One name stands out amidst the fitness frenzy—Aimee Victoria Long, the trailblazing personal trainer with a dedicated celebrity following to vouch for it. From the heart of the capital, she and her team work tirelessly, guiding and transforming the lives of countless individuals, including a number of A-list celebrities and even esteemed members of the Royal Family.
With her P.T. partner Josh, she has created and maintained a reputation in the fitness industry that is nothing short of extraordinary, and developed an epic healthy meal prep delivery service to match. What sets her apart from the rest is her boundless expertise, unyielding dedication and her unique, captivating approach—an artful fusion of various disciplines, masterfully blending Pilates with the intensity of strength and conditioning. V.F. caught up with Aimee to discuss her big plans for the future…
VF: What lead you to train and inspire people to care about fitness?
I have always had a love of movement, be it hockey or dance as a younger girl, through to general gym training when I moved to London for university. I think struggling with eating and over training in my early adulthood made me want to understand health and wellness more. At that time fitness had really come to the forefront in London, with boutique gyms, ‘clean eating,’ and athleisure emerging, everyone seemed to seek the new best diet and training fad and I definitely fell into some of these traps. That is probably one of the main reasons as to why I wanted to start training others, so they didn’t have to make the same mistakes I did. My goal was to educate myself as best I could on what it really takes to be healthy and training in a functional and beneficial way for body type and goal.
VF: What’s your favourite method of exercise?
Personally I love reformer Pilates, it is probably one of my favourite ways to train and can be adapted to be as strenuous as you wish, as well as, used for rehabilitation purposes. I think a lot of people under estimate how hard Pilates can be, as well as how beneficial it can be. I would say the vast majority of my clients start training with me having never done Pilates and it quickly becomes their favourite go-to workout.
VF: What are your big plans for the future?
To grow what we have at the moment. We currently have a meal prep delivery service, OMNI, which I would love to take to the next level and start operating outside of London—we pivot around balanced eating, with an option for clients to have a bespoke plan based on their nutrition consultations and desired meals for the week. Bringing this to the masses really is a big goal for us.
We also offer retreats in the UK and aboard and would really like to see a few of permanent destinations of the cards, with option to stay all year round, as well as, a focus on expanding new clinic—pivoting further around health testing and cosmetic treatments. I would ideally like to create a one stop shop for all things fitness/wellness, health and beauty.
VF: What’s your best piece of advice?
One of the best pieces of advice I can offer is to embrace the power of perseverance. Life is full of challenges and setbacks, but if you persist and keep moving forward, you can overcome almost anything. Remember that success often requires time, effort, and resilience. So, when faced with difficulties, stay determined, learn from your experiences, and never give up on your dreams.
VF: What is the perfect workout with no equipment?
For me, I would say my favourite workout which requires no equipment would probably be barre, it can be so challenging and can be done from anywhere, which is always great if you travel a lot and want to stay consistent in your training. The only downfall is that it is hard to do solo without following a video or 1-2-1 trainer.
A perfect workout with no equipment would typically consist of a combination of cardiovascular exercises, strength training, and flexibility exercises.
Here’s a simple routine you can try:
1. Warm-up: Start with 5-10 minutes of light jogging, jumping jacks, or dynamic stretching to get your body ready for exercise.
2. Cardiovascular exercises: Perform exercises like high knees, mountain climbers, burpees, or jump squats to get your heart rate up and increase your overall endurance. Aim for 10-15 minutes of continuous movement.
3. Strength training: Focus on bodyweight exercises that target major muscle groups. Include exercises such as push-ups, squats, lunges, planks, and tricep dips. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions for each exercise.
4. Core exercises: Engage your core with exercises like crunches, bicycle crunches, plank variations, or Russian twists. Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions for each exercise.
5. Flexibility exercises: Finish your workout with some stretches to improve flexibility and help your muscles recover. Include stretches for your hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, chest, shoulders, and back. Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds.
Remember to listen to your body, modify exercises as needed, and stay hydrated throughout the workout.
