Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
5 mins ago
The importance of education to keep up with new developments took a Gisborne health and fitness facility owner back to school.
Brian Horwell, formerly from the United Kingdom and a Gisborne resident for the past decade, has been in the fitness industry for about 20 years.
He first studied in his home country and found when he moved here it worked out better to retrain and enrolled at EIT Tairāwhiti.
After finishing his Certificate in Exercise level 5, he set up his own gym – Primal Fitness – named to remember the flexibility we are born with.
“Movement is a primal function. For example, if you look at kids squatting – they do it perfectly, but we introduce chairs, and they lose that ability. I love to reteach that.”
He enjoyed the EIT 17 week course, refreshing his knowledge and learning new skills and information.
“If you are not learning you are standing still.
“The anatomy stays the same, but the way things are taught always evolve.”
Completing the EIT Tairāwhiti course in 2019, puts Brian on the New Zealand list of personal trainers register of exercise professionals.
“This shows I am qualified and trained to do what I am doing.”
Brian arrived in Gisborne for the wedding of his best mate in 2010 and fell in love with the place.
“I often look outside and think why would I go back to the UK.”
He is feeling grateful he has survived his first year of business.
“I got the keys just before lockdown. I am lucky to be still operating. It’s a challenge for any business to survive its first year and to survive this past year … I should be good,” he says.
Brian offers several different types of activities to help with health and fitness. As well as individual personal training, he has group fitness sessions daily and with a background in boxing, he runs boxfit and thai boxing classes.
“I also work with community groups. One is for males in various stages of prostate cancer. I have different exercises for different stages. Whether they are pre or post surgery….The link between physical activity and recovery is very close.”
- Primal Fitness contact details are available online.
- To find out more about the Health and Exercise programme, contact EIT Tairāwhiti through its website or call into the main office in Palmerston Road.
