Unfortunately due to ill health I am currently not able to provide PT or classes
About Me
Background
Hello,
Thank you for visiting my website. Welcome to your new beginning!
My name is Dr Annaliese Mawdsley. I am a Bespoke Female Personal Trainer based in Exeter. I worked in the NHS as a Medical Professional for 20 years. Unfortunately due to mental ill-health, I had to make the extremely hard decision to leave the clinical field. Within that time I achieved my Gym Instructor and Personal Training qualifications, including Pre- and Postnatal specialism with Nutrition. This enabled me to strive towards my dream job within the Sports and Exercise field, having always been a competitive sports player and longstanding triathlete.
I moved to Exeter in 2020 (yes, the second lockdown) and have recently completed a Diploma in Sports and Exercise Medicine, alongside being a Small Group Lecturer on Professional Development, providing pastoral and academic support, to medical students at the University of Exeter Medical School.
Having a huge passion for Physical Activity and always wanting to help others, setting up my own business in Personal Training seemed a no-brainer. Being a doctor, I thoroughly understand the human body, advanced anatomy and physiology, including the beauty of how the female body adapts to pregnancy.
My background also provides me with many transferable skills essential as a Personal Trainer, including rapport, communication importantly listening skills, management and leadership, team working, putting the client first and making a programme individual and bespoke to them. I am also an accredited work/life coach within NHS Health Education England.
Together with these, professional and pastoral student roles, alongside learnt skills from the therapy I've received, I will provide a truly holistic, empathetic and highly educational specialist Physical Activity journey for YOU the client.
Women 'Let's move more!'
Physical Activity (PA) is essentially defined as any form of purposeful movement.
Frustratingly when working in the NHS, there is not enough time to educate about physical activity, despite the fact it is the most essential disease prevention tool out there. If it was provided in a simple prescribed pill, it would cost millions.
For instance, regular physical activity decreases your risk of:
- All cause mortality by 30%,
- dementia by 30%,
- colon cancer by 30%
- breast cancer by 20%
- depression by 30%
- hip fractures up to 68%
- Cardiovascular disease (eg. heart attacks, strokes) by 35%
- Type 2 diabetes by 40%
All for at least 150 minutes moderate activity/week (eg fast walking/leisure cycling).
Only 61% of the female population perform enough physical activity to meet these physical activity guidelines (4% less than men). Within pregnancy, evidence is not as clear, but the figures are a lot worse. Hayman et al 2023, scoping review, demonstrated that <30% pregnant women in western developed countries are sufficiently active.* Inadequate or incorrect advice, plus fears of harming their baby mean pregnant women are reluctant to exercise.
Take a look at my 'services' section to read more about the benefits of Physical Activity in specialist populations (Pregnancy, Postnatal, Menopause)
Positive Culture Change in talking about female health: promising beginnings
“The positive reaction to my decision to start a conversation about the impact of periods and my menstrual cycle on my training and performance was really heartening. "
Eilish Mc Colgan 10,000m Commonwealth Gold Medalist
It's fantastic that several female elite athletes are now speaking out. Why is it that no marathon, triathlon, cycle event etc. has readily available period products at aid stations? Many teenage girls stop doing sport because of their periods.
Only 11% of athletes within this photographed Ironman triathlon competition were female. I'm glad to say that more and more females are taking up the sport of triathlon, particularly inclusive in its shorter distances. Televised women cycling has impressed hugely in the last few years, as well as team sports like football, netball, hockey and rugby.
Recently the successful campaign of the Women's England Football team to change the colour of their shorts from white to blue, shows more acceptance and talking about the effects of the menstrual cycle, both psychologically and physically, on training.
However, there is still a long way to go. Together we can change this gender inequality.