From Dance to a career in fitness helping people do what they love

Hannah Wibberley has worked in several roles at Central YMCA over the last 7 years, and in July she will be teaching on YMCAfit’s brand new Women-only Personal Training course. Initially starting out on a Dance degree at Middlesex University, Hannah found that she enjoyed the fitness side of her course.

“During my three years we had to do fitness alongside all the dance & this is where I fell in love with fitness. I ended up preferring it, so after graduating I booked on to do my Exercise to Music course with YMCAfit. 

There are may courses which are face-to-face, which I think is the best way to learn. I also think that the courses at YMCAfit are very thorough.
After completing this course, I started teaching several regular classes at Central YMCA Club.”

It was not long until Hannah was back training with Central YMCA. Due to her pure determination and drive, Hannah was able to train towards her Level 3 Diploma in Gym Instructing and Personal Training, while also running her regular classes and working on the gym floor at Central YMCA Club. Her talent and skill led her to move into Studio Coordinating until she was able to forge herself a full-time career at Central YMCA Club. 

“There are so many highlights in my career, one of them is being a Group Exercise Manager. I was able to build my career into a full-time job by doing studio coordinating, teaching a wide range of classes, and doing some Personal Trainer sessions. I was really busy and did this all until the day I had my first child!”

"It was fantastic to be working for a company I thought so highly of." 

“Whilst doing one of my courses, I started to think about becoming a tutor. It was something that I had wanted to do for a while and now it fitted well with my life. I did my qualifications and then I got the job. 

“It was nice to be working for a charity that I had done quite a few courses with and thought highly of. I also had the bonus of some familiar faces when I started working!”

"Teaching fitted in well with my lifestyle and being a mum to young children." 

“After having my first child, I was able to go back to teaching classes in the evening and tutoring at the weekends. Teaching classes in the evening worked well as I could be home in the day with the kids but work in the evening. It meant I was able to get out of bath and bedtime which was a win-win for me!”

“Now that the kids are older, I have been able to take on my role as Group Exercise Manager alongside teaching classes, running Personal Trainer sessions, and tutoring. I am lucky to work in the industry that I love in a variety of ways, as well as the ability to control the hours that I work. 

"Teaching with YMCAfit has had a huge impact on my fitness career. It fitted in very well with my lifestyle and with being a mum to young children. It has made me a better instructor as it makes me think about how I can improve and evolve the classes or Personal Trainer sessions I run."

"I have really enjoyed seeing so many learners come such a long way."

“There have been so many highlights teaching from working with amazing people to seeing learners as they make their way through to passing their course. It is such a great feeling seeing them in the fitness industry succeeding based on what I have taught them!

“For me, the best thing about teaching though is meeting new people and helping them achieve their goal of working in the industry that they love. I have really enjoyed seeing so many learners come such a long way and meeting so many people from all walks of life. 

Teaching on the Women-only PT course

On International Women’s Day YMCAfit announced a new Women-only Personal Training course to help provide a safe space for women to take their first steps into the fitness industry. Teaching on this pioneering course, Hannah will help to break down barriers for more women into the fitness industry, something that she is passionate about.

“It is important to make education more accessible to all women who might be interested in getting into the fitness industry. By running women-only courses, we will be able to encourage more women to join the industry who may not be able to otherwise. To get more women into fitness we need to have a greater number of female instructors, and this course will help achieve that.”

The first Women-only course will start on 4th July 2022 in London and has a 10% discount if booked before 4th May 2022. The Advanced Learner Loan is available on this and a number of YMCAfit courses. This Government-backed initiative allows students to pay for their course in a flexible way and pay back once they are established in their careers. 

Visit YMCAfit to learn more about our courses and how our tutors are leading the way with fitness training in the UK.