About Us

Welcome to Zest Women's Fitness, Strength & Pilates Studio!

2008-?

Zest was established in 2008 and has been helping women to get fit and strong for over a decade.

In that time we have built a strong, thriving community of instructors, members and regulars who genuinely care for and support one another. Newcomers are always welcomed with warmth and enthusiasm - it may sound cheesy but we see Zest as one big family!

More than just a gym

We say Zest is more than just a gym... but why is that?

It's true that we're not like big chain, corporate gyms. Zest takes a personal approach to health and fitness, which means that every person who walks through our doors matters - you're not just a number to us, we want to get to know YOU and what makes you tick.

We want you to do well. We want you to fall in love with moving your body. We want you to feel stronger and more confident with every class you take. We want these things for you because each of us has gone through that fitness journey ourselves and we know how amazing the experience can be.

Instructor-led gym style sessions

Zest is unique in that we offer small, varied workouts and classes led by our instructors. You are of course free to use the space and equipment to work through your own programme individually too! But if you are new to a gym environment and feel you'd need some guidance we would encourage you to come along join in one of our sessions. Why? You can find out more on our classes page, via the button below:

Find out more

Fall in love with moving your body

The fitness industry can be a strange place, and is often a little intimidating to outsiders. But we believe that everyone has a right to good health and the truth is that physical movement is one of the best gifts you could ever give yourself. Not only is exercise beneficial for your body, it can have a huge positive impact on your mental health. That is the ethos that lies at the heart of Zest.

There are no mirrors at Zest and that's because we place less emphasis on how our members look, and more on how they feel when they're working out. That being said, we recognise that everyone has a different motivation when coming to the gym... Perhaps you want to feel fitter for everyday life, or build strength with weight lifting? Perhaps you want to stay active with fun new challenges? Perhaps you aren't sure where to begin with fitness and want to learn in a supportive, women-only environment? Whatever your personal best, achieve it with Zest! Below you can read more about our team of instructors who will help you on your way...

Meet the Team

Pauline

Owner and co-founder of Zest, Pauline is a Level 3 Personal Trainer and a Level 3 Pilates Instructor, also a Spine Safe Certified Instructor. As well as taking most of our Pilates classes she also teaches weekday mornings. She is fab at keeping everyone motivated and positive and is very much the heart of Zest.

Jo

Jo is a trauma-informed instructor qualified up to Level 3 Personal Trainer and Exercise Referral. She is passionate about movement for mental & physical wellbeing! Jo teaches our Progressive Weights on Mondays & Fridays.

Mikaela

A Level 2 Fitness Instructor and physio-in-training, Mikaela loves enouraging you to get the most from your workout. Definitely try her Body Sculpting classes, they are hugely popular!

Mary

A Level 2 Fitness Instructor, Mary has been part of Zest for years, first as a member and then as a trainer! You'll most likely be taught by Mary if you come in for a morning workout. Alongside taking our Return to Fitness course early in 2022, Mary is keen to inspire others to stay active in weekly classes.

Jan G

Jan G is a Level 2 Fitness Instructor and is always ready to step in when one of us is poorly or on holiday. Our members love Jan and how she delivers her classes - she’s always focused on making sure you get 100% out of your workout.

Maria

A Level 2 Fitness instructor, and often steps in to cover morning and evening classes. You'll love her upbeat personality!

Shell

Shell is a Level 2 Fitness Instructor. Shell has been a member of Zest for years and she understands what people need to make fitness fun! You will see Shell mainly covering morning sessions.

Jan R

Jan R (yes, we have two Jans!) is our lovely Pilates Stretch & Balance instructor. Her classes are very popular and are guaranteed to help you relax and feel good as new.

Maria J

Maria (yep, we also have two Maria's!) is an Instructor in training, working towards here Level 2 qualification. Her Thursday evening 'Mixtape Mash-up' classes are very popular and you'll also catch her on some Saturdays.

Tilly

Tilly is our youngest member of the team and also an Instructor in training, working towards here Level 2 qualification. Her Thursday evening 'Boxing Intense' classes are very popular and are sure to help you let of some steam!