About Us

Meet Josie

 

Josie, founder member of Vitalflow, created the site to make a healthy lifestyle available to all and encourage everyone to take responsibility for their health. 

Health and fitness have been a life long passion for Josie.  It started in her teens when she quickly realised that team sports were not for her.  She attended a boarding school on the edge of Dartmoor and preferred cross country running, quickly realising the enormous benefits of keeping fit.  A chance find in the school library of a book featuring exercises very similar to Pilates marked the beginning of what was to become her career.

 

             

                                                                                

At a bit of a loose end after leaving university, Josie found work in London and spent most of her spare time in a dance studio in the basement of the Body Shop in Victoria.  It quickly became apparent that it was possible to make a living teaching aerobics classes.  These were the Jane Fonda/Pineapple Studio days, with health clubs springing up everywhere and before long, Josie was teaching early morning aerobics classes.  She went on to teach at some of the best known health clubs in London - David Lloyd, Esporta, Holmes Place, the Roehampton Club, the Bank of England Sports Club to name but a few, teaching almost every form of popular exercise along the way from step and circuit training to New Body and Legs, bums, tums.              

By the late 90's Yoga was enjoying a revival and Pilates was becoming main stream. The slow pace and the level of concentration required proved a struggle at first, but within a couple of months, the benefits were undeniable.  Josie trained with the Pilates Institute and BSY and continues to study.

Four and a half years ago, Josie decided to move away from London to the countryside with her family, but has retained many of her clients, seeing them once or twice a week.  The classes she runs locally are very popular and her portfolio of clients in the area is growing rapidly.

Josie practises Pilates and yoga on a daily basis, even if only for 20 minutes on very busy days and runs every day with her dogs, Rufus and Bonnie Mai.  She is an inspiration to anyone who struggles to find the time to take care of their health in an increasingly busy world.

 

Reasons for creating Vitalflow:

 

The Vitalflow philosophy is to lead a balanced, contented life, enjoying all things in moderation.  Achieving a balance is the key and coming to terms with the fact that there are no quick fixes: routines always get interrupted, whether by a holiday, a special day out or simply lack of motivation.  Rather than give up, it is important to get back to a healthy lifestyle.  It is vital that a good diet and exercise regime be a part of one's daily routine, that we take responsibility for our health and wellbeing and take a holistic approach.
Once you stop the unhealthy yo-yo dieting and the frenzied forays into exercise, it all became less of a struggle and the easier the regime is to follow, the more likely you are to succeed.  Vitalflow endeavours to eliminate as many hurdles as possible to enable you to reach your goals:-
  • Finding a class on a day, at a time and the level you require can prove impossible.
  • Health clubs are expensive and you use up valuable time travelling to and fro.
  • Mums have the added headache of finding adequate childcare, which can be expensive.
  • Most classes are an hour long, some longer.  Great if you have the luxury of time, but most of us need to fit it in to a busy schedule.
  • Some of us like to do something every day and if you have back problems, it is essential.  It's hard to remember the exercises and technical detail.

          

  • Diets fail.  Yes, you can lose a lot of weight which is a very good incentive, but if you go back to your old habits, you'll be back to square one in no time.  Good, healthy, tasty food is the key and there are plenty of recipes to try.
  • If you have any health issues of a sensitive nature, you may well find the answer in Body and Mind or the Members Area.  Failing that, try the forum.
  • Classes just don't work for some people.  Men may not want to be in a class full of women; some people learn better at their own pace.

Please look at our Frequently Asked Questions 

 
 
 
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