MY FITNESS TESTIMONY

HI, my name is Sandija Galkina. I am 40 years old, originally Latvian, now living in Ireland for the past 12 years.

I have always been fit and have never struggled with my weight throughout my youth. I didn’t really partake in fitness and rarely worked out or followed diets.

That is, until two years ago, when I began to notice that I quickly started to gain weight, my energy levels dropped, and I became very moody throughout the day. I also noticed my posture begin to worsen, and I started to develop a hump on my upper back and shoulders.

As I looked in the mirror, I didn’t like what I saw and understood it was finally time to change my own health and body for the better before it got out of control

Before my fitness journey began, I had gained 7 kilograms in less than one year; it just got worse and worse from then on.

I began to read up on different information surrounding fitness, health and weight loss, but all of the information I had gathered was too much to take in. Even my first visit to my local gym was overwhelming since I had no clue what to do and where to start.

This is why I decided to sign up for the National Qualification in Exercise, Health Studies and Personal Training course, becoming a qualified personal coach to not only help myself but also others who face the same struggle as me.

Important fitness and health tips that I learned

( how and why they work )

  • Proper nutrition and supplementation

    If you want to maintain your health and weight, the correct nutrition and supplementation are essential, especially the older a person gets.

  • Movement

    Movement is essential for your own health and longevity. Your body is made to be in constant movement.

  • Resistance training and exercise

    Lifting weights, especially after 40, is fundamental to maintaining muscle mass, bone density and youthfulness.

    ( “IF YOU DON’T USE IT, YOU WILL LOSE IT” )

  • Right mindset

    Exercise helps improve your body’s not only physical but mental health as well. Exercise releases your body’s feel-good chemicals, dopamine, serotonin and endorphins, which reduce pain and improve your mood.

A woman taking a mirror selfie in a bedroom, wearing beige lingerie and holding a phone in front of her face. The room has a bed with pillows, a window with blinds, and a hanging ceiling light.

71KG

Woman taking a mirror selfie in a bedroom, wearing black underwear.

‍ ‍66KG

A woman wearing a white cap, white t-shirt, light blue shorts, and black sneakers standing on a rocky ground at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Ancient ruins and the cityscape of Athens with mountains are visible in the background on a sunny day with clouds.

2025 April

A woman with black hair, sunglasses, a white top, and red pants, standing next to a medieval knight statue made of metal, in a stone archway.

2026 July

A certificate of qualification awarded to Sandija Galkina for kettlebell training, issued in Ireland in 2026 by the National Training Centre.
A certificate for National Qualification in Exercise, Health Studies, and Personal Training issued in Ireland at the National Training Centre in 2026. It features signatures, a red seal, and logos of Reps Ireland and Europe Active.

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