Cork's Lesley Giltinan: ‘Keeping our bodies strong will help us in our 50s, 60s, 70s...’

Find an exercise that you like to do, and do it with the people that you like, because this is for life, so it has to be enjoyable.

That’s the straight-talking advice from Cork personal trainer Lesley Giltinan who insists that even the busiest person on the planet has 20 minutes to work out every other day.

“The ideal situation is to have a balance of lifting weights, and they don’t have be heavy, just a set of bells that challenge you, whether that’s 2kgs or 8kgs; and strength training at least three times a week.

“Your minimum requirement is 20 minutes each time and everyone can find that, I don’t care how busy you are,” she said.

She runs in-person classes in Cork as well as her Lean With Lesley app, which took off during covid, and has 10,000 members worldwide.

“Expats love my Cork accent – genuinely, I get loads of messages how they get such a kick out of it! They say it feels like it’s part of being at home. I also think I’ve a very real approach to working out. I’d say 99.9% of my clients are women and I have that connection with them and I’m very proud of that,” she said.

The fitness guru will lead the warm up at this year’s Cork Very Pink Run event, which takes place on Sunday, September 6 at MTU, Bishopstown, starting at 12.30pm.

Lesley’s ethos is on creating strong bodies.

“I was pulling the curtains in my son’s room the other morning and I fell over a large cushion and went straight on to the ground, but I was back up again straight away, and I know for a fact that keeping our bodies strong will help us to continue to do that, doing the things we want to be doing in our 50, 60s and 70s.

“Exercising to be skinny is a ridiculous approach, and is the most unhealthy thing ever. It’s actually as unhealthy as carrying too much weight. What we need to aim at is keeping our bodies strong, to build muscle, to build bone strength, and it will make a huge difference to the quality of our lives, now and as we age,” she said.

Her thoughts on weight loss injections?

“It’s wonderful for the people who need it and it’s kind of sad for the people who don’t. If aesthetically you want to lose a stone, and you’re on Ozempic and you lose it, you won’t have to think about exercise or keeping muscle mass or bone strength and that’s what gives me the fear. I get it if someone is obese and has been struggling with that condition for years, but going on it if you’re a size 12 and you want to be a size 10? That’s a bad idea,” she said.

The Very Pink Run is in support of ground-breaking breast cancer research and nationwide awareness and education programmes.

More than just a fun run, jog or walk event, it has become a nationwide movement that unites thousands of participants (men, women and children) in support of a future free from breast cancer.

As a Very Pink Run Ambassador, Lesley will help rally the Cork crowd to show up, step out, and support the cause — demonstrating that every step taken is a stride towards a future where breast cancer is no longer a life-threatening disease for the 1 in 7 women and 1 in 738 men diagnosed with this disease in their lifetime.

“I’ve trained lots of women who have had breast cancer, even at the moment I have several who come to my class and who are having treatment, and I truly believe that keeping our bodies fit and strong will help us to battle such circumstances if they arise,” she said.

The event will offer a vibrant festival-style experience, making it a perfect family-friendly day out. Alongside the 5k and 10k run and walk routes, guests can enjoy live music, children’s entertainment, family games, and a range of festival style food trucks, promising a fun-filled, uplifting atmosphere from start to finish. There are no limits – and no pressure, just a shared commitment to making a difference.

“This is my third year being an ambassador for the event and I’ll do it for as long as I’m asked. It’s such a feelgood, fun day with people of all ages - kids, dogs, everyone is welcome and the craic is mighty! I’d encourage everyone to register and come along,” said Lesley.