HOW I GET FIT DONE
Saima Husain, 41, a mum from Kingston, found her confidence – and her calling – in the gym
Rediscovering fitness helped one reader find herself again after leaving her marriage
I fell in love with exercise at school – netball, softball, rounders, dancing... I was good at it all, and my classmates always picked me first for any team. I really loved that – it made me feel special. I grew up in quite a strict household, so playing sport became a time when I could socialise and just have fun.
I had an arranged marriage when I was 19, in 1999. I met my husband only once, and for just five minutes, before the ceremony. Our marriage lasted a little over six years, but, in the end, we just weren’t compatible. I have nothing against arranged marriages – we just weren’t the right fit for each other. By 2006, I had moved out, with our two daughters. We lived in hostel accommodation for a year until I was earning enough from my job as a sales assistant in a shoe shop to rent a flat.
Many of my friends and family weren’t supportive of my choice to leave my marriage. It was a really tough time and I battled with severe depression and anxiety. Knowing exercise might help – sport had always made me feel so empowered as a kid – I joined my local gym. I was so self-conscious that the only equipment I used were the cardio machines – since they faced the window, I didn’t have to look at anyone while I exercised.
Eventually, one of the trainers took me under his wing. He gave me a resistance circuit I could follow, involving moves like squats, lunges, TRX rows and sit-ups. Once again, exercise became my safe place – where I could be my own person.
Getting fitter and stronger inspired me to make other positive changes for my health, so I cut back on takeaways and started eating three proper meals a day, rather than grabbing something when I could. A typical day would start with toast and eggs or yoghurt and granola. Lunch would be something like chicken with rice and salad, and for dinner I’d have homemade quiche or pie with veg.
After a few months, I’d dropped about three dress sizes, but more significant was the shift in my outlook. Instead of chasing a certain body type, I pursued performance-based goals. I loved to run, so I decided a half marathon was my next target. The training was tough – trying to fit it in while still being there for my kids wasn’t easy. But I did it, in two hours and one minute. Smashing that goal made me feel unstoppable.
Fitness has helped me overcome so much – I want to give other people that gift. So, while still working in retail as a single mum, I did my level 2 fitness instructor and level 3 personal trainer courses.
After more than a year of part-time study, I took the plunge and left my job. Now, I work as a personal trainer in the gym where I first started training. The past few years haven’t been easy, but whenever I’ve needed a lift, fitness has helped me through.
Now, I’m focused on Olympic lifting with more complex compound moves, such as deadlifts, snatches, and clean and presses four or five times a week. My goal right now is to increase my power. I also run between 5k and 7k twice a week. The feeling of being so strong and powerful – especially after feeling so vulnerable and alone – is indescribable.