Empowering Marginalised Communities Through Exercise
Come and join our community
Our Story
Mind Body Connect is a registered charity (No. 1173834) founded in 2014. We empower marginalised communities through the medium of exercise. Our current exercise repertoire includes therapeutic yoga, strength training, circuit training and strongman/woman. We work with groups including people in recovery from addiction, survivors of human trafficking, homeless young adults and various mental health support groups. We have helped hundreds of service users and seen first hand how effective physical exercise can be for people that have been through difficult times.
Our programme was born from our directors experience of working in a residential rehabilitation centre which led to a PhD on the effects of physical exercise on addiction. We support our service users in gaining coaching qualifications. Many now deliver our programmes. This is something we are very proud of.
We shall continue to grow helping more service users improve their physical and mental health and take healthy, positive steps forwards.
Many of our programmes are open to the public and our elite strength coaching team has a stable of athletes and private clients. Come and lift with us. From absolute beginners to national level strength sport athletes, we can help you achieve your goals
Thank you for visiting our page.
Paul Smith, Lead Strength Coach, Worlds Strongest Man Competitor 2018, Junior Worlds strongest Man 2017, England's Strongest Man 2016.
Current Time Table
Mon: 10am - 11am Phoenix Futures Therapeutic yoga: PRIVATE SESSION
Wed: 1pm - 2pm: Mid Term Recovery Circuit : PRIVATE SESSION
2pm - 3pm Early Stage Recovery Circuit: PRIVATE SESSION
Thur: 12pm - 1pm: Mental Health Circuit: OPEN SESSION
Fri: 1pm - 2pm: Addaction Recovery Circuit: PRIVATE SESSION
2:30pm - 15:30pm: FitzWilliam Recovery Circuit: PRIVATE SESSION
2pm - 3pm: City Hearts Women's Therapeutic Yoga: PRIVATE SESSION
3pm - 4pm: City Hearts Men's Therapeutic Yoga: PRIVATE SESSION
Sat: 1:30pm - 4pm: Strong Saturdays: OPEN SESSION
Individual coaching sessions with our team are available upon request
If you represent a charity and think we could empower your service users then get in touch
Our Core Programmes
Strong Saturdays
Strong Saturdays is an open session with experienced coaches and a great atmosphere. Come and try out our competition spec strongman equipment. Whether you are looking to compete or just try something new, we've got you
Therapeutic Yoga
We run Therapeutic Yoga programmes tailored to the needs of specific service users groups. Through yoga we empower human trafficking survivors to relearn stress management and recovering addicts to down regulate and reconnect body and mind.
Circuit Classes
Our Circuit Class programmes are tailored to the needs of individual service user groups. For example, we balance the learning of compound movements with cardiovascular threshold work and flexibility drills developing the foundational fitness of addicts exiting detox. The intermediate programme we run for this group builds upon this providing a supportive community focused on individual goal completion. For recovering addicts, our circuits are a place to belong and increase self-confidence precisely when most needed: during the rehab-community living transition when relapse risk increases.
Strongman/woman Circuits
A mid-week, one hour, high intensity circuit using the full range of traditional strongman implements to build total body strength, power and fitness. This class is run by Worlds Strongest Man Competitor Paul Smith.
The class caters for all levels form novice to elite. If you cant give up your Saturday to join us for our 3hr Strong Saturday Programme but want to experience the Strongman events and methods then this is the class for you. You'll experience an authentic taste of strongman training in a fun and supportive environment
Our Coaching Team
Paul Smith
Paul MBC's lead strength coach. He is also quite strong! He has competed around the world including the Worlds Strongest Man Competition. Paul won Englands Strongest Man 2016 and the World's Strongest Junior 2017
He is available for individual and group personal training sessions.
Guy Sewell
Guy is a certified personal trainer with over 10 years coaching experience.
He specialises in strength training and biomechanics.
He is available for individual and group personal training sessions.
Chris Fitzgerald
Chris is the MBC director, our model of change is based upon his research.
He has competed in weightlifting,powerlifting and
strongman.
He is a two time British natural (U105) finalist.
He is available for individual and group personal training sessions.
Ashton Leung
Ashton is a Yoga Teacher and certified personal trainer.
She is one of our Therapeutic Yoga Practitioners and runs two of our Community Outreach Programmes.
She is available for individual and group personal training sessions.
Mark Hollett
Mark is our MMA Programme Lead and Safeguarding Officer.
