Are you ready to change?

Shameem Arnold from Seascale, in West Cumbria, is the founder of Moky Fit, a functional fitness class designed to make exercise feel less intimidating and more enjoyable, particularly for those returning to exercise after illness or time away.

Ms Arnold created the programme after being diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) in 2009, a condition that at one stage required her to use a wheelchair.

She said: "At my lowest point, I wasn’t thinking about teaching fitness.

"I was dreaming of being able to walk independently again."

Her experience led her to understand how daunting traditional exercise could be for those rebuilding strength and confidence.

She said: "When you’ve lost strength or confidence, walking into a fitness class can feel huge. It can feel exposing. I understood that fear first-hand."

Determined to offer a different approach, Ms Arnold launched what she calls "exercise in disguise" in 2010.

The original programme, Moky, used music and energising choreography to distract from the effort of working out, making fitness feel fun and accessible.

She said: "Music changes everything. When you’re caught up in a track you love, you move differently. You forget you’re working hard."

Now rebranded as Moky Fit, the classes combine cardio, combat-inspired and dance movements with strength training using dumbbells and core exercises.

The aim is to improve overall fitness in a single, structured session.

Classes are open to adults and children aged seven and above.

Moky Fit has reached well beyond West Cumbria, with sessions delivered across the North of England and as far away as Egypt.

Ms Arnold was chosen as an Olympic Torchbearer for Cumbria in 2012, just two years after the programme launched.

During the pandemic, she moved all classes online and offered free live sessions to support people during lockdown.

Participants joined in from across the UK and abroad.

She said: "I didn’t realise at the time how much it had lifted people. That meant a lot."

Ms Arnold now runs in-person classes in Seascale, Whitehaven, and Eskdale.