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Alice Liveing sheds light on how the fitness industry is changing to focus on more than just appearances

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Alice Liveing sheds light on how the fitness industry is changing to focus on more than just appearances

Instagram star, author, podcaster and personal trainer, Alice Liveing, has opened up about how exercise has aided her wellbeing over lockdown.

Speaking to Olympic skier, Graham Bell, on Decathlon’s new The Power of 10 podcast, which has recently hosted the likes of Aljaz Skorjanec, Colin Jackson and Kirsty Gallagher, the star shared her top ways of coping with stress and anxiety.

Liveing explained: “For me, it’s really simple things like… I find walking very meditative and I find that that’s a good way for me to like… decompress, or if I’m feeling particularly anxious or stressed, I can go out for even like a 10-minute walk… and I do feel that that really helps.”

On how the fitness industry is changing as a result of lockdown, Liveing said: “The fitness industry as a whole has really woken up to the idea that exercise isn’t for weight loss, which I think was what people really perceived it to be for such a long time… and actually… that it was so beneficial for our mental wellbeing too… and actually what really has highlighted that is lockdown.”

The 27 year old added: “We know exercise is directly linked to reducing anxiety, depression, and you know… it actually is a really crucial part of the benefits of exercise.”

When speaking about perceptions of exercise within the industry, Liveing went on to reveal her philosophies around body image. She explained: “You don’t have to look a certain way to be fit… and there’s no one type of fit body that is superior to others. You know, anyone can exercise, and anyone can get up and move their bodies… and that is fitness.”

The personal trainer and social media star also reflected on her attitudes towards progress: “Even now, I’m not at my fittest. No way. But, I probably get more from my training because of that, because I know I can do better… so I just try and look at my training as a real journey and not trying to always be at peak physical fitness.”

Liveing also opened up about some of the biggest challenges she has faced in life and how fitness has helped her overcome these struggles.

She explained: “I’ve definitely been through some life-changing things. The reason why I started exercising and I actually got so much from strength training was because I was a victim of domestic abuse and I was in an abusive relationship for a year… I ended up having to go to court. 

Liveing continued: “It was all so traumatic, and I was basically a shell of the person that I am now… and actually what exercise did for me was to help… rebuild myself back up. And in a weird way, building physical strength was actually me almost building the mental strength I needed as well… to get back on with my life and to really re-find myself… I think exercise is such a powerful thing.”

She also describes her challenges living with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and adenomyosis (a condition which affects the inner lining of the uterus) in relation to exercising:

“The things that come along with it [PCOS] for me personally were incredibly painful… periods. I also have something called adenomyosis, which means that when you have your period cramps, they are so painful, and I would just feel physically sick… I couldn’t really exercise… couldn’t work. So, for me… I had to really learn to push and pull when I was able to.”

The star added: “Women really understanding their menstrual cycle and knowing that their menstrual cycle can really affect how they train. And so it’s really crucial that women understand where they are in their cycle.”  

The Power of 10 Podcast, including the episode with Alice Liveing, is available to stream or download via SpotifyiTunesGoogle Podcasts and all other major podcasting channels.


For more information, visit www.decathlon.co.uk.

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