As we begin the new year (and reflect on the overindulgence), many of us will once again feel the pull of those algorithms reminding us to ‘Set Our Fitness Goals for 2026!’ or, ‘New Year, New You; Get That Body Beach Ready!’.
Well, how about we ignore those socials and focus on health and wellbeing in a more meaningful and long-term way?
Atelier Zoë is all about holistic skincare and wellbeing so when I was introduced to local business owner and fitness coach of 25 years Chrisje Verheijen of Sports Lovers Online, I was inspired to discover that her approach to fitness and exercise really aligned with my philosophy.
In an age where we are overwhelmed with seemingly unrealistic and often unhealthy body image and, increasingly punishing fitness routines, I sat down with Chrisje and her business partner Claire to discover what makes them different from all ‘the others’ out there and, why you need to listen to your body and not those algorithms.
What’s your background in the fitness and wellbeing industry?
I have been working in the fitness industry all my working life. First in the gym, as a group class instructor and later on, as an independent personal trainer. After I did that for 10+ years, I realised nobody actually needs a personal trainer if people are willing to take their time; listen to their body and find out what works for them. I wanted to give a counter narrative and hold up a mirror: don’t compare yourself to others, or worse: an algorithm.
How and why did you start SL?
I always had in mind I wanted to tell my story, my vision to a bigger audience. Not only to the clients who trained with me and paid me. Claire trained with me as I was her PT, so I witnessed every step of her journey. We had such a good click and she was one of the few people who wanted to do it differently and choose not to follow the hypes anymore. ‘Let go of everything you thought was right’. The reason why something is not working or why the weight doesn’t come off, it’s always within yourself. So, you can train with the best personal trainer, but if you don’t look at yourself critically (without judgement) none of the (short term) results will stay. Claire and I became really close and started to talk about bringing this to a bigger audience. That’s when we launched SL to the world wide web. Up till now I coach most of our members during their fitness/weight loss journey. Claire is doing a Pilates course so in 2026 she will record her own Pilates at home video’s and create her own subscribers. Because of her own journey, she can really relate to other subscribers and help them with her own experience. Sports Lovers is here to stay!
What’s your background in the fitness and wellbeing industry?
I have been working in the fitness industry all my working life. First in the gym, as a group class instructor and later on, as an independent personal trainer. After I did that for 10+ years, I realised nobody actually needs a personal trainer if people are willing to take their time; listen to their body and find out what works for them. I wanted to give a counter narrative and hold up a mirror: don’t compare yourself to others, or worse: an algorithm.
How and why did you start SL?
I always had in mind I wanted to tell my story, my vision to a bigger audience. Not only to the clients who trained with me and paid me. Claire trained with me as I was her PT, so I witnessed every step of her journey. We had such a good click and she was one of the few people who wanted to do it differently and choose not to follow the hypes anymore. ‘Let go of everything you thought was right’. The reason why something is not working or why the weight doesn’t come off, it’s always within yourself. So, you can train with the best personal trainer, but if you don’t look at yourself critically (without judgement) none of the (short term) results will stay. Claire and I became really close and started to talk about bringing this to a bigger audience. That’s when we launched SL to the world wide web. Up till now I coach most of our members during their fitness/weight loss journey. Claire is doing a Pilates course so in 2026 she will record her own Pilates at home video’s and create her own subscribers. Because of her own journey, she can really relate to other subscribers and help them with her own experience. Sports Lovers is here to stay!
What makes SL different to other online sports and lifestyle coaches?
I really think that’s the personal touch we put into it. We see the subscribers for who they are. We listen and we make it easy to get started I guess. The platform is really accessible and the price is really good. We have deliberately kept the prices low so everybody can get fit, not only the people who can afford an expensive personal trainer.
What’s your advice for someone just starting out on their own fitness journey?
First things first. Take your time. Try to understand why you do things or why you don’t. Go find those patterns. Only if you see them for what they are, you can start to change them step by step. Accept the situation as it is now. Even if you are overweight, love your body. Look at what it does for you, how magically it functions. Let go of the judgement and start focussing on healthy habits. Small steps. Don’t only focus on weight loss and how you think you are supposed to look according to social media. Focus on the journey and enjoy it.
What frustrates you about the fitness industry right now?
The unhealthy body images you see constantly on social media. The fake news. The crazy diets. The quick fixes like Ozempic horrify me. People want to be ‘skinny’ as quick as possible, without putting any effort in it. I know this is maybe a bit exaggerated, but sometimes it feels like nobody wants to hear the real story anymore; you do have to work for it, sometimes it won’t be fun, sometimes the struggle is taking over and you think you have to start all over again. That’s part of the journey. And that’s okay! What makes me sad is that social media wants you to believe you have to look athletic and slim, at no costs. And if you don’t, you are not good enough. If we accept ourselves completely, despite those few extra kilos, then we would make it so much easier for ourselves. And we could still work on healthier habits etc, but without that negative charge.
How should our fitness routines change throughout our life cycle?
That’s different for everybody. Some people have trained their whole life and can keep up with it to their 70’s or so. Other people start when they are 50 years old. That is why I encourage people to start listening to their bodies and find out what training suits you. Me, for example, high intensity training doesn’t work for me at all. I rather do my yoga stretches combined with weight training. But other people feel better when they run 10 km. Every human being is different, but what I can say is that when we are getting older, strength training and mobility are really important parts of our routine. Strength training because of our bone density and muscle mass and mobility for better movements.
What frustrates you about the fitness industry right now?
The unhealthy body images you see constantly on social media. The fake news. The crazy diets. The quick fixes like Ozempic horrify me. People want to be ‘skinny’ as quick as possible, without putting any effort in it. I know this is maybe a bit exaggerated, but sometimes it feels like nobody wants to hear the real story anymore; you do have to work for it, sometimes it won’t be fun, sometimes the struggle is taking over and you think you have to start all over again. That’s part of the journey. And that’s okay! What makes me sad is that social media wants you to believe you have to look athletic and slim, at no costs. And if you don’t, you are not good enough. If we accept ourselves completely, despite those few extra kilos, then we would make it so much easier for ourselves. And we could still work on healthier habits etc, but without that negative charge.
How should our fitness routines change throughout our life cycle?
That’s different for everybody. Some people have trained their whole life and can keep up with it to their 70’s or so. Other people start when they are 50 years old. That is why I encourage people to start listening to their bodies and find out what training suits you. Me, for example, high intensity training doesn’t work for me at all. I rather do my yoga stretches combined with weight training. But other people feel better when they run 10 km. Every human being is different, but what I can say is that when we are getting older, strength training and mobility are really important parts of our routine. Strength training because of our bone density and muscle mass and mobility for better movements.
What lifestyle aspects do you cover as part of your holistic approach to fitness?
That depends what the client wants. Mostly it’s about fitness and training. But sometimes when people struggle with their diet, I support them by finding out what their patterns are and what they can change in a behavioural way. So, I don’t give them a food plan but I want them to find out why they eat that chocolate every evening instead of doing their stretches for example.
What’s your advice to stay motivated?
Don’t compare yourself to others. Do you. Find out what suits you. Take small steps and don’t be too judgemental when something’s not going perfectly immediately. It takes time. Enjoy the journey. Take good care of yourself instead of seeing exercising as something aesthetic only. “When I lose the 5 kg, I matter…” No! You MATTER, despite your weight. Treat yourself like you would treat your daughter or a really close friend.
What’s the future for the fitness industry?
“I really hope that my vision will be the future, but maybe that’s wishful thinking in our fast society with all the quick fixes within hands reach. I don’t know, there will always be hypes knocking at our door but I sincerely hope more and more people take responsibility and find joy in taking good care of their body.”
Sports Lovers suggest that you don’t have to be a sports fanatic to get fit and stay fit. Sustainable exercise means something different for everyone and, by carefully listening to your needs and discovering what works for you, they will guide you with a completely tailored personal workout routine and together, ensure you maintain that routine.
I’ve recently started my own fitness journey with SL and was pleasantly surprised at how easy Chrisje’s bespoke routine was to both follow and practice and more importantly, fit into my busy day.
