Northants business owner ‘elated and incredibly grateful’ to be named best fitness instructor in the county

Ellen Saunders was formerly a professional dancer working at sea until she reached her late twenties in 2016.

Her mother Jane had worked hard to establish Enhance Fitness across Long Buckby and it was going “from strength to strength”.

After returning home from living in America with the ambition of settling and creating a career in her home county, Ellen qualified as a fitness professional and began working with her mother.

This soon transitioned into a partnership and when the pandemic hit, the pair moved Enhance Fitness online and brought in new clients from all over the world.

“It propelled us into a completely different entity,” said Ellen. “It wasn’t what we expected or were used to, and we wouldn’t have thought to have tried it.”

Jane began to step back during the pandemic and as the restrictions eased, she felt it was the right time for Ellen to carry the business forward alone.

Ellen said: “It was a very progressive, natural and family-oriented process. My mum still sits in the wings and supports me.”

Since then, Enhance Fitness has expanded across both Long Buckby and West Haddon – and the online subscription service sees new members join ‘Enhance Fitness Digital’ every week.

Ellen offers personal training to individuals or in small groups, and is a fitness instructor in pilates, clubbercise, fit step, circuits and ballet barre. The latter is something she is launching around the country for other instructors to learn.

The business owner was recently named ‘best fitness instructor’ at the Muddy Stilettos Awards across Northamptonshire, Rutland and Leicestershire.

“I feel incredibly grateful,” she said. “To be a small village business and be recognised at such a level, I feel really elated.”

Ellen says the award win is her proudest achievement since joining her mother in Enhance Fitness in 2016.

When asked what she believes the clients like most about the experience she offers, Ellen said: “It’s very, very personal. I know everybody by name and a lot about their lives. We’re a personal, family-run small business.

“Fitness can often be quite intimidating and scary for some people if they are new, but we welcome everyone and anyone.”

The most rewarding part of running Enhance Fitness for Ellen is seeing people succeed – from mastering a dance routine or pilates position, to weight loss or gain, or being brave enough to step into a new environment.

Ellen and Jane were both self-employed earners when the pandemic hit and she described the “terrifying” feeling of the unknown.

The transition to the technological world was a challenge as a face-to-face business and although they “hit some barriers”, Enhance Fitness Digital remains a thriving part of their offering.

Having worked hard to build back up from the pandemic, Ellen would love to continue the growth and bring in another instructor – who will be trained like Jane took Ellen under her wing. She would also love to expand across more villages.