Isn’t it fantastic when your childhood dreams come true? Well, that’s exactly how Sol Fitness came about, proof that you should never let your ambitions slip through your fingers. If you’re looking for a professionally qualified Personal Trainer in Somerset, Devon or Dorset you should sign up.
When Beth Solman was at school her favourite subject was PE; she took part in every sport that was going and got into all the school teams – hockey, netball, football, rounders, basketball, swimming, athletics, dance and badminton, she loved it all. Not surprisingly Beth got an A* at GCSE PE and an A at A’level; Her other early achievements include the 45 mile Ten Tours route, and becoming a swimming instructor when she was only 16.
At the tender age of 8 she wrote: “When I grow up I want to do something in sport and travel the world.” Wind forward several years and she’s done just that – qualified as a personal trainer, travelled the world and gained over 20 years experience working in health clubs, on cruise ships and from a long stint managing the gym at the Met Office in Exeter. She’s now happily settled in Somerset with her family and running Sol Fitness, her own personal training business with several regular clients.
Beth wanted to do something that would fit in well with her family; setting up as a personal trainer was just the answer, which is why she took the plunge and set up Sol Fitness. She’s now got a purpose-built studio in her garden, kitted out with all the gear including a Concept 2 Rower, a treadmill, weights and kettlebells, a Bosu ball and a Swiss ball, an aerobic step, TRX suspension trainer, and good quality padded mats. Her clients like it because it’s nice and private and offers a relaxed environment a world away from that of a busy gym.
Beth holds the highest level PT industry qualifications and is a Registered Exercise Professional; she’s studied anatomy, physiology, a YMCA Aerobic Course, Gym Instructor Course, and Class Instructor Courses – in other words, she really knows her stuff. At Sol Fitness each hour long 1-2-1 session is tailored to the individual’s personal needs; some of her clients sign up because they want to get fitter, some because they want to lose weight, and others because they need rehab following an injury, illness or an operation. Beth’s focus starts with the client’s current fitness levels; from there she’ll put together a programme of exercises specifically aimed at building fitness and improving muscular strength and endurance, working on cardiovascular and resistance training. She uses a mix of weights, rowing, outdoor running, power walking, pilates and the all-important stretches at the end of each session, so you don’t suffer with aches and pains from using muscles that aren’t perhaps used to being used. She’s not afraid to push her clients to get the best performance from them and is always delighted to see their stamina and strength improve, sometimes very quickly. Beth’s workouts can be intense, but that’s good because you certainly see the results.
Whilst Beth enjoys all aspects of her work at Sol Fitness, she is particularly proud of her success with rehab patients; she understands the science behind how the body works and can target things like lower back care, obesity and diabetes. What’s reassuring is that she keeps track of each client’s progress and includes regular assessments where she’ll take readings for blood pressure, weight and height, muscle mass, BMI, body fat, visceral fat, bone density, hydration levels, and if you like, waist and hip measurements. If anything concerns her she’s qualified to advise GP referrals, and of course, she’s done the necessary first aid, so you know you’re in safe hands.
Beth is also able to advise on nutrition, something that appeals to clients who want to lose weight; she’ll look at diet plans with you and make suggestions for daily menus, and she’ll help you to keep a log of things so you can keep track of what you’re eating and where improvements can be made. But that’s not to say she’ll slap your wrists for having a bit of chocolate or a glass of wine now and then, after all, we’re all human, and Beth even does that herself!
As a measure of Beth’s success in this area, one client came to Sol Fitness because she wanted to lose weight to fit into her wedding dress; that happened surprisingly quickly, helped by the client being willing to push herself. She lost 2.5 stone over 6 months and developed noticeable muscle tone; because she’s continued her weekly PT sessions she’s been able to sustain that weight loss and feels much happier in herself. Another client improved so much that she was able to come off of long term medication, another went from running half a mile to covering 4 miles in just 4 weeks! The thing is, Beth makes it fun, she knows how to get the best out of you and exactly how far she can push you and she knows when the time is right to move on to heavier lifting, which sees faster results with toning. The secret is to keep one step ahead of your brain, which quickly gets to know that we can lift lighter weights so the muscles aren’t worked to their best effect. That’s why Beth is so hot on technique – it’s important because the human body is very good at making things easy for itself, but that doesn’t always mean it’s correct; Beth will always make sure your posture and pose is correct whilst you’re exercising and she’ll give you tips to work with at home.
All those things you thought you couldn’t do can soon be achieved if you’re willing to listen to Beth and put the effort in; whilst you certainly feel like you’ve had a good workout it doesn’t feel like a massive effort and it really does make you feel good. We’ve all heard how exercise has a positive effect on our mental state; it releases endorphins which in turn triggers a positive feeling that makes you feel pretty amazing inside and out. Beth’s well aware that people often think they are unfit and don’t realise their capabilities; as they progress so their confidence improves, and that’s what she likes to see.
Now, running. Some hate it, some love it. Beth doesn’t make a big thing of it but she takes clients out for a run if they’re happy to do so. She’ll start off with a brisk walk to warm up then move into a gentle jog and work up to a pace that suits you, and the chances are it will – running around quiet country lanes, all that gorgeous scenery and fresh air, that’s bound to make you feel good. It’s not a competition by any means but Beth will have her Fitbit with inbuilt GPS to track distance, speed, elevation and time, so she knows just how well you’re doing and can use your record for future runs.
Sol Fitness also offers 30 minute stretching exercises, which is very good if you’ve been sitting at a desk all day or if you’re not so active. It’s based on PNF stretching where the mind sends signals to your muscles to relax, but with Beth pushing through that relaxing phase the stretch is deeper and more beneficial; any tight muscles are stretched out so they won’t pull on joints, any pain in key areas like the back and knees is notably reduced.
Sol Fitness clients usually book a block of 4-6 sessions (usually one a week), for which Beth offers a discount. You can also buy Sol Fitness vouchers, so if you know someone who keeps talking about doing something like this but doesn’t seem to get round to it, it could be the push they need. In the current lockdown situation 1-2-1 sessions aren’t possible but instead Beth is offering 30 minute internet sessions or she’ll write a plan for you to follow at home. Hopefully, she’ll be able to get back to sessions in her private gym soon so get in touch and get signed up, it could be just what you need after weeks of staying in.
Ask Beth what she likes most about running Sol Fitness and she’ll say all of it. She loves helping people to feel better about themselves, seeing them more confident and realising what they can achieve by making better lifestyle choices and having a basic understanding of how exercise works. It makes Beth incredibly happy to see her clients progress; some improve quicker than others, inevitably, but there hasn’t yet been a client who hasn’t seen some benefit from joining Sol Fitness.
What does a PT do in their spare time? Exercise of course! When she’s not working with clients or writing plans for Sol Fitness, one of the things that Beth does is teach gymnastics; she’s a Level 2 Womens Artistic Gymnastics coach and a gymnastics coach for under 16’s (is there no end to this woman’s talents?!). Not surprisingly she likes a good run and a workout too, but top of her list is spending time with her family; they love heading off for weekends in their camper van, which usually involves walking a section of the SW coast path and taking in a beautiful sunset or two. Happiness all round.
To book with Sol Fitness for personal training in Somerset, Devon or Dorset call 07884 452166 or message Beth via her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/solfitnessbeth/
