"Survivors are told that exercise will help them with their mental health, but many of them don't know where to start. I realised we need a trauma-informed, accessible gym space, with no financial barrier, where people can learn without the anxieties of being in a busy environment."
Support worker and coach Sam McPherson launched fitness group Uplifted, a body-positive "safe space" for survivors of trauma and the LGBTQ community in 2020.
Participants can learn how to lift weights, take part in hula hooping and yoga classes and more in free sessions at the gym in the city's Cumberland Street.
Sam, 36, experienced sexual abuse in her late teens, which also led to her developing an eating disorder. She tells how exercise has played a vital part in her recovery journey.
"Powerlifting is my passion," she said. "It helps you build a connection with your body again after becoming dissociated for so long.
"It helps you see your body as strong – see it for what it can do – rather than judging it on how it looks or what has happened to it in the past. I find that shift in outlook really empowering and hope it can help others in the same way."
Sam has a wealth of experience in supporting survivors of abuse. She worked with Rape Crisis for five years and now juggles her role at sex workers' charity National Ugly Mugs with her personal training qualification.
Participants at Uplifted are referred from charities such as Women's Aid, Rape Crisis and the Daisy Project along with a number of self-referrals. There is also a trained support worker at the gym sessions as part of its trauma-informed approach.
Uplifted offers 12-week courses in classes with a maximum of four, in which they learn how to perform compound movements with the barbell such as the deadlift, squat and bench press.
"We chose to work with the barbell as a lot of people say it's something they have always wanted to try, but that they find it quite intimidating," Sam said.
"We make sure to do an emotional check-in at the beginning and find out what people are hoping to gain from the course before we get started on the movements. When we finish, we always do breath work and a body scan."
For the group, it's as much about fostering a community as it is about building strength and confidence.
One participant wrote in her feedback: "I never thought weight lifting was within my capabilities, I'm so glad I've been proven wrong! I feel so much stronger (mentally and physically) and more capable of trying new things fitness wise. Everyone involved is so supportive and kind."
Another commented: "This is the first time in my life that I've ever looked forward to going to a gym. This is the first time the focus hasn't been purely about making me smaller and losing weight.
"The focus is purely on what I can do and how I can do more. I feel powerful and strong and I look forward to going every time. It's helped my mental health significantly."
Sam has launched pay-what-you-can taster sessions to the wider public to help fund Uplifted. You can find out more on Eventbrite.
Follow Uplifted on Instagram.
