The fitness industry so often pushes the idea of men with six packs and women that look like Barbie.
But one fitness professional is helping break the idea that being fit doesn’t have anything to do with the way you look.
Cherry Rosaline, 22, first began her fitness journey during her final year of high school, after falling into a negative headspace due to the stressful year ahead.
She decided to get more physical and found a strength and conditioning gym.
“I just absolutely fell in love with it. I was doing kickboxing, weightlifting. And then from there, it kind of formed what I knew I wanted to do as a career,” the Western Australian local told news.com.au.
When she finished school, Cherry went to university to pursue her passion of working in the fitness industry, getting qualified in a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science, and a Bachelor of Psychology (Science).
She is now doing her Masters in Exercise Physiology, while also working as a trainer at S30 Studio.
Cherry said she enjoys working at S30 Studio because of the high-intensity classes, the community, but also how the environment feels like a nightclub.
She joked that the workout space combined her two joys – clubbing and fitness.
The young trainer has a curvy figure that isn’t often seen in the fitness industry.
She revealed that she’s never had someone doubt her talents because of the way she looks, but did say she did have an expectation of coming up against that because of the “stereotype” of what fitness loos like.
“I think because when people come into the studio, I’m good at communicating and I try to make everybody feel comfortable,” she said.
“And then once you go and actually train somebody, they can see what I am capable of, and my skills.”
She said once she helps tweak form and people begin to realize things such as their back no longer hurts when they do a move, they begin to trust their expertise.
“I think it doesn’t really matter what you look like because this kind of job, you’re gonna get a lot further with the way that you interact with people and how you actually train them,” she said.
Cherry added that she also thinks people are beginning to realize that not everything on social media is a reality, particularly when it comes to Instagram workouts that have no scientific basis and don’t achieve results.
She added that she enjoys showing people that there is fitness or strength at any size.
“Fitness and exercise is for everybody. In an ideal world, everybody would be doing some kind of physical activity,” she said.
“It doesn’t have to be group classes or strength training, even if it’s swimming, cycling, any kind of physical activity that they enjoy.”
She said that is why she went into exercise physiology to work with people with things such as chronic illness,
“You just want to get in there and have a go, which is why it’s so important to have a vast range of people that are doing the training so that people feel comfortable coming into the studio.
“It doesn’t matter your age, whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been training for years.”
Cherry has her own fitness goals that she is hoping to achieve, finally feeling more like herself physically after two years of injuries.
The injuries included a car accident, and an ongoing hip injury from her childhood.
But, 2023 Cherry is planning on hitting some big lifts, and performances.
“I do all the cardio classes at S30, which is great, so like conditioning on the bike and cardio-wise to improve my heart health,” she said.
“I’m just really focusing this year on performance. And then if aesthetics and other things come with that, that’s great, but my number one goal is just how I feel and strength.”