Fit for life
Birgitte Nymann knew her plans had gone off-course when she found herself managing a chain of gyms instead of working out in them. Today, however, the determined Danish fitness guru motivates millions through her exercise books, DVDs, magazine articles and fitness equipment – and even sells her own-brand chocolate via her web-based shop
words by Anne Absalonsen
In a smart Copenhagen gym, three brand new Pilates workout machines are waiting to be assembled. A huge whiteboard is emblazoned with the message that staying healthy is “not just about exercise but also about physics, nutrition and a healthy dose of motivation”. This is the sometime ‘office’ of Danish fitness instructor and health writer Birgitte Nymann, whose professional success has slowly led to a move away from being a full-time fitness teacher and personal trainer to celebrities to a life spent more and more ‘on the road’ lecturing or at the keyboard writing books.
“When I started out as a fitness instructor I taught 15 classes a week,” recalls Birgitte, who, appropriately, is glowing with good health. “Today I have only one regular class at Skodsborg Sanatorium and Health Centre just to maintain the routine and contact with people who use my workout system. I love teaching this particular class: all seniors who love life and appreciate every motion they can do by themselves. They never miss a class, as opposed to younger people, who often skip a session.”
The fitness guru pours herself a cup of herbal tea. She drinks 10-12 cups – a year. Practising what she preaches, Birgitte usually drinks only water. She is outspoken about the benefits of following an 80/20 model, meaning that if you eat and live healthily 80% of the time, it’s fine to be more relaxed the rest of the time. Happily, a bite of chocolate once in a while doesn’t hurt.
Since 2001, the 36 year old, originally from the small town of Gammel Ry in central Jutland, has managed her company Nymanns (www.nymanns. dk). She now has three employees who take care of the sale and distribution of her books, workout DVDs, fitness equipment – even her own-brand chocolate – from her web-based shop. She has published 12 books in five languages, of which 10 are bestsellers in Denmark; there are two more to come this summer and a further four within the next year.
She is a sought-after speaker and lecturer, conducts courses in effective training as well as Pilates for trainers and team leaders, writes regularly for Scandinavian health magazine I Form and has a weekly column in business newspaper Børsen. And, on top of all this, she still manages to finds the time to exercise every morning.
“My mother travelled all over the world as a gymnast and carried on exercising right up until two weeks before I was born,” smiles Birgitte. “She started taking me to the gym when I was a very young child. I’ve always done some kind of exercise and have tried most sports. Exercising every morning is my daily Prozac; it’s what makes me get out of bed happy.”
But there was a time when Birgitte had no idea that she could combine her passion for fitness with a challenging career. “My teacher at high school suggested that I should study sports at university and I thought: Is that possible?” she remembers. “And so I moved to Copenhagen.” After graduating with a BA in sports, Birgitte started working as a fitness instructor in a large chain of fitness centres. One day she found herself managing them all and realised that her work had become far removed from what really makes her happy: being with people in the gym, teaching and exercising.
So she quit her job, started writing and began to introduce other instructors to ‘effect training’, her own system, based on concentrated, static, prolonged work for the muscles in a simple manner that means even elderly and weakened people can perform the exercises. And no one was more surprised than Birgitte when her first book, Slim Forever, became an instant bestseller.
“I never had a strategy or a game plan. What you get is what you give – and most of my achievements seem to have come from out of the blue,†she says candidly. “I’m sometimes surprised by how people come up to me and offer just what I’m dreaming of. I’ve only brought out two books on my own initiative, the rest have been commissioned.†But in a notoriously crowded marketplace, surely the fitness expert must have come up against some tough competition on her way to the top? “Though it may sound corny, I haven’t really met any obstacles on my way – or perhaps I have just forgotten about them,†laughs Birgitte, who has recently discovered a brand new love in life: sleeping.
“Due to my tight schedule, I was used to getting only four or five hours of sleep a night,†she explains. “But after studying with Paul Check, an American instructor who focuses on holistic training, I realised that a good eight hours of sleep restores not only the body but the mind. I have so much more energy now and I’ve even noticed more economic growth in my company.†The holistic approach has also had a significant impact on Birgitte’s leisure time. “For the first time in years I’m able to take the evenings and weekends off,†she explains. “I’ll watch TV or have my friends over for dinner and long chats – and we never talk business or fitness! I seem to have neglected how important that is for quite a while. Luckily my friends were still there for me.â€
Being single – but seeing “a really nice
Norwegian guy who didn’t run off scared when I
accidentally crashed his snow scooter†– children
are not a priority right now for the entrepreneur.
“When people remark that I am far too busy for children anyway, I remind them that I work so much because I have the time,†shrugs Birgitte. “If there were children, I’d work less. But it takes a man of the right kind, a man who is not afraid to take second place.†And, of course, kids might put an end to those newfound eight hours of sleep. But Birgitte Nymann gives the impression that she will cross that bridge when she comes to it, with as much energy and determination as she’s put into every other aspect of her life.
birgitte’s 5 tips for… staying in shape when travelling
1. Keep a set of exercises in mind that can be done everywhere without any special equipment.
2. Pack a how-to DVD or book to inspire you.
3. Always take the stairs instead of the escalator.
4. Waiting time in airports is perfect for exercising: pick up a trolley and get walking.
5. Remember to stretch after a long flight to prevent muscle stiffness.
getting a flat stomach for the beach
1. Try to avoid eating over-processed food.
It can play havoc with the digestive system.
2. Avoid pre-cooked food.
3. Avoid white bread and sugar.
4. Walk 10,000 steps every day (a pedometer will help you keep count).
5. Do a series of simple stomach exercises (sit-ups, for example) for 25 minutes at least three times a week.
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