TGt Meets… Linda Todd, Healthy-4Life

In our latest TGt Meets interview we've been speaking to owner of Healthy-4Life, Linda Todd, all about her business and leading a healthy lifestyle!

Tell us a little bit about your business.

Healthy-4life.com has been created to inspire and help others to lead a fit and healthy lifestyle. We offer affordable support to help people who would like advice on weight loss and nutrition as well as encouragement to get active. There are fitness tips and blogs on the site to help inspire people. We also have a package suitable for people who are currently active but not sure about how to fuel their fitness for best performance and for recovery.   

We are also launching a free running club for beginners in Swindon and we have plans to establish some pop-up taster events as we go forward to encourage people to try other sports.

How did you turn your passion for health & fitness into a career?

I had been writing columns for the local paper and blogs for sometime now all relating to fitness so I was in a good position.

I have always been good at encouraging my friends to get involved with sports activities and events and I felt I would be able to motivate others well too.  Last year I invested in training for some additional nutrition qualifications so that I had more knowledge and be qualified to help advise people as well as doing a running course. 

Do you have a motto or favourite motivational quote?

Anything is possible!

People often struggle with fitness motivation; how do you keep yours?

I always try and have a challenge or goal in mind that I am working towards which keeps me motivated. I also train with my partner Adrian so we tend to keep each other motivated. The more you train the more it becomes naturally integrated into your life, to the point that when you skip a day that actually is a bit irritating.

What are your tips for people looking to get into shape?

Eat less, exercise more! There is no great secret but that is essentially the key. Write your goals down, keep them somewhere visible so you see them everyday.  Be realistic with what you want to achieve and by when. Avoid fad diets, simply eat healthily  Find someone to help advise you and keep you accountable and get your family and friends involved in supporting you on your journey. Finally, don’t think about it as a short-term solution, it is a lifestyle change you are committing to so it will take time, but it will be worth it in the end.

How do you like to spend your time off?

We are keen triathletes so usually when we are off work we are doing something related to that. Recently we have started to do more trail running which is a great way to explore new areas around Swindon. I love road cycling and there are plenty nice routes here as well as so many cycle paths to explore, I think that is one of the most underrated things about Swindon is its fantastic cycling network, you can cycle safely for miles on traffic free paths.  In the summer we also spend a lot of time swimming in the lakes but right now we are in the pool as it’s a bit cold even with a wetsuit for an outside dip.

Describe Swindon in 3 words...

Underrated, cycling-safe, friendly

What are your plans for the future?

We are just getting started so right now I am keen to engage as many people as possible into health and fitness. We would like to organise some pop up events in Swindon to encourage people to try something new, so that is likely to happen next year.

I am also looking at how I can work with the Swindon corporate market to offer employee well-being, health and fitness packages including lunchtime and evening running clubs.