Your 'core' is the area around your lumbar spine, abdomen and hips. Strengthening this makes daily activities seem easier and provides the stability needed for sports. A range of exercises can help to strengthen your core, from sit-ups to using the Swiss ball. Core stability is a key focus for many physiotherapy and personal training programmes, and is also known as Pilates or clinical Pilates.

This is a type of strength training which involves using ropes and webbing to work against your own bodyweight. It develops core muscle strength as well as joint and muscular stability. It can be done on TRX or Z trainer equipment, both of which give excellent results. Suspension training can be used indoors or outdoors, adding variety to a training programme in individual or group sessions.

This is designed to improve performance in a specific sport or sports. Richard will work with you to develop a plan for improvement in a range of areas, such as your aerobic ability, your resistance and your flexibility. This will help not only to improve your performance but also to prevent injury.

• This is a martial arts approach to training. It’s suitable for a wide range of fitness levels and abilities – improving your cardiovascular fitness, your muscular strength and your motor skills. It’s also a great way to combat stress! Pad work is one of the most popular and enjoyable personal training activities, and can be used in an individual programme or as part of a circuit in our boot camp style sessions.

Kettlebell training builds strength and endurance, particularly in the lower back, legs and shoulders. The weights look a bit like cannon balls with handles. You use them to do a large number of repetitions, working multiple muscle groups simultaneously. You can burn as many calories in a 20-minute kettlebell session as running a six-minute mile, as proven in a study done by ACE. Kettlebells can really add to your personal training programme and are used in physiotherapy and rehabilitation, too.

Our lovely Lincolnshire countryside makes outdoor exercise the very best way to train. We have a range of equipment in the outdoor area of our clinic for strength training, as well as plenty of space to work on your cardiovascular fitness. We can also offer walking, running, cycling and mountain biking as part of your personal training programme.

Athletic screening is used to enhance sports performance and help prevent injuries. It’s widely used in professional sport and athletics, but is also useful for those who train or participate in sport at any level, especially if you keep picking up niggling injuries. The resulting pain and discomfort can disrupt how you move during day-to-day activities and can be the catalyst to seeking physiotherapy.

Assessing different functional movements is key to targeting any problems. We look at the global interplay between joints and muscles, because whether it’s participating in a sports match or completing tasks at home, the body needs a stable and controlled base before we can focus on strength and power.

We offer a functional movement screen, or FMS (Mary is a certified FMS practitioner) and a corrective exercise programme. Screening your movement patterns enables us to address your primary complaint as well as any predisposing causes. Adapting how you move can provide long-term pain relief by reducing the negative stress through joints and helping you to move more efficiently. So whether you’ve picked up a sports injury or aren’t at your best following an operation, or you just want to reduce the risk of future injury, screening could help.

Richard is a qualified mountain bike trail leader and a mountain leader. He has led expeditions in the UK and around the world. He can offer his expertise for your trip or can develop an individual programme suitable for any event you’re training for. If you don’t enjoy the gym but enjoy working out in the fresh air, this could be for you.

Richard is qualified to provide nutrition advice and is happy to do so either on its own or as part of your personal training plan. Many of our clients benefit from our nutrition service to get the best results from their personal training. It can be ideal when preparing for a big event such as a wedding, a major activity such as a Three Peaks challenge, or kick-starting a healthier lifestyle.