Alison Dunleavy
★★★★★
I’ve never enjoyed going to the gym before and always stuck to classes like dance and yoga at independent places. I’ve always been too self conscious and lacked the confidence to try new equipment, so just ended up in a rut on the same machines like the cross trainer, treadmill or using free weights and got bored and frustrated. That’s all changed since I joined Snap. From day one, the instructors were amazing. I’ve always been self conscious with fitness instructions in the past, especially male ones, as they can be patronising and make you feel inadequate, but that is not the case at all at Snap. India was so helpful in showing me around before I joined and then demonstrating how to use equipment and what was safe to use for me, as I have had a severe slipped disc, so limited on exercises I can manage. She also helped by suggesting classes I could try.nThe classes are exceptional. Challenging but fun and you really have a sense of achievement after them. S7 strength with Katie is fantastic. It was the first class I tried and I instantly fell in love with it. It’s super challenging if you want it to be, but you can chose your weights and how hard you push yourself and so all ages and abilities can do it and there is no stigma at all if your lifting light or doing planks on your knees for example. Katie has really helped with my confidence and technique.nLegs bums and tums is also hard but very doable. I’ve always found these to be terribly easy and more for an older demographic elsewhere, and therefore not really worth it. But India and Chloe make them so you know you’ve worked hard afterwards, and during to be honest. Again you can chose your weights and variations.nRecently I plucked up the courage to try the lift classes. And I absolutely love them. Dan is quite new to Snap, but is wonderful at showing you how to use each piece of equipment and never seems to tire of my endless questions about how best to use things and when to do what. I now know how to use all the scary equipment I used to shy away from and got loads of tips on how to lift more than I ever thought I could and safely as I now know the technique and could push myself in a safe environment. I’ve only done 2 classes with Ash, lift and core, but he’s also been fab and adapted exercised to suit me brilliantly when I’ve struggled. And again makes you feel you can do the exercises and encourages you all the way.nI 100% think all of this this has helped me prepare for and recover from my recent spinal surgery, as I have been able to improve and keep my strength and mobility up as much as possibly prior to surgery and have been able to ensure I can start my recovery properly. I even had the strength to get up and walk around, and go up stairs within a few hours of major surgery, as my legs, glutes and back were strong enough for it. The hospital team were stunned that my leg power hasn’t been affected at all by my injury and I got signed off by physio the same day, meaning I could come home the day after surgery, which meant so much to me and my family as my operation was is Salisbury. Not sure they’d have let me travel so far home afterwards, either if I wasn’t as well as I was. So all in all I can’t recommend Snap enough and if you are on the fence or nervous about joining a gym, I would recommend Snap in a heartbeat.