A year of getting stronger, growing in confidence and declaring every workout “definitely the hardest one”. Happy first birthday to our brilliant EverStrong crew.
One year ago, on 28 October 2025, we held our first EverStrong workout.
A year later, we have a group who arrive early, work hard, question the whiteboard briefing and finish almost every session with the same verdict:
“That was definitely the hardest one.”
Then come the fist bumps, the coffee and the conversation.
Today, we’re celebrating a year of EverStrong and the people who have made it such a brilliant part of Beyond Walls.
A lot can happen in a year
Starting something new takes a bit of courage. Walking into a gym, picking up unfamiliar equipment and trusting a coach who says, “Give this a go” can be a considerable step.
Over the past year, those steps have added up.
Suzanne has grown in strength and confidence. Our coaches have seen changes in her posture, her energy and her willingness to try. “No, I can’t” is making room for giving things a go, with the understanding that her version of an exercise can be different from the person beside her.
That is progress worth celebrating: learning what your body can do and feeling comfortable working at your own level.
Glenn has made a remarkable start too. Getting down to a mat and back up again, jogging and stepping onto a box are now part of his training. According to Meg, these are things he hadn’t been able to do for more than ten years.
Pause on that for a moment. Something that had been out of reach for a decade is possible again.
These moments are why we coach. A movement practised in the gym can open up possibilities elsewhere: more confidence on the stairs, more freedom to get out and about, or simply being willing to try something you would previously have ruled out.
There is a very EverStrong way of doing things
Punctuality, for a start. This group is ready five minutes early, assembled in front of the whiteboard and waiting to begin.
Understanding the workout occasionally takes a little longer.
“Meg, why do we do this?”
A fair question. Coaches should always be prepared to explain themselves.
There have been some creative contributions to the programme, too. Simon decided we must have simplified the deadbug for EverStrong and developed his own version. Steve copied him. Just like that, we had a breakaway movement.
David’s return to skipping involved getting the rope moving before remembering that jumping was also required. Anyone who has tried to learn a gym skill will recognise the gap between understanding the instructions and persuading all your limbs to cooperate.
Add Guy’s unmistakable workout faces and sound effects, Steve finding someone to race, and attendance planned around golf and padel, and you get some idea of the room.
The effort is real. So is the enjoyment. Other Beyond Walls members have asked whether they can join because it looks like so much fun.
Why EverStrong matters
We run EverStrong because we want people to keep doing the things that make life theirs.
Gardening. Travelling. Playing sport. Carrying the shopping. Getting down on the floor with grandchildren and getting back up afterwards. Saying yes to a day out without spending the journey wondering whether they will manage it.
Strength and fitness help support that freedom.
As we get older, maintaining muscle strength, balance and fitness deserves our attention. UK physical activity guidance recommends strength work at least twice a week, alongside aerobic activity, with balance work particularly valuable in later life. Regular activity can also support sleep, wellbeing and quality of life. UK physical activity guidance.
Those benefits become meaningful when they connect to something you want to do.
At EverStrong, we give people coaching, appropriate challenges and room to progress. Exercises can be adapted. Questions are welcome. You can start where you are and build from there.
Age, health and experience all affect that starting point. There is still plenty to learn, work towards and enjoy.
Find your people. Put the kettle on.
Somewhere between the first warm-up and the post-workout coffee, a group becomes your group.
People learn your name. You have someone to laugh with when an exercise takes a few attempts to master, and someone beside you who understands why today’s achievement matters.
The EverStrong crew have made that happen. They bring the conversation, the encouragement and a healthy willingness to keep the coaches on their toes.
They are enthusiastic about the fist bumps, too. Sometimes the celebrations start before the coach has officially called for them. We admire the initiative.
For Meg, EverStrong is one of her favourite sessions of the week. For Alex, its influence has gone further:
“It is the class that inspired me to change my career path and focus on coaching.”
That is something special to have achieved in your first year.
Here’s to you, EverStrong
To everyone who has been part of EverStrong over the past twelve months: thank you.
For turning up. For trusting us. For asking questions, trying again and finding the humour along the way. For making space for new people and making this corner of Beyond Walls your own.
You have lifted, learned, grown in confidence and given our coaches plenty of reasons to love their work.
We’re proud of you, and we’re delighted you’re here.
Happy first birthday, EverStrong.
We look forward to finding out which workout is definitely the hardest one next year.
