“Fitmums is more than a way to keep fit – it’s a fitness community”

She has classes across Warrington and now has customers and clients around the world thanks to her online fitness classes.

Here, in our latest Business of the Week feature, Vicky tells us about the Fitmums fitness family, why she loves her job and her plans to open a fitness retreat in Turkey next year.

If you would like to appear in one of our business features, email heidi.summerfield@newsquest.co.uk

Vicky Loftas started Fitmums five years ago

What's the name of the business?

Fitmums

What's the address?

Warrington

Are you the owner?

Yes

When did you open the business?

I created my own personal training business in 2011 but re-branded to Fitmums around five years ago, so a total of 12 years trading.

Has it always been in the same location?

Yes, I've always covered Warrington and the north west but I am able to go worldwide now with my online training.

Fitmums has classes all over Warrington including Booty Bootcamp at Chapelford's Dakota Park

Are you local to the area? Did you grow up here?

Yes, I'm local to the area and have been from birth. That’s what makes me so passionate about creating a body positive culture in this area.

Tell me a bit about your business

Where do I start? There are so many parts to Fitmums. We are more than the services we offer. I can honestly say, and hopefully my team will agree, that we are wholeheartedly focused on creating a fitness community. Of course, our primary focus is fitness and weight loss but there’s so much more to it than that. Will you feel welcome? Yes. Will you laugh? Yes. Will you feel supported from every angle? Yes. We are a fitness family.

What do you do? What services do you provide?

There's so much we offer at Fitmums. We offer one to one personal training from the comfort of your home, online programmes tailored to you and outdoor bootcamps as well as buggy fitness, paediatric first aid, six-week challenges and full nutritional guidance.

Vicky did one of the warm ups at last year's Race For Life at Victoria Park

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Why did you decide to open your own business?

I worked in a few different jobs and I felt restricted in every position I had. I also struggled with anorexia as a late teen and felt like I lacked the knowledge to understand what was happening to me. I was determined that nobody should ever feel like I did. I wanted to encourage women to look at themselves in a different light - to pick their positives and grow with them.

What's your business background?

Prior to becoming a personal trainer, I worked in a few sales manager roles and didn’t ever really feel like I was reaching my full potential. I loved the gym and everything that came with it, so one day I made the decision to just do what I love. Twelve years later and I’ve not looked back once.

Why this type of business?

Why not? Why not do what you love? Exercise saved me so why not let it help others? The feeling of helping someone is exhilarating – there’s no feeling like it! Whether it be weight loss, improving strength, improving your mental health or even building confidence in yourself, everyone has the right to experience it.

Clients of all ages become part of the Fitmums family

Were you open before / during / after the Covid-19 pandemic? If so, how did this effect your business?

What an experience the pandemic was for so many people - so much heartache for so many. We tried so hard as a family to pull positives from it - when do we ever get concentrated time with each other for such long periods of time? As a business, it forced me to be creative and think outside of the box. If you watch my first ever live workout video, you'd cringe but I ended up absolutely loving it. I offered free live workouts to the public throughout the whole of lockdown, hoping I could at least offer some positivity.

What makes your business different to others in the area? What sets your business apart from your competitors?

I think every business is different and what might suit one person won’t necessarily suit another. However, at Fitmums we offer services for everyone. We may be called Fitmums but everyone can attend - men and women along with all the little ones. You don't even have to be a mum to attend. I’m a parent myself so I know the barriers that sometimes arise when trying to fit exercise in with kids and I also know the mental and physical stresses that come along with that. So, I created a company that allows you to exercise no matter the obstacle and we are fully inclusive to all.

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Why do loyal customers return to your business?

I've been told that it’s the welcoming, non-judgemental atmosphere we create. Everyone is equal at our classes. We make exercise fun, interactive and create a safe circle. It's hard to explain fully unless you've attended a class of ours but there's a real family vibe. I know how daunting it can be to attend a new class or a gym so having a relaxed and welcoming team is what we always guarantee. I'm not a one size fits all company - I will always tailor to an individual’s needs.

What's next? What do the next few months hold for you?

We have so many exciting things coming for Fitmums, all of which will be revealed shortly. We also are launching a fitness retreat in Dalaman, Turkey in 2024. This is extremely exciting for us and everyone involved.

Family group session at Dakota Park in Chapelford