a row.) Also my emotional boundaries, people pleasing, getting into and staying in unhealthy relationships and over-thinking (recently diagnosed with ADHD as an over 40s adult, yep I'm one of them) I would say heavily contributed to the overall burnout.
I knew I couldn't live like that, so I started to change literally every part of how I exercised, learned Pilates and meditation and anything to aid in any kind of nervous system rebalance and energy uplift.
Over those few years, I gave up teaching so many classes and clients and went inwards to develop my own methods of exercising to help heal the heavy fatigue I was facing.
It worked, and I have since helped hundreds of people around the world fall in love with exercise again with a renewed sense of energy.
I have had a burnout and fatigue relapse end of 2024 where I went 'oh no, here we go again,' but I knew I had the tools to fix it quick, and so I did. I'd say that episode could be attributed to heavy grief in becoming a single mum with two young kids. (I have a whole new section dedicated to helping single mums FYI so reach out if you need help on this.)
I have been featured on various health websites, podcasts, written articles for many platforms and I am a qualified journalist aswell.
You will see me being a mum to Lincoln and Leon which has taught me more about fitness, life and energy management than anything else ever could and I am truly grateful for these beautiful little boys I get to call my sons.
They say in life we should help people with the things we once struggled with. For me, that was finding the right balance within fitness and discovering greater energy for my life.
I am empathetic but will also help you to see the truths in yourself that you may not want to face in order to break free of what's holding you back. Life is certainly full of adventures and I choose to see the cup half full perspective but with a healthy check on reality.
If you are struggling or feeling off track, do not be hard on yourself. Before Summer is Winter. Before growth you need to plant the seeds and water the garden. I believe our fitness journeys reveal our deeper selves and what we need to face in life.
I hope to share part of this journey with you.
Here's a couple of fun facts I guess I should save for my next speed dating adventure hahaha, but I'll share them here instead. If we ever work together it's nice to know your coach on a deeper, personal level. I'm tired of hiding parts of my personality in order to keep up appearances.
MY FAVOURITE MOVIE : Point Break (The original of course! Keanu + Patrick.)
MY FAVOURITE FOOD : Chocolate Lava Cake
MY FAVOURITE SPORT : Surfing & Tennis
MY FAVOURITE MUSIC : Hard Rock (electric guitars! hello Metallica & Def Leppard) + Deep House Ibiza Dance + RNB for dancing
I dislike makeup except for basics like foundation and lipstick and have never had botox. Nothing against but I just haven't needed or wanted to yet.
I decided to go to Greece for a beautiful friend's birthday at the last minute. Literally. Two weeks out, no valid passport even. How could a single mum go to Greece and leave the boys for a short time? I felt sick with fear of judgement (and was judged by some and chose not to care) but I knew I had to do it. And it was the absolute best mental, physical and spiritual reboot I could ever have hoped for, sprinkled with a tonne of fun with the most amazing group of people (friends for life made) who came together in our own ways for this trip. My heart opened. I saw the world again, met incredible people and cannot wait to take the boys as they get older.
I promised myself after that trip I would rebuild my business, work on better ways of being a great mum, rebuild my website, release the old and start a podcast. And that's what you are seeing right now.
Certificate 3 & 4 in Fitness / Personal Training
Pilates Studio & Mat Qualified (3000+ hrs)
Safe Spine Pilates Qualified (Rebecca Leone, USA)
Group Fitness Qualified
Pre & Post Natal Qualified
Perimenopause & Menopause Training Qualified
Bachelor of Media & Comms Maj. Journalism (I was going to leave the fitness industry altogether when going through the first burnout as I absolutely love media, writing and presenting. But realised I didn't want to be a news reader / journalist that reported on unhappy events and kept naturally reaching out to health websites and magazines to write for them.)
Innovation in Healthcare Award (Metabolic Health, Pilates & Mindset Program for Sydney Area Mental Health)
2 x Top 15 Finalist Australian Women's Business Awards (Fitness Category)
Featured in The Daily Telegraph, Great Health Guide, Well & Good, The Leader and more
Youth off the Streets Contributing Business (supporting youth at Christmas)
Mentor to group fitness instructors and Pilates instructors
Contributor to Well & Good, Greatist, Body & Soul, Inside Fitness, Great Health Guide and more
I have collborated with some great health companies and have presented on a couple of networks selling home gym equipment like treadmills and Pilates equipment. Although totally nervous right before going to air, this is absolutely fun and would love to do it again soon.
I was known for years (after burning out) as the Pilates girl as I found that to be my go-to modality recovering from severe fatigue. Nowadays, I personally do every modality in a balanced way that feels good for my body and have been able to lose 13.5kg after both pregnancies by working on my pelvic floor (prolapse after injuries giving birth), resistance training including weights, dumbbells, bands and low impact cardio, plus always Pilates and some yoga. I deliver my 1:1 clients personalised programs according to their needs, current health status and consideration of injuries and energy, then progress them from there. Many people found me on Youtube through my bands and Pilates workouts, but I now incorporate stronger forms of strength for myself and others when it's appropriate for fat loss and fitness goals. It's all about what's right for you in different chapters of your life.
I have some excellent step-by-step plans you can follow with complete done for you exercise, food and mindset guidance to solve your roadblocks. Whether it's to reboot your energy after or duing high stress & burnout OR stay healthy during pregnancy OR challenge yourself with some beginner strength & fat burning fitness, you have these ready to go! If you are needing a healthy energy kickstart, I recommend my signature program the 12 Week Fatigued To Fit Total Bpdy & Mind Reboot Program where we deep dive into exercise, food and habits to get you out of fatigue and into momentum. Check out the PROGRAMS TAB and categories for more info!
Yes. I take on a limited number of personal coaching clients each month. Working 1:1 with a plan that is created just for you and having direct and frequent access to have your questions answered can make or break your energy and fitness journey. I am very strict on who I work with as my priority is staying balanced in all life areas and showing up for my kids and other people. If you are wanting 1:1 coaching please apply by emailing me info@vanessabhealth.com and we can see if it is a good match for both of us and go from there.
Great question. Short answer - yes. I have worked as a personal trainer and lifestyle coach for top CEOs of big companies, males and females who have burned out from 24 years old to 74 years old, very fit and athletic people who have overtrained and need help with programming or resetting their body, plus everyone in between! I focus mainly on helping busy women who are going through fatigue issues or have had a break from exercise and need to get back momentum. So, I do not have a set group. If it is a good fit I would be happy to consider working you 1:1. I do not however create plans and focus on niches like body building, bikini body contests or advanced sports-specific training. I have excellent colleagues I can pass you onto in this instance.
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