Alice Liveing: ‘I’m Not Going To Be Dictated To By A Number On A Scale’

Personal trainer, fitness influencer (with 700,000 Instagram followers and counting) and best-selling author Alice Liveing has had a busy 18 months. As the rest of the world slowed down, Alice’s job as a personal trainer took off as she moved into the virtual world of workouts. ‘I started running my classes on Instagram back in March last year,’ she tells us, ‘I continued to run them for the entirety of the year, free of charge.’ With up to 65,000 people tuning into her live workouts during the pandemic, Alice made it her mission to create a platform where she can continue to train online.

‘My app, Give Me Strength, was born out of the last year and gaining the confidence to say, “I’m good at what I do and have something to share.”’ With content including live workouts, recipes and a mood tracker, Give Me Strength is designed to be accessible and sustainable for all. ‘No crazy workouts or calorie counting here, it’s just food and exercise to make you feel good,’ she adds. Here, the fitness superstar talks exclusively to Grazia about her experience with anxiety, her exercise journey and intuitive wellness.

On Her Fitness Journey And Learning To Love Exercise

Alice trained as a dancer for three years and dreamed of eventually performing in the West End. ‘At the end of my first year, I had a review with my jazz teacher who said, “you’re lacking in strength and it’s really apparent in your dancing”’. This motivated Alice to begin weight training. ‘I discovered weight training and found that it really worked for me – it’s progressive, has tangible goals, it’s engaging and above all, I noticed a change in my physique straight away.’

After graduating from college, Alice went on to tour in Annie The Musical for a year, during which her Instagram following sky rocketed. ‘I finished my contract, qualified as a personal trainer and decided to give it a go – I haven’t looked back since,’ she says.

On The Mental And Physical Benefits Of Exercise

Research shows that exercise can be beneficial for those suffering from anxiety. ‘As someone who suffers from anxiety, I’ve found that exercise is the one thing I can always fall back on. It’s definitely something I look to when I need a little support,' says Alice.

Then, of course, there are the physical benefits. ‘I train because I want to be able to run around when I’m 70 and still have strong bones and a healthy heart – that’s definitely my motivation, not aesthetic goals. It’s taken me a long time to get there. When I first started training it was all about changing my body, but I recognised very early on that that motivation is very short-lived.’

On Intuitive Exercise And Wellness

Alice is frank when it comes to discussing her relationship with exercise. ‘If you want a really lean physique, there are certain sacrifices you have to make. I used to be very conscious of what I might eat when out with friends, I’d get up every morning to go the gym, even if I was tired. At some point, you have to ask yourself what is it that you’re trying to achieve.'

‘I had a realisation three years ago where I decided I need to be more sensible and address my relationship with both exercise and my body.’ For Alice, that meant learning to be intuitive. ‘I’m not going to be dictated to by a number on a scale or a dress size or having to look a certain way. I’m going to be dictated to by how I feel and really listen to my body. That means on some weeks I might train 5 times a week, while on others I might train two – I’m okay with both those things.

‘Missing out on social events and constantly feeling tired doesn’t equate to being healthy.’

On Getting Started And The Power Of Walking

‘Walking is so overlooked as a form of exercise, but it became my number one go-to activity last year. I’d get outside, go for a brisk walk to get my heart rate up while getting totally lost in a podcast.’ Her top tip? ‘Don’t feel like you have to do a day trip to your nearest park, just walking around the block for 10 minutes a day is beneficial. And then maybe at the weekend, if you do have time, get outside in some green space.’

For anyone who wants to get into fitness, Alice recommends walking as a great starting point. ‘Just slowly ease yourself in and don’t put pressure on yourself to hit certain goals,’ she says, ‘and if you don’t enjoy a type of exercise, try something else.’

On Her App, Give Me Strength

Predominantly focused on weight training, Alice says: ‘there are loads of women who want to weight train but find it really intimidating and are not quite sure where to start – I hope I can help them with that.’

‘I have different programs including 12-week programs that are structured for the gym, tailored to your goals and ability levels. There’s also a home workout program designed for those who want to continue to train at home. The most exciting part for me is the live workout section – you’ll be able to train with me in real time in the comfort of your home and that will be a continuation of the classes that I’ve run on Instagram over the last year.’

Asides from workouts, you’ll find over 100 recipes, an education section where there are blog posts and articles from leading experts within the health and wellness space as well as daily habit trackers. ‘You can track your mood, sleep and menstrual cycle and see how this impacts how you’re feeling and when in your cycle is the best time to exercise.’

Alice Liveing's Give Me Strength App is available now across all app providers

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