Online Personal Trainer News: Editorial Chapter 2 – Move With Ally - Personal Training with Elsa
- Ally Britton
- Mar 6
- 5 min read
Online personal trainer, fitness coach, online dance teacher, and accidental adventurer — Move With Ally. This is chapter 2, and where Ally has an online personal training session with Elsa.
Let me introduce you to Elsa — client, chaos magnet, soon-to-be thirty, and the reason I now have a folder on my phone called “Screenshots of Mum Texts.”
She’s 29 and clinging to her twenties like a cat trying to escape a bath. In her words: “I’m not afraid of turning thirty… I’m afraid of my mother’s reaction to me turning thirty while still single and eating pasta in a hoodie.”
Which, for the record, is exactly how I aspire to spend my evenings.
Elsa came to me through my Patreon — she signed up for one of my “Get Fit Without Hating Yourself” beginner programs, and we’ve been laughing our way through squats ever since. What started as client-trainer convos has quickly turned into 90% workouts, 10% therapy, and 100% friendship.
She’s actually amazing. She works in a proper sit-down job (her words, not mine) in marketing, is sharp as hell, and helps me spell things whenever I write Instagram captions. I once wrote “coregous glutes” instead of “gorgeous glutes” and she hasn’t let me live it down since. But she still hit “like,” so you know it’s real.
***
The Mum Problem
But there’s… one issue.Elsa’s mum.
Now, before anyone yells “be nice, she’s just worried,” let me explain: Elsa’s mum calls so much, I once thought she was the client. I’ve heard her voice more than some of my own family. She doesn’t even say hello anymore. She just picks up the phone and says:
“Ally! It’s Elsa’s mother. Is she losing weight yet?”
And if I had a pound for every time that woman opened a call with “Has she got a boyfriend?” I could afford a second dog.
Today’s call was particularly iconic. I’m mid-zoom warm-up with Elsa when I hear her phone buzz. She winces.“She’s calling again.”I raise an eyebrow.“She probably just read that I can meet men at the gym.”Pause.“I bet you five squats she mentions Tinder.”
Spoiler: she did.Double spoiler: she also asked if Elsa could “join one of those online things where you get a husband in a box.” I don’t even know what that means, but I’m pretty sure it’s illegal.
***
The Workout That Wasn’t
We tried to work out, we really did. But between lunges, Elsa’s mum managed to call twice — once because her computer wouldn’t turn on, and the second time because she “saw on Facebook that green smoothies cause bloating” and now Elsa shouldn’t drink anything that isn’t beige.
At this point, I muted Elsa’s mic, gave her the universal “breathe deeply or scream into a pillow” signal, and let her do some angry squats. Honestly, her form was incredible. Rage is excellent for glute activation.
By the time we finished the session, Elsa was sweaty, calm-ish, and muttering, “I love her, but if she says ‘time is ticking’ one more time, I’m going to throw my phone in the ocean.”
Valid.
***
Reality Check
Here’s the truth: Elsa doesn’t need to change a thing to be worthy. Not her weight, not her relationship status, not her smoothie colour. But she’s here, doing the work anyway. Not for her mum. Not for society. For herself.
Sure, she thinks she just needs to lose “a few pounds” to feel good in her skin again. But the more we talk, the more I realise: Elsa is not a project. She’s a whole masterpiece just trying to remember that she already is one.
She's beautiful. She's clever. She's got dry humour and scary good typing speed. And when her Wi-Fi isn't glitching, she gives some of the best pep talks I've ever heard — usually when I’m mid existential crisis about hashtags.
***
Side note: Harley the Scene-Stealer
Oh, I forgot to mention — Elsa has a dog. A tiny, curly, chaotic Cavapoo named Harley, who absolutely insists on being present for every class.
He is deeply offended if he’s not in frame. If he’s not stealing the yoga mat, he’s bringing Elsa a sock or licking the screen. Once, he tried to do downward dog and got his head stuck in a hoodie sleeve. It was… art.
Honestly, I think Harley's why Elsa hasn’t quit yet. He seems to love online workouts. Or maybe he just loves the idea of her finally moving away from her work laptop.
***
What I’ve Learned from Elsa
Elsa is the reason I love what I do.
She reminds me that online personal training isn’t just about abs or apps — it’s about connection. It’s about laughing through burpees and showing up even when your confidence is somewhere under a pile of laundry.
We don’t always stick to the plan. Some sessions turn into stretching and storytelling. Others involve dodging Harley’s zoomies. And that’s okay. Fitness isn’t just movement — it’s life in motion.
And Then Her Mum Called… Again
Just as Elsa was logging off, towel around her neck, face flushed from planks and laughter — her phone rang. Again.
She didn’t even have to look.
“It’s her,” she groaned. “Third time today. What now?”
She answered with a sigh. Then froze.
Her mouth dropped open. Her face went pale. And she looked at me like the sky had just fallen.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s my sister,” she whispered. “Her boyfriend just proposed.”
“Oh…”“She’s getting married.”
Cue the horror movie zoom-in. Cue Harley barking for no reason. Cue Elsa’s soul leaving her body.
“She wants me to be a bridesmaid,” Elsa croaked. “The wedding’s in five months", she pause., “Five. Months.”
She didn’t have to say the rest. I saw it in her eyes.
The panic. The pressure. The mental image of a pastel satin dress and buffet table.
Elsa’s life wasn’t just flashing before her eyes — it was sprinting.
***
To be continued...
Follow along to see if Elsa says yes to the dress — and survives her mum’s Pinterest board meltdown. Real workouts, fake lashes, and friendship await....
Stay tuned for next week’s chapter. In the mean time please, if you would like to book an online personal training session, pilates session or dance class please click the links below:
📸 Instagram / TikTok : @Move_With_Ally
This chapter is part of my Online Personal Trainer Stories, humorous fictional stories inspired by teaching dance and fitness classes online.
Ally is an online personal trainer offering live online fitness, Pilates, ballet and stretch classes for women across the UK.
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