A Stockport woman overcame chronic sciatica and mental health problems to open a strength and wellbeing studio just for women.
Now the mastermind behind the Cheadle Project, Chloe Blair, is hoping her journey will be an inspiration to other women.
The Winners Strength & Wellbeing Studio on Stockport Road has seven class styles designed specifically for women, as well as workshops on wellbeing.
For Chloe, the studio is the culmination of years of personal struggle.
“I’ve been into fitness since I was younger and one of the things was that I knew I wanted to help women,” she told the Manchester Evening News.
Chloes Studio offers seven different courses to women of all origins
(Image: strength and wellbeing of the winners)
“I had severe sciatica while running – it got to a point where I couldn’t bend down, I would walk down the street and my back would just go, and I couldn’t even do one of the Joe Wicks workouts because I had trouble jumping.
“I had an MRI scan, a lot of pills thrown on me, and acupuncture – but nothing worked.”
Sciatica is a condition in which pain, numbness, or weakness originates from the sciatic nerve that runs along the lower back to the buttocks and leg.
Eventually, the physical pain in her body began to affect Chloe’s own mental well-being – before she found her own solution to both problems.
“It used to get me down,” she added.
We’re testing a new site:
This content is coming soon
“Over time, I realized that the entire function of my body has changed [with fitness] and I started helping myself.
“I’ve never been in pain since finding the workout I was doing – and through my journey of fitness I wanted to help others.”
Although Chloe was only trained as a personal trainer two years ago, Chloe’s business has deteriorated as lockdown restrictions eased in the spring.
She started taking outdoor classes on April 12th and officially opened the doors to her own studio this week.
During that time, the studio has amassed nearly 120 members – which exceeds Chloe’s goal of 100 registrations by June 1st.
She also wants to emphasize that the room is open and welcoming to all women.
The 37-year-old said, “As a PT, I recognize that the fitness industry is marginalizing many women who actually need it.
“Gyms can be intimidating for many women, and access to mental health resources is often limited. [so] My goal is to create a space that addresses both issues.
“[This is] A place where women are comfortable when they want to push their fitness limits at any level, and where they get access to wellbeing workshops to get the tools to live more positive and confident lives. “
In the future, Winners hopes to expand to all areas of the Northwest and develop more female personal trainers.
To celebrate the official opening of Winners Strength & Wellbeing in Cheadle, Chloe is offering ONE FREE CLASS to women through May 31st.
