A fitness instructor has slammed “boring” personal trainers who have been mocking newcomers to the gym this January.
Rachel Henley, who runs Henley Fitness and is known on Instagram as @henleyfitness, shared a fiery video where she celebrated those hitting the gym for the first time, calling them “legends”. In her video, she said: “I’ve already seen PTs on my feed taking the p*** out of people going to the gym in January – like, shut up. You’re boring.”
She went on to encourage new gym-goers: “You’re a legend for doing something that is out of your comfort zone, giving it a go, f*****g up and then going back and trying it again. That is what the gym is about. We need to stop taking the p*** out of people for going in and giving it a go.”
Rachel also reassured her followers that most gym members are supportive: “The vast majority of the gym community are rooting for you. Most people aren’t judging you. Go forth, wiggle on and may the gains be with you.”
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In a separate video, as reported by Kent Live, Rachel provided a step-by-step guide for anxious beginners, saying: “If you’re currently heading into the gym like an anxious little pickle… I’m going to give you a little thing you can do when you first start going into the gym, ease your mind and help you start your journey.”
Rachel, who became a full-time fitness instructor in 2020 after leaving her job selling and designing bathrooms, shared how she would “do evening Zoom workouts after work, coaching at weekends, never taking a day off”. According to her Instagram page, she made the career switch because she “wanted a job where I could impact people”.
Her sentiments were echoed by US-based fitness influencer Joey Swoll, who often shares videos on gym etiquette. He criticised personal trainers who mock newcomers, saying: “To everyone making fun and complaining about ‘New Year’s Resolutioners’ in the gym: don’t. Maybe if you help them instead of make fun of them, they’ll feel welcome and stay all year.”
Both Rachel and Joey’s comments come during a busy period for gyms across the country, with many people signing up for memberships. PureGym’s 2024/25 UK Fitness Report revealed that while January 2024 saw a peak in visits, February and March consistently have some of the busiest days of the year.
Some gyms, bucking the usual January trend, are closing their doors to new members. Clayton Leah, owner of Ascendancy Fitness in Penketh, Warrington, has decided to focus on current members this month.
Speaking to the ECHO, he explained: “We thought this year there was a real chance we could get a lot of sign ups in the New Year – because even through November and December, we just continuously had grown in memberships.
“That was a warning sign that in January we could have a significantly busy month and that would then just annoy all of our existing members who have been with us for so long. We wanted to try and break the mould. Try and take an unconventional approach and protect our existing members – that is the most important thing for us.”