Train Body Brain: How This Mum Is Empowering Teenage Girls To 'Nourish Not Punish' Their Bodies | HuffPost Life

'It's acknowledging that you are enough, you do enough, you have enough.' 💪

By

Life editor at HuffPost UK

A mum-of-two has launched a unique fitness and meditation fusion training programme for teenage girls to combat the mental health pressures they face.

Wendy MacLennan, 47, from London, launched ‘Train Body Brain’ (TBB) in summer 2016 as a way to address girls’ low self-esteem and low confidence.

The mum-of-two, who is a qualified personal trainer, experienced depression herself as a teenager.

But it was the struggles her daughter faced aged 14, during the transition from primary to secondary school, that inspired her to launch TBB.

“I feel like Train Body Brain was more of a calling than a conscious decision,” MacLennan told HuffPost UK.

“It came out of experiencing my own mental health issues as a teen and then seeing the pressures teenage girls face daily.”

TrainBodyBrain

Wendy MacLennan

MacLennan is mum to 16-year-old Mia and 12-year-old Kit.

“During Mia’s transition from primary to secondary school, I became frustrated because I couldn’t find her an uplifting fitness class to help lift her low mood,” MacLennan explained.

“Unless you were 13+ and into dance or sport, there wasn’t really anything, and then whenever I took her with me to a class she was turned away for being too young.

“Our experience that year inspired me to come up with something myself, to cater for other girls who may have been in the same situation as her.”

MacLennan saw a statistic from a study by the Department of Education in July 2016 that said 37% of 14-year-olds feel “worthless” and unable to concentrate.

It was that statistic, coupled with her personal experiences, that cemented her decision to launch TBB: a 45-minute fusion class for teens to nourish their body, brain and spirit.

She wanted to offer girls exactly what she felt she had needed as a teen, as well what she wanted for her daughter, when she was suffering low confidence and low self-esteem.

Her vision was to start a “revolution” where teenagers felt they could take charge of their own mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing.

“I felt passionately about giving teens a toolkit to help them do this themselves,” she explained.

TrainBodyBrain

A Train Body Brain class in London.

Train Body Brain combines high intensity interval training (HIIT) with positive affirmations and mindful meditation. It is aimed at girls aged 12-23.

The class is split into 20 minutes HIIT training, 15 minutes strengthen and stretch, and 10 minutes mindful meditation.

“I have always loved the feeling of high intensity exercise classes but also love the sense of calm from a yoga class,” MacLennan said.

“Train Body Brain combines both these things.”

During a TBB class, there is an emphasis on how exercise makes you feel, rather than how it makes you look, aiming to “nourish not punish” girls’ bodies.

Since launch, MacLennan has developed different classes including the ‘Self Love Workout’, ‘Radically Resilient Workout’ and ‘Abandon Anxiety Workout’.

Mantras spoken during the classes include: “I am enough and I do enough” and “All my problems have solutions”.

TrainBodyBrain

Girls meditating during a Train Body Brain class.

MacLennan said many girls now come twice a week and parents have reported their daughters coming home “on a high” and feel more positive about life.

“The parents also consistently report that the girls sleep much better after a Train Body Brain class,” she said.

“The most satisfying feedback I get from some girls is the surprise they feel at enjoying a class given that they are not ‘sporty’ in any way.

“I feel very strongly that just because netball, hockey and ballet aren’t your thing, you should not feel excluded from fitness at this age.

“This programme is all about acknowledging that you are enough, you do enough, you have enough.”

Sharing some testimonials from girls who have attended the classes, MacLennan said one of them said: “It’s the most positive sport experience I’ve ever had - none of us could stop smiling.”

Another said: “It was relaxing and made me feel alive and positive. I feel ready for the rest of the day and the instructor was very optimistic”

Although the classes currently only run in London and Suffolk, MacLennan is looking into franchising the company to run classes throughout the UK.

She has recently taken TBB into several London schools, who use the concept as part of their PE classes.

Before You Go

17 Celebrities Who Have Spoken About Mental Health

Demi Lovato, 24(01 of17)

Demi Lovato spoke about her bipolar disorder diagnosis as part of a campaign for mental health group Be Vocal.

"Getting a diagnosis was kind of a relief," she said. "It helped me start to make sense of the harmful things I was doing to cope with what I was experiencing. Now I had no choice but to move forward and learn how to live with it, so I worked with my health care professional and tried different treatment plans until I found what works for me.

"Living well with bipolar disorder is possible, but it takes patience, it takes work and it is an ongoing process. The reality is that you’re not a car that goes into a shop and gets fixed right away. Everyone’s process and treatment plan may be different.

"I am so grateful for my life today and I want to protect it. It isn’t always easy to take positive steps each day, but I know I have to in order to stay healthy. If you are struggling today with a mental health condition, you may not be able to see it as clearly right away but please don’t give up – things can get better.

"You are worthy of more and there are people who can help. Asking for help is a sign of strength." (credit:Rich Fury via Getty Images)

Professor Green, 33(02 of17)

Chatting to Freddie Flintoff for Heads Together's latest campaign #ItsOkToSay, Professor Green said: "I think I was born with anxiety. I used to take a lot of time off school. I was brought up by my grandmother, my dad was 18 when I was born, my mum was only 16. And my mum was the first person to leave when I was a year old.

"I was 24 and my dad took his own life. And it wasn't until years later when I did a documentary for the BBC and I had a conversation with my nan - it's weird that this happened for the first time on camera - but we spoke about it properly and I broke down.

"And I was petrified, it scared me that people were going to see me at my most vulnerable in a way that I don't often see myself. But that conversation changed everything because from that point, everything was out in the open and I was able to then talk to my friends about it." (credit:PA Wire/PA Images)

Ellie Goulding, 30(03 of17)

Ellie Goulding has previously spoken about her battle with anxiety and panic attacks, revealing that she underwent cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help her deal with her struggles.

She told Flare magazine: “I was skeptical at first because I’d never had therapy, but not being able to leave the house was so debilitating. And this was when my career was really taking off.

"My surroundings would trigger a panic attack, so I couldn’t go to the studio unless I was lying down in the car with a pillow over my face. I used to beat myself up about it.

“There were a couple of times after I released ‘Delirium’ when I was doing promo and thought, 'Oh god, it’s coming back, it’s coming back,' but it didn’t. I think my body has become quite good at controlling anxiety." (credit:Empics Entertainment)

Stormzy, 23(04 of17)

Grime and hip hop artist Stormzy has taken a new approach to discussing mental health, by rapping about his experiences of depression in single 'Lay Me Bare'.

Speaking to Channel 4 about the track, he said: "If there's anyone out there going through it, I think for them to see that I went through it, it would help.

"Because for a long time I used to think that soldiers don't go through that. You know? Like, strong people in life, the bravest, the most courageous people, they don't go through that, they just get on with it.

"That's not the case. I feel like I always come across confidently and happy. I just present myself in a positive way so I can spread that. So people will be looking at and thinking I don't go through nothing, so for me to let people know that I do, I felt it's important for me to let people know that." (credit:Emma McIntyre via Getty Images)

Dame Kelly Holmes, 47(05 of17)

Dame Holmes opened up about her depression battle, self-harming and the need to seek help in an open letter which the athlete tweeted during Mental Health Awareness Week.

She wrote: "I suffered in silence. And for too long. Behind closed doors - literally - I self-harmed to try and relieve the depression I was suffering as I struggled to overcome injuries that I thought would end my career. My body was constantly letting me down and then my mind did as well.

"Looking back, I wonder why I kept my feelings secret for so long. Even after I came through the worst, I didn't let on to people outside of my immediate family.

"Truth is, the stigma attached to mental health 12 years ago was a massive barrier for me. So I kept quiet, held it in and hid my mental health problems.

"Fast forward to today and people are talking more openly about mental health issues. But there's still a long way to go before people talk about mental health as openly as they do about heart disease or cancer." (credit:Francois Nel via Getty Images)

Ryan Reynolds, 40(06 of17)

The actor opened up about suffering with lifelong anxiety and the effects the mental illness had on him while filming 'Deadpool'.

He told Variety: “Our father was tough. He wasn’t easy on anyone. And he wasn’t easy on himself. I think the anxiety might have started there, trying to find ways to control others by trying to control myself. At the time, I never recognised that. I was just a twitchy kid.

"[When filming Deadpool] I never, ever slept. Or I was sleeping at a perfect right angle – just sitting straight, constantly working at the same time. By the time we were in post [production], we’d been to Comic-Con, and people went crazy for it. The expectations were eating me alive.

"Blake helped me through that. I’m lucky to have her around just to keep me sane." (credit:Taylor Hill via Getty Images)

Lena Dunham, 30(07 of17)

Dunham sat down with comedian Jacqueline Novak, on behalf of Refinery 29, to discuss her struggles with anxiety.

“I’ve always been anxious, but I haven’t been the kind of anxious that makes you run 10 miles a day and make a lot of calls on your Blackberry," she said. "I’m the kind of anxious that makes you like, ‘I’m not going to be able to come out tonight, tomorrow night or maybe for the next 67 nights'.” (credit:Ben Gabbe via Getty Images)

Zayn Malik, 24(08 of17)

Malik opened up about having an eating disorder and struggling with anxiety issues.

He told Sunday Times magazine: “Every area of my life was so regimented and controlled it was the one area where I could say, ‘No, I’m not eating that’. Once I got over the control, the eating just came back into place, super naturally.

"I came back to the UK and spent some time with my mum and got some TLC, and she cooked me food and I got back in touch, mentally, with a lot of the things I’d lost."

Discussing his anxiety struggles, he added: “I now have no problem with anxiety. It was something I was dealing with in the band.” (credit:Michael Tullberg via Getty Images)

Lady Gaga, 31(09 of17)

In an open letter to fans about her battle with PTSD, Gaga wrote: "I have wrestled for some time about when, how and if I should reveal my diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). After five years of searching for the answers to my chronic pain and the change I have felt in my brain, I am finally well enough to tell you.

"There is a lot of shame attached to mental illness, but it’s important that you know that there is hope and a chance for recovery." (credit:Kevin Winter via Getty Images)

Stephen Fry, 59(10 of17)

In a BBC documentary 'The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive', the comedian, actor and author spoke about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

"I'd never heard the word before, but for the first time, at the age of 37, I had a diagnosis that explained the massive highs and miserable lows I've lived with all my life," he said.

"The psychiatrist...recommended I take a long break. I came here to America and for months I saw a therapist and walked up and down this beach. My mind was full of questions. Am I now mad? How have I got this illness, could it have been prevented, can I be cured of it? Since then, I have discovered just how serious it is to have bipolarity, or manic depression as it's also called. Four million others in the UK have it and many of them end up killing themselves.

"I want to speak out, to fight the public stigma and to give a clearer picture of a mental illness most people know little about." (credit:Matthew Horwood via Getty Images)

Selena Gomez, 24(11 of17)

Gomez has been incredibly open about her poor mental health and how it affects her work and life.

In a previous interview with Vogue, she said: “Tours are a really lonely place for me. My self-esteem was shot. I was depressed, anxious. I started to have panic attacks right before getting onstage, or right after leaving the stage. Basically I felt I wasn’t good enough, wasn’t capable.”

In 2016, she said she was taking time off to deal with panic attacks, anxiety and depression which were a side effect of her lupus diagnosis.

She said in a statement: "As many of you know, around a year ago I revealed that I have lupus, an illness that can affect people in different ways.

"I've discovered that anxiety, panic attacks and depression can be side effects of lupus, which can present their own challenges.

"I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off." (credit:Dimitrios Kambouris via Getty Images)

Prince William, 34(12 of17)

The Duke of Cambridge called for an end to the “stiff upper lip” culture in a bid to encourage more people to open up about mental health issues - especially men.

He told charity magazine CALMzine: “We will all go through tough times in our lives, but men especially feel the need to pretend that everything is OK, and that admitting this to their friends will make them appear weak. I can assure you this is actually a sign of strength.” (credit:Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images)

Carol Vorderman, 56(13 of17)

Carol Vorderman has bravely spoken about the debilitating depression she has experienced while going through the menopause and how it led to suicidal thoughts.

She told ITV’s ‘Lorraine’: "This depression hit me - and I don’t use the word depression lightly. This was a blackness where I would wake up - nothing else in my life was going wrong, I’m a very lucky woman, no money worries or nothing like that - and I would wake up and think ‘I don’t see the point in carrying on. I just don’t see the point in life.'

“And there was no reason to feel that way and the only reason I didn’t do anything, and I’ve not admitted it before, is because I had two children."

She said that from the moment she started taking medication for it, she felt better.

"I’ve been fed up, and obviously at the moment my mum is not well so I’m upset," she explained. "But there is a reason for all of those things whereas before there was no reason for it and it was absolutely, categorically to do with hormones." (credit:Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images)

Kid Cudi, 33(14 of17)

Last year, the singer shared a candid Facebook post explaining that he'd checked himself into rehab because he was experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts.

"It's been difficult for me to find the words to what I'm about to share with you because I feel ashamed. Ashamed to be a leader and hero to so many while admitting I've been living a lie," he wrote.

"It took me a while to get to this place of commitment, but it is something I have to do for myself, my family, my best friend/daughter and all of you, my fans.

"Yesterday I checked myself into rehab for depression and suicidal urges. I am not at peace. I haven't been since you've known me. If I didn't come here, I would've done something to myself. I simply am a damaged human swimming in a pool of emotions everyday of my life.

"Theres a raging violent storm inside of my heart at all times. Idk (I don't know) what peace feels like. Idk how to relax. My anxiety and depression have ruled my life for as long as I can remember and I never leave the house because of it.

"I can't make new friends because of it. I don't trust anyone because of it and I'm tired of being held back in my life. I deserve to have peace. I deserve to be happy and smiling." (credit:Tim Mosenfelder via Getty Images)

Cara Delevingne, 24(15 of17)

When rumours were circulating that Delevingne was going to quit modelling, she tweeted: "I suffer from depression and was a model during a particularly rough patch of self hatred.

"I am so lucky for the work I get to do, but I used to work to try and escape and just ended up completely exhausting myself.

"I am focusing on filming and trying to learn how to not pick apart my every flaw. I am really good at that." (credit:Jason LaVeris via Getty Images)

Prince Harry, 32(16 of17)

Prince Harry sat down with Bryony Gordon to discuss how losing his mum - and not grieving properly - affected his mental health.

“I can safely say that losing my mum at the age of 12, and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years, has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well," he explained.

“I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and sort of lies and misconceptions and everything are coming to you from every angle.

“My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help? [I thought] it’s only going to make you sad, it’s not going to bring her back. So from an emotional side, I was like ‘right, don’t ever let your emotions be part of anything’.

"I was a typical 20, 25, 28-year-old running around going ‘life is great’, or ‘life is fine’. And then [I] started to have a few conversations and actually all of a sudden, all of this grief that I have never processed started to come to the forefront and I was like, there is actually a lot of stuff here that I need to deal with." (credit:Samir Hussein via Getty Images)

Frankie Bridge, 28(17 of17)

The former Saturdays singer spoke to Glamour about her depression battle: “One night, I got upset because Wayne hadn't bought the right yoghurts; I managed to convince myself that he didn't know me at all.

"It set off this spiral of negative thinking - that if I disappeared, it wouldn't matter to anyone. In fact, it would make everybody's life easier. I felt that I was worthless, that I was ugly, that I didn't deserve anything."

She sought help and has since been on the road to recovery.

"Nine times out of 10, my depression is under control, she added. "I get a bit emotional to think I felt so low about myself, that I shouldn't be around people I love, because I can't make them happy. I did lose myself, but I feel like me again now." (credit:Anthony Harvey via Getty Images)

Suggest a correction

|