High Wycombe PT looks forward to her business reopening

Hilary Spearing, who owns the Functional Fitness Studio in High Wycombe, officially opened her business on November 21, 2019, but due to the pandemic, she was forced to shut up shop on March 23, 2020, as the first lockdown was put in place.

Due to the shutdown, the PT started online classes with her clients, as well as others who wanted to stay fit during the initial three-month period.

A brief reopening in the summer of last year followed, but as Covid-19 cases increased in the autumn throughout the UK, she, along with hundreds of other independent businesses, were forced to close once again.

Hilary Spearing

But, with the worst now seemingly behind us, she is now looking forward to the future.

READ MORE: High Wycombe PT on how you can stay fit during the pandemic

She said: “I have to be honest, I have had to pay my rent all the way through and I was thinking at some point, ‘how am I going to keep this going?’

“At the time [when the pandemic started], we had no idea of how long this was going to last, but I stuck at it as I didn’t want to lose my rent as I didn’t want to lose the gym, but there was a point where I was thinking, ‘is it worth it?’

“However, this is my baby and I just really excited to give it another go, and hopefully, I can get some new people but that should hopefully come in time and I feel a lot better than what I did.

The gym has had a makeover 

“I was only open for a few months before I had to close last year so it was hard, but I am really excited to be back properly.

“I have got clients who have said that they are just looking forward to getting back to exercising properly as they need it, and so it gives them a focus.

READ MORE: Wycombe's brand new gym to help Parkinson's and MS sufferers

“A lot of my clients have said that they have suffered a lot, especially from a mental health aspect and I suppose the difference that I give over a regular gym is that I give you that one-to-one.”

The PT has also revealed that the studio has had a slight makeover, and that clients can now exercise outdoors, as well as indoors.

The car park of the business now has an AstroTurf layout as well as large tractor tyres, which will give the client more options on how to stay fit.

But away from the physical health side of keeping fit, Hilary hopes to help those who have struggled with mental health issues.

She continued: “The changes to the gym have been on my mind for a long time because as I have got such a huge car park, I was thinking of using that space for some of my clients, especially in the summer when the weather is hotter.

The business is based in High Wycombe

“And at the moment, it looks really good as it looks like a garden!

READ MORE: How a High Wycombe PT vows to help those struggling in lockdown

“So I can’t wait to get started again and if we have clients who are not comfortable being inside, then we have got the option of going outside which is great.”

She continued: “I have got one client who has MS and she has been back face-to-face for a couple of weeks now because she was really struggling with her mental health that it was a necessity rather than a fitness thing.

“She also said the importance of having that face to fact contact is a huge help, so I am hoping I am going to help people in that respect.”

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/thefunctionalfitnessstudio.