“Society expects women to have children. Then, when we do, our bodies are expected to look and function as though we haven’t. This is a load of BS.”

As a highly experienced Personal Trainer, Kirstyn moved into the specialty of women’s health and fitness after making mistakes in her own exercise and learning from her injury – tearing connective tissue, creating an ab separation, weakening her pelvic floor when her daughter was 7. In her work educating other exercise professionals, as well as when working directly with her clients, Kirstyn teaches how to tune in and listen to your body, and how to facilitate exercise safely and effectively. She is driven by wanting to influence other mums, preventing them from going through what she has, and to educate trainers in understanding how a woman’s body is different and her exercise needs are unique.

Kirstyn is now a successful women’s health group exercise trainer of 10 years and was the recipient of the prestigious REPs Award from Exercise NZ 2023. She was a Finalist in the Exercise NZ Awards for Program Excellence 2019 & 2020, and Educator of the Year in 2021. She runs KC Fit in person, KC Fit @ HOME online, and client programmes such as Sneeze without Wees & KC Fit Core Restore, and trainer education courses Pelvic Floor Essentials, Pre, Post & Pelvic Floor. Kirstyn is the co-creator of Sub30 Core Restore and Sub30 Cardio Restore and gym member workshops Pregnancy, Postnatal, Pelvic Floor – how to train hard and safe. She is proud to be the Auckland Exercise Professional Network Ambassador, working to support and unite Auckland trainers, and is a mentor to many. She highly values the importance of building a strong, supportive, inclusive community around the women and trainers she works with, and debunking social pressure of the importance of competition and aesthetics with tall poppies.

This session is co-presented with Nikki Williams.

Collaboration is one of the key ingredients to maximising income, increasing credibility and impact whilst empowering teams, minimising isolation, and ultimately lengthening the careers of exercise professionals.

Session highlights include:

• the benefits and importance of forming partnerships
• collaborating with allied health professionals
• how collaboration can improve client outcomes, business growth, team culture and overall success

Through real-world examples and practical strategies, this session will demonstrate how effective collaboration can drive innovation, enhance client engagement, and foster a supportive network within your team, your local community and the exercise industry at large.

This is an interactive session where you will workshop ideas and leave with a collaboration plan including actionable steps. Bring your team so you can develop this together.

Learning Outcomes

• ‘Start with the client’ methodology
• First-hand experience of what has and hasn’t worked
• How to effectively collaborate in your community
• Tips and tools for building partnerships
• How to make a collaboration plan

Nikki has been teaching movement of some kind since 1987 and even now is a very active group exercise instructor, personal trainer, life coach and mentor/assessor, as well as a member of the Exercise NZ team. Now thirteen years old, Nikki’s business Positive Choice offers her clients and mentees a safe space to step outside their comfort zone and make it their new normal.

As a REPs registered Group Exercise instructor, Nikki delivers Pilates, Zumba, Cycling and Weights classes in person and online and won the ExerciseNZ Award for Group Exercise Instructor of the Year in 2024. In the past couple of years, Nikki has built on her group exercise experience and leaned toward her love of presenting and delivering sessions on values and living a values-led life at several conferences in NZ and Australia.

Nikki, the Business Development Manager for ExerciseNZ and Liaison for the Exercise Professionals Network Aotearoa, strongly promotes collaboration within the industry. Throughout her career, Nikki has worked with Kirstyn and other prominent figures in the industry to facilitate workshops, organise events, and deliver engaging presentations. Nikki is dedicated to establishing a safe space where individuals can strive to be their best and operate in accordance with their values. Collaboration with others plays a significant role in fulfilling this mission.

This session is co-presented with Kirstyn Campbell.

Collaboration is one of the key ingredients to maximising income, increasing credibility and impact whilst empowering teams, minimising isolation, and ultimately lengthening the careers of exercise professionals.

Session highlights include:

• the benefits and importance of forming partnerships
• collaborating with allied health professionals
• how collaboration can improve client outcomes, business growth, team culture and overall success

Through real-world examples and practical strategies, this session will demonstrate how effective collaboration can drive innovation, enhance client engagement, and foster a supportive network within your team, your local community and the exercise industry at large.

This is an interactive session where you will workshop ideas and leave with a collaboration plan including actionable steps. Bring your team so you can develop this together.

Learning Outcomes

• • ‘Start with the client’ methodology
  • First-hand experience of what has and hasn’t worked
  • How to effectively collaborate in your community
  • Tips and tools for building partnerships
  • How to make a collaboration plan