Creating Active Lives

049 Netwalking with the gamer who got fit with Jen Griffiths

• Sarah Bolitho

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In this week's episode I am joined by Jen Griffiths who shares her inspiring story of getting active following a health scare. 

We discuss:

  • overcoming anxiety 
  • exercise habits and motivation
  • outdoor networking and the benefits it has for mental health
  • nature walks
  • consistency with exercise
  • using game consoles to support your consistency with exercise

Jen shows us that there are so many different ways to create an active life for yourself. It doesn't have to look the same as someone else. The key is to make it work for you.

About Jen Griffiths:
Jen Griffiths is known as the Tropic Pianist Gamer, a multi-passionate creative, best-selling author and podcaster who helps people manage anxiety.  

Jen runs Netwalks, a blend of walking and networking which combines physical and mental health benefits as well as the opportunity for social interaction and the additional benefits that being in nature provides.

Jen’s life was kicked into “active” gear when she ended up in hospital as a result of a very poor diet.  She had to change her lifestyle to combat this and improve her health so that is exactly what she did. After losing weight using fitness video games.  She then discovered a love for the outdoors and decided to take up the netwalking flag in Anglesey for Network She, a national group for women in business.

 On netwalks, and in her spare time, Jen loves to explore Anglesey with whoever wants to join her!

https://tropicpianistgamer.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/tropicpianistgamer
https://www.facebook.com/tropicpianistgamer

Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jen-griffiths
My book:  https://amzn.to/3PH7RAM 

For the gaming side, here's a fitness game review: https://nintendoplayers.uk/news/review-fitness-circuit/

Network She: https://networkshe.co.uk

About Sarah:
Sarah Bolitho helps fitness and health professionals develop their careers and grow their businesses by providing specialist training in teaching, assessing, and internal quality assurance, together with qualifications in exercise referral and disability.   

With over 30 years in the health-related fitness and physical activity fields, Sarah has a wealth of experience and knowledge.  She has worked in most roles in the industry from group exercise to personal training but specialised in working with specialist populations.  For over 25 years Sarah has trained fitness and health professionals to work with clients with long-term conditions, mental health issues, disabilities, older adults and pre/post-natal women.  She has a post-graduate diploma in exercise and health behaviour and extensive training in supporting behaviour change.  She has worked with awarding organisations to develop qualifications and training and with accreditation bodies to endorse high-quality non-regulated training. 

In her spare time, you will usually

For more about the training and support Sarah offers, visit www.sarahbolitho.com or contact her at admin@sarahbolitho.com.

Follow her on social media
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabnewlous_active_lives
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fitnesscareer mentor
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbolitho

Sarah (00:02.626)

Hello and welcome to this episode of Creating Active Lives with me, Sarah Bolitho, and my guest this week, Jen Griffiths, who is known as the Tropic Pianist Gamer, which is quite a title, and we'll find out more about that. But she's kind of a multi-passionate creative person. She's a best -best-selling author, she's a podcaster and she works helping people to manage anxiety. Jen runs Netwalks, which we're going to talk about a little bit later and it's something I didn't know existed so I'm excited to find out more about this. But we're going to start with talking about her life which kicked into what she calls active gear when she ended up in hospital. So, Jen, say hi and then tell us a little bit about how you got started on this active pathway.

Jen (00:50.35)

So, before I was the Tropic Pianist Gamer, I was just a piano teacher, and I was living with an anxiety disorder which started when I was 13. But I didn't recognise it as anxiety because it was rushed under the carpet for most of my teen years and I was only diagnosed at the age of 27 with generalised anxiety disorder. I was also diagnosed with high blood pressure the year before, at 26. And the only thing they said was, you're too young, how have you got high blood pressure. It turned out it was hereditary and there was nothing I could do about it. But that meant that I was scared to have caffeine in case it upset my blood pressure. So, I reverted to sugar, which is never a good idea as I learned by ending up in hospital. 

But it took me having a baby in 2017 and not coping actually with sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation was an absolute nightmare. I barely survived basically. I ended up in hospital when my kid was two and a half because I was eating so much sugar to try and stay awake that my body couldn't cope anymore. At that point, I was categorically obese. I was size 16, I had no self-confidence and no shape or anything. And they told me in hospital I had to have a gallbladder out. And I'm terrified of hospitals and I'm terrified of doctors and being intervened with or anything because you'd think having a child would have helped that fear but it made it ten times worse because I wasn't listened to and I had a breakdown after giving birth so the hospital when they told me I had my gallbladder out I was like nope and decided to discharge myself and on exiting the hospital the doctor went well if you're willing to change your life completely then you might be able to avoid having your gallbladder out. So, I was like, yes, I'll do that. So, because of the illness that my gallbladder caused, the pain, I was unable to eat properly for two weeks. And two weeks is roughly how long it takes to lose the sugar craving. So, I stopped craving sugar properly. 

And I lost two stone before lockdown. So, this was September 2019 when I ended up in hospital. I got a game called Ring Fit Adventure in October 2019, which was the perfect timing because I'd just come out of the illness of being able to eat again. I was scared of eating certain things, so I refined my diet. And this game came out promising to change your fitness life forever. It was designed as a long-term fitness game and historically I would collect the fitness game, so I was very familiar with Wii Fit. Everyone knew what Wii Fit was, and EA Active was on the way as well, I used to collect fitness games because I didn't want to go to the gym, but I never stuck with it because once you'd felt like you completed the game that was it. Ring Fit Adventure was different. So, as a gamer, the concept of fighting bosses and beating battles in the name of exercise appealed to me. So, you're fighting the bosses as you go along, and you get level-ups and I got to level 440 something before I finished playing it. But I was playing it one, two years later and I managed to, during lockdown when everyone was locked away and not able to go out and stuff, I was losing weight again. So, I lost a further couple of pounds, but I managed to keep the weight off was the main thing. 

I found my confidence when I became the Tropic Pianist gamer in late 2020. And I started wearing Lucy Lockett leggings because I found my body confidence with my weight loss and I became known for my funky leggings and my popsy dresses because I found my body confidence and I realised at that point, well the ring fit point that you do need to be some kind of active in your life because before that I was just sat there, I wasn't doing much, I'd watch TV, I'd play video games, I'd be a mum not moving very far.

And my body was basically like, right, it's time to change now. So, I changed and now it's like, if I go for a day without exercise, my body's like, what are you doing? Go and move. So, it'll get to like half past nine or 10 o 'clock at night and I'll be hula hooping or something just to keep, just to make sure I've done something that day. But the idea with Ring Fit is it established a routine. So, you get starting with your habits, and you create the habit and eventually, it becomes routine, and you can get the consistency. So, I got my consistency by playing video games to get fit.

Sarah (05:48.514)

Which is amazing. And you know, what you're talking about this sort of in hospital when they're saying you need to have your gallbladder out and it's what we call a teachable moment in that something major shakes up the way you think it, there's enough psychological distress to make you go, do you know what, I, you know, this ain't happening. What's my alternative? Change your lifestyle. Right. I'll do that. And, and it's, but it's so important, isn't it, that you find the right way of changing because like somebody could have said to you, how about going to the gym or going to classes? But when we were talking previously, you said there's just no way. So, it's having that support, isn't it? It's finding what works for you and what's acceptable for you at that stage. And do you think that's, I mean, that's a big thing, isn't it? Is being able to find what works for you.

Jen (06:41.198)

Yeah, so I did actually go to the gym way before that. So, when I was an end of student life and working in the office, I actually joined a gym. But what I found was I actually injured myself by over stretching. So, when I went to, I've been having like back massages regularly since about 2015, because I had chronic back pain for over 10 years, which was exacerbated by anxiety, which I didn't realise at the time.

I'm still having treatment on and off now, but it's a lot less regular than it used to be. But the idea was I went to the gym off a fitness referral from the doctor. And I was okay when I had a personal trainer, but that personal trainer was only for a certain number of weeks as per the program. So, once I was left to my own devices, I was doing more damage than good. And that essentially put me off. And every time I went to the gym and there was men there, I felt super intimidated by these big, muscly, sweaty men.

And I was just like, I don't like this anymore. And what I found, sort of locked down onwards, I actually enjoy doing my exercise by myself. I don't enjoy classes. I don't need an accountability class or body or anything. I got my own accountability and I'm self -motivated. I just set my challenge, as it were, and go. So, this year I've got some fitness challenges that I've shared with my sort of friends and community. And January was all about getting active. So, we had like, it was points based and whoever had the most points at the end of the month won. And that kept people motivated because they had other people to compete with. Whereas I was just like, as long as I've done something, that counts. So, I ended up about 13th out of 26, but I knew that I was active because I do yoga and stuff now. Yoga doesn't record as many steps, of course, because you are bending and stretching. The walks are less so in January because of the weather, although we did get a nice walk out in the snow in mid -January, which was nice. But the walks that I do generally are a bit few and far between in the month of January because of the weather overall. Don't like wind and rain.

Sarah (08:54.85)

Yeah, I have to admit I've got a dog, so I have to kind of go out in the wind in the rain, but I really don't enjoy it. She does she's one of those dogs that likes being out in the way but this is the thing isn't it is if you are in a group that's doing challenge sometimes the challenge is what motivates you not the result and it's finding the way like you say 13th out of 26 is great but even if you come 26 out of 26 you're still taking part and for a lot of people it's the community, even if you're doing different things than the actual winning. And I think that's an important point, isn't it? Because there will be people who want to win or to come in the top five or whatever. And that's great. And there will be people who are like, yeah, I just want to, I just want this to motivate me to move. I'm not interested in beating everybody else, but it's having a group that understands that, isn't it? And doesn't push you because that, if you're pushed when you're not that type of person, that can actually turn you off rather than motivating you and it's really important, isn't it? So, you've changed your lifestyle. You've lost the weight; you've got fit using video games. And again, you know, we talk about creating active lives. If for any reason you're at home, there's masses now online that's available to you, whether it's video games, fitness, video fitness workouts, whether it's online stuff, there's so much that's available. And I think, you know, a lot of people think if you're doing stuff, at home in front of a screen, it doesn't count. Any movement counts. So, if that's what works for you, do that. And I think that's so important, isn't it? So, moving on.

Jen (10:32.014)

So just on my Nintendo Switch, I've got Zumba, I've got yoga, I've got Ring Fit Adventure, I've got knockout home fitness, which is boxing, I've got fitness circuit which is circuit-based training. There's all this choice. I don't do them all at once, but I pick different ones each day.

Sarah (10:46.314)

Yes, you don't you don't have to do the same thing every day. You don't have to say, right on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, this is what I'm going to do. It's like, you know, I'm in the mood for yoga today. I'm in the mood for a good stretch today. I'm in the mood for boxing today. And you've got all of these options, and you don't have to leave your house if you choose if you want to go to the gym, if you want to do things. And I know where you are in North Wales, the referral scheme in Wales is strong.

If you are going to one of the centres in North Wales, chances are I've trained some of the instructors there, so say hi from Sarah. But, you know, that might be something you move on to if that's what you want, or you might move on to something more community based. And that's what I want to talk about. Now, anyone who knows me, anyone who listens to me will know that walking is one of my passions. It's something I do to walk the dog. It's something I do to do my shopping. But it's also something I choose to do in my spare time. I will go off on big hikes because I just love it. And you have taken up the flag for Anglesey for an organisation called Network She, which as you can imagine is about helping women network. But you've taken up a flag in Netwalking. I've never heard of this. Even my passion about walking and everything. I've never actually come across Netwalks. So, tell us a little bit about Netwalks and what they are.

Jen (12:14.062)

So Netwalks is literally walking to network. And the idea is, well, I do host Coffee Connections, which is networking in a cafe. And then you've got networking while walking in nature. So, for those who like getting outside and exploring nature, networking is for you, basically. And we've made so many collaborations just from meeting up with each other. And we've helped each other.

It's just amazing to get out because my mission as a like I'm a gamer who likes being outside which is a weird concept in itself but I like it because I'm on Anglesey there's so much of Anglesey to explore and the idea of exploring that with people who can become friends is just amazing and we always finish with a panad (cup of tea) or an ice cream after as well depending on what the season is and it's just really nice to be able to go walking.  Sometimes people bring their dogs with them. Sometimes it's like there's often where I've only had one sign up and that's also fine because we can go on bigger adventures there. My favourite memory from last year was if anyone knows the walk from Beaumaris to Penrhyn it's quite far and I didn't remember how far it was. I've done it once before, but it was years ago, so I was like right we're going to do it. Two hours later we got to our destination, and I realised I only had half an hour to get back. So, because there was only one other person with me, we had that freedom to explore, and we were able to hitch a lift back as well. Whereas if I'd had a larger group of people, that wouldn't have been feasible. So, I'm a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. The most I've had on a walk is probably four or five. So that's a nice table. But yeah.

Sarah (13:39.554)

But what a great idea. Yeah, but we think a lot of networking events happen inside. You're sat down. And to me, the idea of being able to network out in nature and walk and all of that, it just makes so much sense to  me because, you know, A, it gets your activity in, but you've got all the benefits of nature. You've got the benefits of being able to talk to people and mix things up a bit. Now I do local walks and you're like, you'll talk to this person for a few minutes and then you might talk to someone else for a bit longer. But the idea of doing it, networking, being able to support each other and get to know what else is in the area while exploring where you live, it just seems brilliant. And, Anglesey, those of you who are overseas, Anglesey is the north-western point of Wales and it's an island and it's spectacular, so spectacular. So, I imagine you can walk on Anglesey in so many different places.

Jen (15:05.23)

Yeah, my favourite walk is the beach walk from Benllech Bay to Red Wharf Bay. It's a good half-hour walk at low tide and there's a nice cafe at the end and then you can walk back. But you have to time it very carefully because originally when I did that walk, I timed it for low tide, went there, had my coffee, and walked back and the tide had come in so far, that we had to accidentally rock scramble on the way back. So, I now know to arrange it before low tide so that low tide hits as we're having coffee. So, it's the lowest point it can be. But you learn by experience.

Sarah (15:38.818)

And I think, yeah, that is if you are walking anywhere in nature and things like that, then it is important to check things like tide times or if there's if you're on road paths and things like that, you know when the high peak traffic is and things, so it is always worth doing your research. I always say to people if you are going on any kind of walk, walk by yourself first because there might be something, particularly at different times of year the weather might have meant that there's a tree down or that the path is too muddy and stuff like that.

Jen (16:02.318)

Yes.  So, at the moment I've done familiar walks, so I want to explore more of Anglesey, but I need to find the time to actually do the walks myself first, so that's a good point, yeah.

Sarah (16:17.058)

What are the benefits then of hosting the walks for you?

Jen (16:23.212)

It gets me out of the house because I'm a piano teacher first and foremost so that means a lot of times sat at the piano teaching people which I absolutely love, that's my number one passion. But I need to get outside, I need to move more and sometimes now just playing video game fitness games isn't enough, I need the fresh air as well. And I have got a six-year-old child who I have to do the school run for and we always walk to school because it's only a five-minute walk.

So even if I don't get to go out for an actual walk, I've still got that bit of fresh air, but I appreciate the fresh air a lot more post-lockdown.

Sarah (16:59.456)

And you've said that you've done those with generalised anxiety disorder. Anxiety can be really life-affecting. I think a lot of people will often say I'm a bit anxious and things like that, but full-on anxiety disorder can significantly impact your life in so many different ways. So, how's the walking and hosting things like networks, how's it helped with mental health? How does it help with mental health?

Jen (17:07.756)

Well, a lot of people who've come on the walks said thank you, I needed that today. So, I know I've helped them mentally in some way. For me, I actually started networking when I was already confident because I overcame the anxiety disorder in lockdown itself. And I was ready to start. It was July 22, I started networking for Network She. And I consider myself confident. So, I set out to help other people, like bring them out of their shells if they're feeling a bit unsure about coming, encourage them to join and then see what happens and they'd leave the walk. They, oh, I've made some new friends today or I'm feeling a bit better about myself today. Yeah.

Sarah (18:13.666)

It's not just nature, is it? Our connection with nature, our need to be in and around nature is, I think, really innate. It's something we've kind of almost forgotten. But actually, once you start getting back into nature, you realise how important it is. But it must be the social connection as well that helps people with their mental health, because particularly coming out of things like lockdown, we've had a few years of not having as much social connection as we were maybe used to.

Jen (18:27.918)

Yeah, definitely.

Sarah (18:43.458)

So do think that's a big part of it is just being around other people but not necessarily sat in a coffee shop staring at each other you're actually out it's a much more positive productive connection.

Jen (18:57.742)

I don't know actually, because around here in Anglesey the venues are quite nice too, so the coffee connections are as favoured as the networks really. I just need to promote it a bit more locally because I need to get more people knowing about it, because a lot of people have never heard of it and don't know what it is, so it's about educating people as well.

Sarah (19:02.53)

Yeah, I mean, had no idea. I'm actually going to go away and find out what's going on. I will put links to the organisation in the information for the podcast. But it just seems like such a great idea for businesswomen because, you know, as I say, quite often the networking meetings are all indoors, we all sat around a table. Whereas actually to combine it with a walk is like a win-win situation, isn't it? It's getting your activity, it's getting out into nature, but it's also getting that networking experience as well. And I think that is such an important part.

Jen (19:50.542)

The one I've got coming up is next Thursday in Llangefni, because the Nant-y-Pandy Nature Reserve is a really nice woodland walk where you get to see red squirrels as well. So that's like a unique selling point for that particular walk. I actually do park run from time to time as well and that's my favourite park run site as well. So, I'm very familiar with the route.

Sarah (20:01.058)

Yeah, I did a training course in Llangefni, and it was beautiful. There's just so much. It's one of those things as well with me. I used to travel all around the place and I'd often I'd make a note of places. I think I'd like to come back here for longer next time because it's just so lovely and things like that. So, what would you like to do more of when it comes to activity and things like that?

Jen (20:17.294)

I need to work on consistency. I said I was good at consistency, but like I'm doing a yoga program at the moment. I'm supposed to practice in between, but because I've been down with a cold for the last two weeks, it's like I haven't got the energy to be consistent with that. So, the first week I did nothing. And then the second week, which is this week, I've just like, I've done yoga one night, I've done hula hooping, I've done yoga, I've alternated, so at least I've moved. But I'd like to get more consistent with what I'm doing in this particular week. So, I'd like to get one walk a week in. Even though I have two a month for my actual organized walks, but I'd like to get out on more adventures so I can explore Anglesey to plot the walks for the organized walks.

Sarah (21:05.122)

Yeah, I think a really a really good tip for that is even if you're not well enough, you know you're not well enough to do a full yoga session is to create kind of like an appointment to actually have it as a time in your diary and schedule, whatever. And even on days where you say, right, I've got a really bad cold, you certainly don't want to be bending forward and sideways and things like that. They can fool you. But I think it's just so right, OK, I'm not well enough to do the session today, but I am going to sit on my yoga mat at seven o 'clock or whatever time it is. I'm just going to sit on my yoga mat and just meditate or just maybe just stretch my legs or stretch my back. Do something at that time, because quite like you said you know it's about creating habits and once you once you've got that the time as a habit as I say even if you don't do much even if it's just five minutes instead of the full session, you're still you're keeping that appointment if you like and it's reinforcing the habit.

Jen (22:22.35)

Yeah. so, my schedule basically between 7 .30 and 11 .00 p.m. is sort of our time once the kids in bed. I know we schedule nine, sort of nine or nine thirty p.m. for my sort of active slots. So that's what has been Hulu for the last few days. But that that's basically to stop me from sitting on the sofa all evening because I it's usually our gaming session because me and my husband are both gamers. So, we'll play our games together.

But what I'll do is the first half of the evening now, I'll game with him. Then I've got the nine o 'clock active time and then I read a book for the last half of the evening so I can wind down properly.

Sarah (23:10.432)

That sounds really positive and it's pretty, this isn't it. You everybody says, oh, you know, exercise in the morning or here or there, but actually it's what fits in with your day is the most important thing. Because if it's, if you are not a morning person and you say, right, I'm going to go for a walk at six o 'clock every morning, it's not going to happen. But if you like you, you say, right, you know, seven, 38, eight o 'clock at night, that's when I'm going to do this. And that's when I'm going to do that. It's much more likely to happen, but it's, it's creating that consistency. And the only way you do that is to write, This is the time. This is what I do. I do tap and I have to set if I don't set an alarm to do it at a certain time, it just gets moved and moved and moved and moved. But I make sure that the reminder isn't when I'm busy working. It's just after breakfast or something like that. So, I think it's really important, isn't it? When you are trying to create an activity habit and that regularity is to make sure that it properly fits in with your day and that it's you know like if you know that you are very busy between 9 and 12 in the morning then then you're never going to get activity in and don't be unrealistic about it and I think that's a big thing.

Jen (24:23.438)

I do a proper workout in the day as well, so for the last four, well, four and a bit year now. Well, I was September, October when I started playing Ring Fit. Two o 'clock every single afternoon, I would do a workout. So, the nine o 'clock in the evening was like supplementary to the afternoon, but more recently I've only done the evening one, so I found myself too busy in the afternoon or too tired or losing my voice or something. So, I'm hoping to get back into the pattern of the two o 'clock and the nine o 'clock sessions.

Sarah (24:54.722)

But the important thing is it's not just having one opportunity to be active. It's making sure that there's more than one, because that way if you are too busy for one, you've still got the backup of the other. And I think a lot of people will just sort of say, oh, I'm going to do a workout three times this week. And you get to Friday afternoon, and you realize, quick, I haven't done anything. And it's because you haven't scheduled it in.

And that's where creating that regular habit is so important. And going back to the walking, when you are leading a walk, you've got no choice. You've got to get out there and do it. And this is where things like having somebody that you walk with is so important for some people because it's like you'd be thinking, oh, I don't know, it's a bit cold. Then it's like, no, I have to go. Betty's relying on me. And Betty's probably thinking, oh, I don't really want to go, but I have to go. Sarah's relying on me.

And the combination means that you go out and guess what? You do the walk. You might make it a bit shorter if it's viral weather, but you feel better, don't you? When you come back, you say, oh, you know what? I'm really glad I did that. And that to me is it's finding what works for you, whether it's a network, whether it's, you know, a run, park, run or whatever, whether it's, you know, video games, it's what works for you is so important, isn't it?

Yeah, definitely. I've found what works for me. It's just working out. Because like my business, I'm a multi-business owner, multi-passionate. I'm a multi-active directionist as well, you know. I have to choose each day what I'm going to do and stick with it. Because otherwise I end up flaking because I can't make up my mind.

Sarah (26:21.578)

Yeah, and I think again that's an important factor, isn't it? We need different activities. There are days where you maybe just do not want to go for a run, and you need something else. It's not like I'm not going to go for a run, that's it. No, today is not a run day, it's a yoga day, but it's not. I think it's generally having a plan. This is when I'm going to do this, this is when I'm going to do that. And actually, on the day if you decide not, you can swap it with something else.

But as you say, it's having choices. If you're a runner and that's what you want to do, then run by all means, do that. But most of us, I think, want a variety of activity in our lives, don't we? We like a variety of activity, which is...

Jen (27:22.606)

Yeah,  Saturdays I park run whenever I can but I've missed the last few because I run gaming events once a month and then I've been ill so if I have a cough I can't run because I might set my asthma off because I've got very mild asthma which sits in the background but because I've become active and I do run and I do walk my asthma has gone so mild you can't tell I've got it most of the time so that's improved my health as well.

Sarah (27:41.922)

Brilliant. So, talking about health improvements then, are we still, you know, have we moved away from needing your gallbladder removed?

Jen (28:04.814)

Well, I haven't been back to check in. The last appointment was I think January or February just before lockdown. And they're like, no, you still got sludge. You still need it removed if you ever trigger it again. So, I was like, right, I won't trigger it again then. So, I haven't triggered it so far. But we're talking four years later and I'm still safe. But It's about listening to your body as well because I don't deprive myself of food. I've actually put a stone back on, so I've only lost one stone overall. I need to get that other stone lost at some point. But for now, it's like, well, I'm confident with who I am and what I am, you know. I'm not as bothered as I was, say, before lockdown when I was anxious with no self -esteem. 

Sarah (28:55.166)

Sometimes it's accepting your body. I think sometimes we focus very much on weight, on size, on shape for our bodies. Sometimes we need to focus on the fact that our body is healthy and it's functioning really, really well. Yeah, you say about an extra stone, but actually the fact that your body is functioning well and you're healthy and you're active is more important than the scales or the shape. And that's something that I think when you get into a body that moves well, that's healthy, that functions well, you realise that that's more important than the scales, isn't it?

 

Jen (29:33.198)

Yeah, and since I've become active, I no longer have chronic back pain either. So, I've got aches that come and go, but I don't have chronic back pain. And that is a major thing because that was impacting everyday life originally.

Sarah (29:38.338)

Really? And again, a combination of getting fit of losing some weight, and just generally being more active, it's probably all contributed to that. And of course, anyone who's ever had back pain will know it puts you off anything. But, you know, by improve, it's one of the, it's a bit of a paradox, isn't it? In order to improve the health of your back and the way your back feels, you need to move. But you've got to kind of get fitter and healthier in order to be comfortable moving. So, it's again, it's starting gently, isn't it? And building up gradually. Yeah.

Jen (30:18.318)

Yeah. Breaking out of that cycle. Once you've broken out of it, the world is your oyster, as it were. 

Sarah (30:26.338)

Yeah, which is, you know, it's what we want. And, you know, we're not saying to everybody, you've got to go out and go to the gym and go to classes and things. You've got what I always say is find what you enjoy because you're more likely to do what you enjoy than something that you don't look forward to. And that's a big thing, isn't it? Whether that is fitness video games or going out for walks with friends, whatever, it's finding what you enjoy because it's that consistency that will give you that gets you the results. So, any last advice for somebody who's sitting there thinking well you know I don't really want to go out and be with other people or go to the gym or anything and fitness games sound a bit interesting but how do I get started there?

Jen (31:11.47)

Well, I'd probably suggest going out for a walk in the first place rather than the fitness games. And if you're interested in fitness games, I'm probably the person to ask because I actually collect fitness games as a hobby. I'm known to review them for Nintendo players UK as well, so if you want to know what they're actually like, you can look them up on the website and read my reviews.

Sarah (31:15.04)

Oh, right. What I'll do then is I'll make sure that all Jen's links are in there. So, if you do want to sort of find out about fitness games and why not, then we will make sure. Jen, thank you so much for coming in and talking. It's really inspiring to hear about the fact that you had this kind of health crisis, if you like, and actually use that to turn your lifestyle around and get involved with so many different activities. And, you know, you say you're a multi -passionate business owner, but you're actually a multi -passionate activity participant as well and you know what we need more people like you sharing their experiences because I think it really helps others to think oh right you know I can do this I can turn my life around so thank you so much for coming along and chatting and I'll make sure all your contact details are available and yeah enjoy Anglesey!

Jen (32:16.59)

Thank you.

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Sarah Bolitho

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