A Little Bit About Us
We believe that moving our bodies is something to enjoy! We also think that exercise is the fastest, most effective way for anyone to feel happy and positive about themselves and their lives.
When women are fit, healthy and empowered, they can take on anything. And the world can be a better place for it.
Sadly too often these days we rarely give ourselves a break, and can use exercise - whether we do it or not - as a stick to beat ourselves with. This impacts on our physical and mental health and can mean when we do train, we don't see the gains we deserve.
But this can change! At Move Happy we work hard but also find a bit more kindness towards ourselves. We find ways to focus positively on what our body can do and how it feels, rather than getting hung up about how it looks.
Nicola Porter
Founder and Trainer
As a previous journalist and campaigner always restless to for drive positive change, Nicola is now looking to share the discovery of holistic and intuitive training. She loves to explore and address not only the way we train, but also our attitude and our relationship to it.
Her approach aims to celebrate our bodies and the incredible benefits to our lives and others if we exercise and take care of ourselves.
A lifelong enthusiast of sport and fitness, Nicola first qualified as a Fitness Instructor in 2014 and has since continued her personal and professional journey within the industry, delivering indoor and outdoor group exercise classes for women of all ages - right up to 101!
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She holds specialisms in ante and post-natal exercise, kettlebells training, foam rolling, and also chair-based exercise. As a result of her growing interest in the links between physical activity and mental health and well-being, she recently worked to gain her specialist award in Mental Health Awareness.
Amy Lovell
Instructor, Pilates Teacher and Run Leader
As the UK celebrated inspirational sporting achievements in the 2012 Olympics, Amy was spending most of her time either at a desk or tasting cheesecake as the desserts buyer for a major supermarket. Her unhealthy lifestyle was making her glum and contributing to back pain, and she desperately missed the dancing and sports she had enjoyed at school and university.
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She decided to make a change and trained as a Level 3 Pilates Matwork Instructor.
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Amy has gained a wealth of experience teaching Matwork Pilates in community and corporate venues, helping hundreds of clients improve their strength, flexibility and postural awareness. Amy adapts exercises to suit a range of fitness and experience levels and uses small equipment such as bands, balls and foam rollers to keep sessions varied and challenging.
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Amy has taken further training in ante-natal and post-natal Pilates and Pilates for breast-feeding mothers. She more recently qualified as a Leader in Running Fitness with England Athletics.
In addition to her Pilates work, Amy heads up the Windsor and Maidenhead branch of GoodGym, a charity whose members combine running, walking and fitness with volunteering in their local community. She also has 4 children, who keep her on her toes!
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Amy is happiest when she is being active, and she is passionate about the idea that physical exercise is essential for mental health as much as physical health. Her classes are not about achieving the perfect ‘beach body’; they are about being able to move and carry out our daily lives with energy, joy and freedom, happy in our own skin.
Wendy Rumble
Running Coach and Running Buggies Founder
Wendy is passionate about running and supporting others to discover the incredible freedom it can bring. She is also dedicated to increasing awareness of buggy running in the UK, so parents can run whilst looking after their child(ren), get fresh air and inspire the next generation to enjoy exercise.
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Wendy founded the online retailer RunningBuggies.com in 2015 and the Facebook community ‘The Original Buggy Runners’ which has over 5000 members and continues to inspire and motivate parents everyday.
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Wendy has worked with England Athletics, Run England and The This Girl Can Run in order to promote buggy running. She has had articles published in Women’s Fitness, Women’s Running and Trail Magazine.
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Wendy started coaching at her running club Buggy Squad. Now she is part of the team at Maidenhead Athletics Club supporting all levels and abilities. She has experience of running 7 marathons (including the notorious Boston) and numerous other races too.
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As well as leading our Couch to 5km course, Wendy is available for 1-2-1 coaching for those looking to improve on their speed or train for longer distances. If this is what you're looking for get in touch at wendyrumble@hotmail.com.
Gale Hubbard
Yoga Teacher
Gale is passionate about the well-being of young people. Her mission is to help them to enjoy and explore the world around them, and also have them realise their own agency and the contribution they can make.
An experienced yoga instructor and school teacher, she has spent over 10 years in education. Gale has worked with children from age 3 to 18 years both in and out of schools, in the UK, Ghana, Romania and New Zealand.
Gale spent time in India completing her Yoga teacher training in 2011 before specialising in Yoga for Children back in the UK. She is also a certified children's mindfulness teacher.
Her classes are designed to support development of both mind and body, and explore the emotional, creative, and problem solving benefits of yoga for children as well as the physical.
Gale runs her own business Yoga Creates where she is based in Bracknell, living with her husband, her son and her puppy.