Meet Alice….

Alice Poole is a personal trainer and the owner of Boost Studio. She’s lived in Hitchin for 5 years with her husband and 2 children, Barney, 6, and Violet, 5. They’ve recently had an addition to the family….a Vizla puppy called Nelson Sparkles!
Alice launched Boost Studio earlier this year with the ethos of helping people to get fit, happy & healthy. She’s passionate about helping clients to achieve their fitness goals.
This passion often sees her pounding the streets with a client at sunrise, or excitedly escorting the mums from local schools down to one of her classes after school drop off.
Alice loves nothing more than a workout or run to de-stress. So let’s find out more about how Alice manages her busy days and more importantly how she finds a bit of #timeoutformum
Hi Alice, what’s your favourite thing to do in Hitchin with your family?

Standalone Farm is a definite favourite. The kids always have so much fun there. We definitely make use of our annual pass. You always bump in to people you know there too so whilst the kids happily play with their friends, mums often get to have a catch up with their friends, which is lovely.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I’ll often set the alarm and get up before the rest of the family either to train a client or to do a workout myself. Then it’s the normal rush to get the kids packed off to school. Once they’re dropped off, depending on the day I may have either a PT session with a client or one of my HIIT classes that I run at Holy Saviour Church Hall. I run these on Monday and Friday mornings just after school drop off, a great time for the mums to pop to a 45 minute class and get their exercise in without it impacting on the rest of their busy day.
When I get home I’ll try to have a healthy lunch myself, spend a bit of time with Nelson and get to work planning PT lessons and classes for the rest of the week. Every Wednesday evening and Friday morning (term time) I run a Core Wars class, which focuses on toning pelvic floors and strengthening core muscles. It’s proving popular and I really enjoy the buzz I get from helping people do this.

In amongst PT planning and client sessions is all the normal general admin that goes with family life. Every so often its lovely to be able to catch up with a friend for lunch or a quick coffee. It’s great that my job gives me that flexibility. Also I’m very lucky to be able to work around my kids so I can always be there to drop them off and pick them up from school, which is really important to me. Although it sometimes feels manic I do love my work /family life balance.
How do you unwind after a busy day?
My other passion is food. To unwind I usually have a workout then cook! I’ve struck a happy balance that enables me to be fit, feel fit and still enjoy all the things I love ‘food, wine, cheese’ etc.
It’s so handy having my studio at the bottom of the garden for my own use and also to have my place of work so close to hand. It’s my gym oasis!

What is your biggest source of mum guilt?
This is definitely not finding enough time to just relax and play with my kids. I feel constant ‘self pressure’ to do chores or outstanding work for my new business. As most mums will agree there is always something to do and its too easy to tell the kids ‘just a minute’ all the time.
The other thing I feel guilty about is not doing enough playdates for them.
What are the important things that you make time for, for YOU each week?
Workouts are my me time first and foremost. I feel energised and happy afterwards….and sane! So they are definitely worth me finding the time to do. I do love a pamper for pure relaxation though.

Where are your favourite places in Hitchin for some me time?
We are very lucky in Hitchin to have some really great places for some time out. My favourites would have to be Dolly Mixtures, Licks, Rubarb, Groundworks and Chia.
Do you have any mum hacks to create a bit more time for yourself?
I have been known to change the clocks in the kids bedroom so I can get them down a little earlier at night. Sssshhh, please don’t tell them!!! Evenings are precious, it’s when I get chance to workout myself, to see my husband and enjoy a meal or even go out! So it’s a great hack to make sure I actually get an evening.
If you had a week with no work, childcare sorted and money was no object, what would you do with that week and who with?
I would love a couples break at a house in the South of France with my lovely husband, and my sisters and their husbands. Sun, food, wine and perhaps a good book or two!
Thanks for talking to Hitchin MumMe Time Alice!

Alice runs classes around Hitchin, trains clients in her fully equipped fitness studio, at your home, or out and about locally. If you’d like to find out more about Alice and Boost Studio you can join her on Facebook, or find her here:
