I was first introduced to Burn It almost 6 years ago by a close friend, Nicky.  Prior to that I had been a member of a gym in Edinburgh but on moving out to Linlithgow I had struggled to find a gym I liked with classes at the right times.  Initially I just came to a few Burn It sessions, but things really changed for me when in August 2013 my partner Nick passed away.  Nick had been my focus for quite a while as his health deteriorated, and after his death Nicky encouraged me to come to more classes and set us both the challenge of running the Edinburgh half marathon in memory of Nick.

Attending the Burn It sessions on a regular basis was not only key to improving my general fitness levels but they also gave me something else to focus on,  particularly during those initial months after Nick’s death.  I was able to achieve the goal of completing the half marathon – without stopping :-))–  in 2014 along with Nicky and Nick’s niece Elayne, and together we raised over £5,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support.

Whilst I have no plans to run another half marathon, I do want to stay fit and healthy and typically come along to 3 classes a week and  love the variety that you get.  I really miss it when I am away with work or on holiday.  Keeping my fitness levels up also means  I can still do the odd 10k without too much trouble, as long as I am not worried about record times!  The classes also help me to unwind after long and stressful days at work and act as a good mental as well as physical boost.

I am certainly not one of the fastest in the groups, but I always try to keep going and  the encouragement of the Burn It instructors really helps as does the friendly banter in the different sessions whether it be in Livingston, Linlithgow or up at Beecraigs. I also love the fact that after spending the day in the office you get the additional benefit of fresh air when you exercise, even if sometimes you need to push yourself to get along to the class in the wind and rain!

 I would recommend Burn It to anyone, no matter how hard the class you always finish it  with a sense of achievement and a smile on your face.