Balance Fitness and Wellbeing

Balance Fitness and Wellbeing Helping you to be fitter, healthier, and happier, for life. Hi, I'm Paul Waters, owner of balance, and personal trainer and lifestyle coach for 20 years.

Based in Wells, we’re a fitness & wellbeing studio offering a unique blend of personal training, yoga, massage, health checks, and nutrition & lifestyle coaching - to help you find your balance.. These days, I'm an author, coach, and speaker, specialising in helping people to improve their health, fitness, and wellbeing in a sustainable way. On this page, I share with you how my partner Lou and I

try to live a simple, balanced lifestyle, and how you can do it too. You’ll find hints and tips on everything from mindset and behaviour change to nutrition, sleep, stress reduction and improving mental health, boosting energy levels, cardio, weights, stretching, and much, much more! And every piece of advice I give is about moving away from gimmicks and quick fixes to find simple, natural, lasting solutions. You don’t find any supplements or meal replacements here, there’ll be no rapid weight loss or fitness plans that you can’t maintain, and everything will be as much about looking after our beautiful planet too.

Nature’s wonders this week…• A heron and a chick sharing the water in Ninesprings Park in Yeovil.• The kindness of a nei...
09/09/2026

Nature’s wonders this week…

• A heron and a chick sharing the water in Ninesprings Park in Yeovil.

• The kindness of a neighbour at the studio, leaving us a bunch of lavender she’d cut when pruning the garden.

• The beauty of the willow tree.

• Crunch, crunch, crunch, beech nuts aplenty!

• A leaf monster! 🍁 👹

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Seeing our clients succeed is fabulous!!!🥇😁In the past week, we’ve done three progress checks with clients where weight ...
08/09/2026

Seeing our clients succeed is fabulous!!!🥇😁

In the past week, we’ve done three progress checks with clients where weight loss has been an important part of their health and fitness goals.

How have they done?

Flippin’ great, that’s how! 🙌

They’ve lost 2 stone, 4 stone, and 6 stone respectively, the latter achieving some truly incredible changes:

• Her Body Mass Index has gone from the highest category (40) to the healthy range (25).
• She’s reduced her body fat percentage by 20%, from over 50% to now again being in the ideal ranges.
• She’s lost 12 inches (30 centimetres) off her waist and again moved from the high risk to healthy category.
• And, at the same time she’s increased her muscle mass by a fabulous 10%!
• Most of all, she’s learned ways to feel in control of her weight, shape, health, nutrition, and life. She now truly believes that she can do it!

All in her mid-70s! 💪💪💪

I was thinking about why these fabulous folks have succeeded. A question people often ask is, ‘What do you do with people, what’s your approach?’

I guess we’re a bit different. We don’t have a set method. Because that would be imposing what works for us on someone else.

Instead, what we do is listen, coach, ask the right questions, explore options, and then educate on the pros and cons of each.

Then we try something, knowing that it may or may not work well. We talk about it, keep the good bits and change the ones that don’t work so well for them.

And over time, with this coached approach, our clients find ways to better nutrition, to being more active, to sleeping better, and to managing how they respond to the stresses and strains of life. They find their way, their balance, and it generally leads to great things.

We have some guiding principles along the way of course:

• We aim for gradual changes that give them time to adjust and avoid the quick-fix gimmicks that inevitably lead to the weight coming back.

• We help them find exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle tools and habits that feel realistic and sustainable. We don’t just want them to lose the weight, we want them to believe that this is the new them, that they can do it forever now, even without us around.

• We focus on all-round health and wellbeing, not simply the numbers on the scales. We want clients to be greedy with their health, to want it all and to know that’s ok. Weight loss, energy, health, strength, confidence. You can have the lot! They all come from the same core healthy habits.🥰

And yes, we guide, motivate, and support, but to all of our clients making fabulous changes, we want you to know that it’s you that puts in the hard work and reaps the rewards and we’re hugely proud of you for it!! 🙌❤️🙌❤️🙌

You can’t control everything. And that’s that hugely important to understand when it comes to your wellbeing.Today was L...
07/09/2026

You can’t control everything.

And that’s that hugely important to understand when it comes to your wellbeing.

Today was Lennie’s first day of school. He’s been a mix of nervous and excited about it, and that’s shown in his behaviour as the big day drew near.

I realised that I was as anxious about it, if not more so, than he was. Why? Maybe my memories of my own first day at school coloured in what I thought it might be like for him.

I still remember sitting in the school hall as names were called out for different classes. When mine was read aloud, I hid under my plastic chair with metal legs and rubber stopper feet. And when my mom and the teachers tried to cajole me out, I dragged that chair across the intricately patterned parquet flooring. What a horrible sound that made!

I was extremely shy as a kid, and I guess I see that in Lennie sometimes. You worry for your little ones. You want them to be happy.

A few days ago, I started thinking about the Locus of Control. It’s a simple psychological idea, looking at the level of control you have over things, and it can be broken into three sections:

1. Things you have control over.

2. Things you have an element of influence over but not complete control.

3. Things you can’t control.

I realised I couldn’t control my past experiences. I also couldn’t completely control what was going through Lennie’s mind. But I could control how I was around him in the build up to today, and how I was on the journey there and at the gates. Calm, positive but supportive, ensuring he knew it was ok to talk to me about anything he was scared of.

I don’t know if it made a difference but after days of mixed feelings about going to school, he was super brave. He nervously wandered through the little wooden gate into his reception outdoor classroom/play area, got a little upset when he realised he didn’t know what he was supposed to do, but after a little chat with us over the fence, he headed in with a few others.

And do you know what? When we picked him up at 3:15, his face was a giant beaming smile! 😁 And what a beautiful smile it is.❤️ He’d had a fabulous day!!! (Apparently, they have two playgrounds!)

What’s this got to do with your wellbeing?

Well, you can use locus of control as a powerful tool to help you with your actions and mindset.

Make three columns on a piece of paper, headed as mentioned earlier:

1. Things you have control over.
2. Things you have an element of influence over but not complete control.
3. Things you can’t control.

Then think about what you’re trying to achieve with your health and fitness and what can influence this. Put each thing into the column where you think it fits.

For example, you may put age into the can’t control column. But you might put your attitude to ageing into the column you have control over.

For the things you can control, how are you doing on these? Can you improve in one area this week?

For those you can control partially, are you taking ownership of this? Or do you need to do something differently?

And for anything you can’t control, practice (in the words of Princess Elsa) letting it go. No point worrying about what you can’t control, right.

Few of us will ever get perfect at this, but if it helps just a little then that’s one step towards better balance.

Now I just need to practice it for the next 13 years of school!!! 😬 Fifteen with Izzie!!! 🤦🏻‍♂️🤣

What did I say on Friday about a balanced weekend?Movement. ✅People. ✅Nature. ✅Nourishment. ✅It was so nice today to cat...
06/09/2026

What did I say on Friday about a balanced weekend?

Movement. ✅

People. ✅

Nature. ✅

Nourishment. ✅

It was so nice today to catch up with my great training partner and adventure buddy, Simon Evans!!!

We’ve not had chance to do much together in recent years but he kindly agreed to keep me company for the first 13 miles of an 18-miler for the marathon training.

And it was a proper jog down memory lane, out of Bristol along the leafy Leigh Woods side of the Avon, over the motorway bridge, and back along the Portway.

Simon then left me to a long missed harbour loop: past the SS Great Britain, The Matthew sailing past looking resplendent as ever, the cobbles, Queen’s Square, the numerous boat bars and restaurants, Castle Park. What a beautiful city it is and how I miss its varied choice of running routes! But most of all, I miss my many fabulous friends. Here’s to more catch-ups very soon.🙏🥰

Oh and the nourishment? Lou made some delicious burgers and rosemary potatoes with salad for my recovery food. 😋

I’m not going to lie. Eighteen miles was hard going, and after a few injuries I’m much slower than I wanted to be going into the final few weeks of training before the big day but, if the next few long ones are as fun as this, I’ll be ready to give it my best shot. 🏃🏻‍♂️🏅

I’ve just been stopped for shoplifting in Tesco.Apparently, you can’t just Take That. 😉
04/09/2026

I’ve just been stopped for shoplifting in Tesco.

Apparently, you can’t just Take That. 😉

Things that made me smile today…This fabulous fungi sitting by the oath on my stroll up to the studio. 🍄‍🟫 Happy Friday ...
04/09/2026

Things that made me smile today…

This fabulous fungi sitting by the oath on my stroll up to the studio. 🍄‍🟫

Happy Friday folks!! Here’s to a nicely balanced weekend - people, movement, nature, and nourishment. 🥰

“Static stretching is a waste of time.”I see this idea rolled out a lot these days. But is it true? 🤔 Here’s a balanced ...
03/09/2026

“Static stretching is a waste of time.”

I see this idea rolled out a lot these days. But is it true? 🤔

Here’s a balanced view:

—————————————————————————-

THE ARGUMENT AGAINST STATIC STRETCHING

This is pretty much purely around improving mobility (range of movement at a joint) and movement.

And there are some pretty strong points on this side of the debate. A static stretch (one held in a single position for a period of time) and the daily movement demands of our bodies are very different things.

We move dynamically in a range of directions, sometimes at speed, and sometimes carrying load (shopping, children, suitcases, etc.)

A static stretch doesn’t really help with this. We know that stretching alone can make a joint unstable and weaker, and that regular stretching isn’t strongly connected to decreased injury risk.

If it’s dynamic, daily movement improvement you’re after, blending mobility exercises (moving ones) with strength work done through a good range of movement and in different directions is arguably more effective.

—————————————————————————

THE ARGUMENT FOR STATIC STRETCHING

After reading above, you might think we’re against the use of static stretches. Not at all. There is absolutely a place and a time for them in a balanced approach.

Here are a few examples of when and why we use them with clients:

1. To switch off tight muscles.

Sometimes, clients find it hard to perform dynamic mobility or strength exercises because a muscle is ‘stuck’.

In this instance, we use a 3-phase approach:

i) Static stretch - to switch off/relax the tight muscle.🧘🏽‍♂️
ii) Dynamic stretches/mobility exercises - to wake the muscle up again and get it moving.🤸🏽‍♀️
iii) Strength exercises - performed through the newly improved range of movement - to develop stability and strength alongside added movement capabilities.🏋🏿

We use this process a lot to help clients improve their posture and to reduce pain and discomfort caused my muscle imbalances.

2. For relaxation.

Static stretching is nice. It can be a great way to chill out. 🧘‍♀️

Blended into a balanced training week, it can be a lovely thing to do on rest/recovery days.

And if people enjoy it and it gets them moving, that’s almost always a good thing.

3. To increase muscle flexibility.

Where tight muscles are causing the problem, we know that long-hold stretches (maybe as long as 2-3 minutes per stretch) can be effective in increasing their flexibility.

—————————————————————————

Truth is, there’s rarely any such thing as a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ exercise.

Exercises are either safe and appropriate for the right person at the right time, or they’re not.

That’s where an experienced exercise professional can help, guiding you to find the balance that’s right for you. 💪🙌

Happy September everyone!!!The first day of meteorological Autumn.There’s a cool to the mornings and evenings now. The s...
01/09/2026

Happy September everyone!!!

The first day of meteorological Autumn.

There’s a cool to the mornings and evenings now. The sun still shines bright, but the day is bookended by a freshness that requires an extra layer (sssshhh, don’t say it out loud).

Light switches are suddenly finding their purpose again, the night sky dark instead of that wonderful deep blue that oversees the summer skies.

And it’s a different autumn these days. The beech trees here have been shedding for weeks due to heat stress, the walk to work a crispy crunch over brittle, sun-dried leaves and nuts. The blackberries beginning to turn already when - in years gone by - they’d only just be starting ripen.

But there’s plenty to be joyful for. Still lots of hummingbird hawk-moths zipping around, one beautiful addition brought about by climate change.

Yesterday, on our walk home from town, Lennie delighted in pointing out shield bugs, grasshoppers, and cabbage white butterflies flitting from verbena to valerian to late buddleia.

Best of all, when in the garden at Lou’s mum’s house last night, he wanted to show me the abundance of ripe pears ready for picking. 🍐 🍐 🍐

That joyful moment when you gently twist the pear in your hand and the stalk pops as it frees itself from its parent tree, its creator. The freshness and crunch is something else, knowing it’s just been picked, that it’s as organically grown as it is possible to be. Delicious!!!

And don’t underestimate the super-powers of a British harvest. Pears are an excellent source of fibre, water, and healthy plant nutrients known as flavonoids. They’ve been linked to better blood sugar control and energy levels, improved gut health and digestion, and helping to maintain a healthy heart.♥️

Not bad for something you can likely find growing freely in many places near you, or left out in baskets by the roadside by those with too many growing in their garden! 🧺 🍐

Happy September everyone, hope it’s a balanced one! 😍

A balanced Bank Holiday weekend Sunday…On top of the world with a hilly 10k along the Monarch’s Way out of Wells this mo...
30/08/2026

A balanced Bank Holiday weekend Sunday…

On top of the world with a hilly 10k along the Monarch’s Way out of Wells this morning.

Deep under the world with a fab trip to Wookey Hole Caves this afternoon. Witches, dinosaurs, echoes, soft play, and ice creams!

Perfect. Just bloody perfect.😍

We’re so fortunate to live in such a special place.🙏

Blackberry picking in the rain before breakfast 😋 🍇 🐶
29/08/2026

Blackberry picking in the rain before breakfast 😋 🍇 🐶

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