TGt Meets ... Kyrie Davis

In our latest TGt Meets, we've been speaking to Kyrie Davis, fitness instructor at David Lloyd and all round fitness enthusiast and teacher, about her lifestyle.

How did you turn your passion for fitness into a career?
Fitness was always something of interest to me and very necessary for my Initial Officer Training when I joined the Royal Air Force after leaving school. I was fortunate enough to be allowed to do a degree in Aeromechanical Systems Engineering after I graduated from Officer Training but unfortunately I was given a medical discharge whilst completing that. I stayed in the field of engineering at Honda of the UK Manufacturing for 11 years and loved the first half of that career. Gradually though I was starting to dread Monday mornings, then I would dread Sundays and before I knew it was wishing away my whole week for Friday evenings and Saturdays. I decided it was time for a complete change so I started doing Network Marketing with a company called Herbalife. They specialise in sports nutrition and were also sponsoring the Blelnheim and London triathlons so I decided to enter the Blenheim event as part of a team (note to self to never do a cycle course that is described as undulating again!!) I got into training, spent most of my mornings at the gym doing indoor cycling classes, Body pump, Pilates, Yoga and Aqua and eventually one of the instructors said to me that I might as well train to be an instructor so I could get paid for all of the classes I was doing!! Now Monday mornings are spent with my fantastic fit4life indoor cycling crew and my aqua ladies so how could I not look forward to that!

How do you stay fit and healthy?
I teach around 15 classes per week so that in itself keeps me fit and I try to do a couple of weights sessions outside of classes. Food wise, I am a great believer that if you can’t pronounce the ingredient then it’s probably not the healthiest thing for you. For me, fresh, home cooked food is what I enjoy the most.

Do you have a motto or favourite motivational quote?
I watched a great film called The Secret which is all about the Law of Attraction and there was a dream board on the film with a tiny post it note saying “Joy is the best measure of success” and it’s resonated with me ever since.

People often struggle with fitness motivation, how do you keep yours?
If I am training and don’t feel that I am at my best (or I see my class members beating themselves up about not being in peak form) I always say, no matter how bad you think you are doing today, you are lapping every one sat on the couch. For me exercise is a great pick me up too so I always feel better after the work out than I did before.

What are your tips for people looking to get into shape?
Be kind to yourself first and foremost and start nice and gently building up your program as you get fitter and stronger. Variety is also key so try out lots of different types of exercises until you find one that you enjoy. We are so lucky in Swindon to have so many gyms, community classes, sports centres, cycle and run tracks so go explore, find your niche and enjoy the journey.

What are some mistakes people make when working out?
Training too hard for too long thinking they are burning fat. I see so many people at the gym going flat out, “beasting” themselves in their workout and they come off the treadmills, bikes etc absolutely shattered and invariably craving sugar. During my indoor cycling classes we train in the different heart rate zones and actually spend most of our time in what we call Zones One and Two where the heart rate is at a more manageable level. This is where the majority of fat burning occurs. When people get up to the maximum heart rate zones, they are predominately just burning sugar hence the cravings.

Are there any exercises you advise against?
I have a few guidelines of what to avoid - Any unusual or “unnatural” movement pattern in the exercise. Any movement that causes pain or discomfort in any way. Any movement that enhances muscular imbalances that are already present. Any exercise with risks of injury that outweigh the potential benefit of the exercise itself.

What music do you listen to when you work out?
I love the music in Indoor Cycling classes and for me drum and bass is king in the spin studio so you will hear lots of Pendulum, Prodigy, Wilkinson, Rudimental, Matrix and Futurebound and even the odd High Contrast Remix of Adele too!

What foods are always in your fridge?
Loads of fresh veg and salads, eggs and a cheeky little block of cheese (everything in moderation!). Oh and I would be lying if I said there isn’t usually a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in there too!

What's been the most rewarding part of your job?
In short seeing people grow in confidence and change their shape and get fitter. I get such a buzz every time someone comes up to me and says things like “I used to be so unfit” or “my back used to hurt so much” and that sentence finishes “but now I can do so much more”. I also love teaching new instructors to do courses and see them qualify, blossom and grow into experts in their field. Exercise brings people together and often has great links with charity too. Last year in conjunction with Excalibur Communications we raised over £25,000 for Bath RUH Teenage Cancer through exercises culminating in a world record attempt. We didn’t break the record but we had a great time and raised so much money in the process. Watch this space, we will be attempting it again this year again for another great charity and would welcome any people interested in joining us!