A personal trainer - who once struggled to afford a gym membership - is offering free boxercise classes to ensure people can access affordable exercise.
Vivienne McLaughlin - the owner of The Wee PT Gym in Bishopbriggs - began boxing classes a month ago, to provide free exercise to those struggling through the current cost-of-living crisis.
Vivienne told the Glasgow Times: “Before I was a PT, I used to rely on loans at Christmas, yellow labels, and charity shops to try and survive.
“I couldn’t get a gym membership because it was just too expensive and I feel like in this day and age, exercise should be a human right, it shouldn’t be an expense that people are worried about paying with the cost of living.
“That’s why I thought if there are things I can offer for free to help people I will.
“I wanted to make sure that each and every single person that wanted to exercise would be able to do so in The Wee PT Gym.
“As well, I wanted to put on these classes for mums on maternity pay, who are not able to go back to work due to the cost of childcare.
“The good thing about my gym as well is that the classes during the day are child-friendly, so mums get a chance to exercise and improve their mental health and a lack of childcare won’t set them back.”
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Vivienne added: “My main objective is to help as many people as I can. I do all I can to give back to the community in Bishopbriggs and Glasgow.”
The classes take place on Saturdays at 8.30am at The Wee PT Gym in Bishopbriggs, with sessions lasting for half an hour.
Due to demand, the classes will soon be running on Fridays also, at 12.30pm.
At the sessions attendees can expect “a nice, fun, friendly environment".
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Vivienne continued: “Everyone’s in comfortable clothes, it’s not your typical gym, it’s a laid-back environment.
“People can book in for the free classes and I hand out free bottles of water too.
“I offer free mental health classes for my clients as well every evening. It’s a zoom call with a mental health coach, and they get free shopping lists and meal guides.
“I want to give as much for free as I can and give back.”
Vivienne said the sessions have been receiving high praise from the community.
She added: "A lot of mums have said that it’s been really nice for them to come into a gym environment and meet a network of people because, for some, that might be the only interaction they have that week or that day.”
Vivienne stated that the classes are always fully booked and there's a waiting list as well.
She added: "I can take 17 to a class, just due to the number of gloves and mitts I’ve got, but I’m going to try buying more to accommodate as many people as possible."
The classes will be a “permanent fixture” and will run for free 'for as long as Vivienne has the gym'.
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