My Story

Hola! I’m Carmen…

It’s a pleasure to introduce myself to you, I am Carmen Scott and I have just launched Carmen’s Fitness, exercises classes for the young at heart.

Growing up

Growing up in Spain was a very happy part of my life and due to the wonderful climate, I was always encouraged to do sports. Indeed, exercise has always been an integral part of my life.

My first recollection of group exercise was roller skating classes at the age of 5, I also played a lot of tennis, swam throughout the year in swimming pools and in the sea. Swimming was an almost everyday occurrence for me. I loved swimming lessons at school and learned how to swim very early on. My family always spent spring weekends and the whole of the summer on the tropical coast. It was a beautiful way of life. In the summer I loved diving in the sea observing how life was underneath the water. Back then I could see lots of sea horses, starfish, sea urchins, flat fish and octopus… We also saw lots of dolphins and sometimes they came so close that you could pet them… We also enjoyed long walks along the promenade every evening. I also played in the street with my friends, meaning that I led a very active life.

Skiing was also a big part of winter life for me. I was enrolled with the local children’s ski club and we used to go to the Sierra Nevada Mountains every weekend during the winter. Granada is in a great geographical location, it is just an hour to the ski slopes of the Sierra Nevada and an hour to the Mediterranean beaches. I also had Flamenco Dance classes in between!

In my late teens I had the opportunity to embark on a new adventure in the United States to finish off my High School years. It was a way to learn English while being exposed to a different culture and way of life that enriched me tremendously as a human being. I especially enjoyed making new friends and continued my love for swimming as part of the High School swimming team for two years.

Back in Spain, I went to college to study Tourism Management. In Spain we do of course get a lot of tourism, so this was something which appealed to me. Sports continued to be an integral part of my life. I enjoyed walking, running and going to the gym where I did classes and started weightlifting. I helped coach children in swimming and volunteered with local animal shelters in the care of dogs and cats.

Moving to the UK!

After a while I decided I was ready for a change and a new adventure and made my way to the UK. I had just turned 20, never had been to the UK before. I had a bag full of enthusiasm and was eager to learn and absorb a brand new way of life. In my first years here I did a variety of jobs while I was trying to find my feet. I eventually trained as a croupier, something quite different and challenging, I worked in two different casinos near London for some years.

One thing that never left my side in all this time was my love for exercise. In fact, the first thing that I did when I arrived in the UK was to find a gym as this made me feel at home quite quickly.

Shortly after my arrival in the UK, Cupid knocked on my heart as I met my wonderful husband, Paul. We got married and moved to a tiny village in Southern Scotland. We swapped our busy lives in the city for a beautiful life surrounded by hills, sheep and green fields… It was the start of a new adventure….

I had the wonderful opportunity to explore my new surroundings without the restriction of a working life. Our family life was also growing with the arrival of our little Spanish hairy refugees, our beloved pets.

My first class

My fellow villagers asked me if I would consider starting an exercise class for them in the village. I had never considered teaching classes before but one thing I knew was the positive impact that exercise always had in my life. I decided I would start a class for them. I decided to do this properly, so qualified as a fitness instructor so I could give them the best I could, safely and effectively. Without realising it, this was the start of my wonderful life as a fitness instructor helping people to became, fitter, healthier and stronger…. I also organised walks to complement the class.

In attending the class, the villagers would contribute 50p each per class for the Sierra Nevada Animal Refuge charity, near Granada in Spain. This money would help with the maintenance of the refuge for dogs and cats and help them to buy medical supplies. Villagers and friends also donated toys, food, blankets and other pieces that my husband and I took to the refuge once a year by car. It was wonderful to be able to help the refuge animals in southern Spain while encouraging people to keep healthy and active in southern Scotland. A win win for all.

Extend training

In the village class I noticed that besides younger people, there were a lot of people over 60 that were keen on attending the class. I realised quickly that there was nothing locally for this age group that was especially suited to their needs. I saw this as a big problem and wanted to help people in the area to get more active.

I decided to qualify as an Extend fitness instructor. Extend was a charity that specialised in exercise for the over 60’s and less able of all ages. This training was a game changer for me, and it provided me with all the knowledge and inspiration that I needed.

The training was unique in the sector, providing exposure to physios, nurses and doctors throughout the course. The ethos was built around nurturing creativity, creating effective yet enjoyable routines that provide huge benefits. I learned specific methods using the latest techniques and research as well as gaining the knowledge of contra-indications and required adaptations to the exercises for conditions that people may have.

This was followed by a mentoring programme and ongoing professional development to ensure that skills were kept up to date and to the required standard. But a huge part of the overall experience was to also ensure that all participants of the classes had fun and enjoyed the class whilst receiving a good, structured workout. The whole experience has defined and shaped me as an instructor and instilled principles that I still follow today. Luckily for me, I was on the very last full course that Extend delivered in Scotland (sadly the Extend charity did not survive the pandemic).

I started classes in my local area, and these proved to be very popular,offering tea and coffee after the class also helped wellbeing and an opportunity for class members to socialise, get to know each other and make friends. We expanded this to other social activities such as outings to stately homes and to the theatre as well as Christmas lunches, all of which have greatly helped the wellbeing of class members.

Continuing my Development

Since my Extend classes proved to be so popular I have continued to expand my knowledge within the sector of physical activity for the young at heart, qualifying in different arenas which enables me to bring different skills and methods to my classes enriches further what I do.

Cardiac Rehabilitation

In 2013, I was approached by a local charity which focused on cardiac rehabilitation, with a view to providing some classes. This was a new area to me, so I took the decision to study and qualify as a cardiac rehabilitation instructor. This was at level 4, the highest level in the exercise arena. The course and exam were tough, but I did enjoy the challenge. I also gained valuable practical experience supporting specialist nurses and physios working with patients who have experienced coronary heart disease and were going through a clinically supervised programme.

The classes I provided in the charity were for people who needed an exercise class that was supervised by a specialist cardiac instructor (BACPR) following a phase III cardiac rehabilitation. My classes were phase IV. These classes are critical for long-term support for patients that have experienced coronary heart disease and can help reduce the risk of re-occurrence. Unfortunately, there are simply not enough of these classes in the community. I delivered these classes through regular referrals from doctors until 2018 when I moved to the Scottish Borders area. These skills might seem quite specific, but they certainly complement my skills in looking after the 60 plus age group.

FLexercise

After establishing some classes in the Scottish Borders, I was approached by a charity called FLexercise with a view to taking over a class in Pebbles. After accepting the offer, I decided to qualify as a FLexercise Instructor which was a very enjoyable journey and enriching experience.

Both Extend and FLexercise are closely linked. Extend was born out of FLexercise to focus more in the 60+ and the less able of all ages. This means that Extend is slightly more specialised than FLexercise, however they are both based on the “Bagot Stack” system which promotes good posture, coordinated and relaxed movement to promote general health and well-being.

Accident & Recovery

In late 2022, I had a very bad accident. I broke my ankle in two places and had torn ligaments. I went under an operation the following day when the surgeon inserted plates and screws. My recovery was extremely slow. I was left unable to walk for 4 months, bedbound most of the time and depending on others for everything. My recovery was very slow partially due to my ankle not being able to touch the ground after my boot came off. That affected my walking, adding pressure on my joints which gave immense pain, especially in my lower back, knees and hip. Not to mention my mental wellbeing that was completely affected. I had always had an active lifestyle, so being restricted to a room in a bed impacted me enormously.

Exercise played the biggest role in my recovery, so I can relate further to what is like to have very limited mobility and the importance that exercise has on the process of recovering from an injury.

I did wonder so many times If I would ever be able to walk again, let alone being able to teach a class again. At times it felt like mission impossible. I tried not to lose hope and day by day I tried to gain strength by doing my exercises. First in bed, then in a chair and then standing, and gradually the improvements started to show…. a year plus on I am happily teaching again in all my classes and starting new ones also…

The key to my recovery was exercise and progression…. not to do too much too quickly and to allow time for my body to adapt and recover…

This is a key principle that I always say in my classes, ‘always listen to your body’ and ‘do just what you can’ and ‘take one step at a time’….

Thank you for reading my story

I hope that you have enjoyed reading a little about my story and finding out why I have launched Carmen’s Fitness. As you will see, my classes are totally unique in that they are designed especially for the over 60’s. I have the knowledge to provide my members with a class that will help them to get fit and stay fit, but more than this, where they can make friends, have fun and enjoy lots of laughter and music too.

I absolutely love what I do and I am passionate about offering high quality exercise classes for the over 60’s.