Half the size TWICE AS STRONG

For Samantha Morris, 34, hitting the gym is about more than keeping fit

- JOHANNA BELL

As I balance on one leg with my eyes closed, my fellow gym-goers probably wonder what on earth I'm doing. But my workouts are about more than weight loss and toning up they're also focused on preparing my body for later life. I want to make sure my senses are as alert as they can be and that my joints and bones are as strong as possible to protect me from falls and stumbles as I get older. It might sound strange that somebody in their 30s is thinking ahead to life as an OAP, but after ballooning to a size 20 in my 20s I've learned how important staying fit is.

Back in 2009, when I was 19, I was an active teenager, weighing 10st and a size 8-10. Only, then I fell pregnant, and after my daughter was born that year I started putting on weight. Around the same time, I passed my driving test. Life with a newborn, having easy access to fast food and switching from walking to driving everywhere meant my size crept up over the next few years.

Dieting wasn’t for me