Using creative fitness to tackle teenage mental health issues

This last six months the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has indeed affected everyone’s mental health. This ‘new normal’ has had a profound affect on the way we all live and in particular these difficulties are highlighted among young teens and children and their ‘anxieties’ as the pandemic evolves today.

Heidi Ellen Love, founder and creator of FitKidz with Heidi has been busy since March with Irish children online and in person, developing a huge range of ‘holistic’ classes to help tackle psychosocial problems arising from COVID-19 restrictions, especially during lockdown phase. She took a similar approach in 2003 working with Disability Support Service, UCC, NTDI and Cork Mental Health Association developing an acclaimed project “raising mental health through peer mentoring and creative arts”. Now working as a personal trainer Heidi devised ‘creative fitness’ using psychophysical training to tackle teenage ‘anxiety’ and mental health problems. Creative fitness uses modern fitness approaches such as ‘box’ and ‘weights’ combined with fitness drumming, martial arts and is hugely focused around Heidi’s FitKidz Reward Badges and progressive theme based programmes.

“I offer a 1:1 service for Teenagers struggling and suffering from anxiety related problems that delves deeply into a mind/body approach that encourages teens to connect with their creativity and use fitness and martial art based activities to help manage these difficulties. My sessions involve a non-invasive consultation followed by a structured exercise programme delivered 1:1 weekly”.

Heidi encourages a mindful approach by using the fear and frustrations arising from COVID-19 to fuel a ‘warrior’ mindset using physical and creative activity. Heidi works on confidence, strength and resilience in all her classes live today at The Glenview Leisure Club, Wicklow. Her popular FitKidz Programme runs today in its 5th week where she encourages kids through the practices of Yoga, Boxing, Weight Lifting, Mixed Martial Arts, Kickboxing and Strength Training, all of which she is qualified to teach. Also delving into her own performance training and years of acting, Heidi runs Acting On Screen, a popular weekly online class to boost children’s confidence and creativity especially during restrictions.

Many of Heidi’s success stories can be found Here !

Teen Warrior Training is a personal training, support service for teenagers which aims to tackle mental health issues that have arisen during COVID-19 which is fitness-based that focuses on fun, routine, diet management and structure in a safe environment. Individual consults can be made by contacting Heidi personally or by getting in touch Here!

If you know a teenager or has a teenager who may need support through a fitness and training approach, contact us today!