London’s top personal training with the emphasis on personal - EQVVS, 43A Cheval Place, London SW3 1EW

This morning I had a 1:1 session with Eqvvs's co-owner, Nicola. After a 20 minute informative induction specifying what I wished to achieve regarding health and fitness, i.e. removing the pain in my left knee and back neck tension - Nicola took me to a smart, well-equipped gym behind reception.

During the next 20 minutes I was instructed to do a few warm up exercises. By then Nicola’s expert eye saw exactly what needed to be corrected. Essentially, I am fit and not overweight, which I put down to a life of regular exercise, my current regime being dynamic pilates, jogging around London's parks, swimming and tennis (I sort of logically winged this but today was told this is called cross-training) and I eat more often than not a well-balanced healthy diet.

However, the problem she identified is that my muscle strength is out of balance With my chest and upper thighs (quadriceps) being incredibly tight and my upper back not as strong as it should perhaps be! Various causes may have contributed such as cycling with the seat too low to typing on my laptop for hours when it should be sitting higher at eye level. She worked on my core posture explaining I need to feel my weight in my heels, zip my pelvis up under, lift my chest, standing tall with my eyes on the top of the road. Easy when you know precisely how!!

And that's my point, I didn't know. The doctor didn't know. The MRI scan on my knee didn't show anything untoward, my Sports Physio didn't notice my seized up muscles. No one had figured this out and I thought I was heading for the operating table from the perennial pain in my knee and shoulders. It was a huge relief to discover the problem and the solution within my first training session at Eqvvs.

During the final 20 minutes Nicola showed me some simple stretching exercises to open up my muscles and release the tension.

She advised the next stage would be to strengthen the areas that are weak to balance my muscles throughout my body. And then of course, I can build on this strength to become a stronger, fitter and more energetic me. I had resigned my aches to the joys of growing older. Not so at all. There is hope! So when I am 65 I can still jog and be as fit as a fiddle with the right training.

Eqvvs is exactly what personal training should be; intelligent, holistic, realistic and optimistic.

Thank you Eqvvs. My eyes have been opened and I will be back!