Nerida – whose women-only establishment is called Lissome – embarked on Michelle Bridges’ 12-week body transformation program at first.
It saw her slim down from 84 kilos to 63 kilos and led to a desire to use her own experience to help other women who may be feeling anxious about joining a gym.
Here, Nerida shares her top tips for getting started with New Idea.
Experiment!
‘Most gyms/boot camps/sporting teams offer a free trial period so make the most of that,’ Nerida suggests. ‘Think about what intrigues or interests you and go try it.’
Find a place that has a good community!
‘This is ultra important,’ the fitness enthusiast says.
‘If you feel like it’s easy to make friends, have people around you that want to support you to achieve your goals, you will want to go there. It won’t be such a chore.’
Understand that you need to move your body
‘No matter what age, shape or size you are, you all have a right to exercise and owe it to yourselves to use it,’ Nerida says.
‘You stop using those muscles, they will deteriorate. It doesn’t matter how intense it is, as long as you do it regularly and enjoy it.’
Use the outdoors as much as you can
‘There’s a sort of meditation in being outside, in the bush or by the beach,’ Nerida explains.
‘The fresh air is so good for us. Use it.’
Find a routine
‘Make exercise a part of your daily routine and treat it as important as you would cleaning your teeth every day,’ Nerida suggests.
‘Don’t bargain with yourself. Just do it. And be grateful that you can.’
You can follow Nerida on Instagram here