Dubai: How a fitness enthusiast built an empire from her living room

In a bid to stay fit during the March 2020 lockdown, fitness influencer Courtney Black started home workouts. Today, she is widely known as the "home workout queen," and has become a powerhouse in the fitness world, inspiring hundreds of thousands of followers through her dynamic approach to health and fitness. With 826K followers on Instagram and 130.4K on TikTok, she has built a strong community that resonates with her message of self-love, body positivity, and balanced nutrition.

In a chat with City Times, Courtney opens up about her journey from social media trainer to multi-millionaire entrepreneur, how she overcame her struggles with eating disorders, and why she believes fitness should be accessible to everyone. She also shares her philosophy on creating the healthiest, happiest version of oneself, her approach to building a positive relationship with food, and what attendees can expect from her high-energy workout session at the Dubai Active Show.

Courtney will be headlining at the Dubai Active Show, taking place from the October 25 to 27 at Expo City. The Dubai Active Show will also kickstart the beginning of the Dubai Fitness Challenge. Here are edited excerpts from the interview:

You’ve been dubbed the 'home workout queen.' Can you share what inspired you to focus on home workouts, and how you built such a strong community around it?

My home workouts came about during the March 2020 lockdown when I was in the UK. Everyone was stuck indoors, we had little to no equipment and it was a really unsettling and worrying time. I’ve always been into health and fitness, I had actually put all my savings into launching a fitness app (based fully in the gym) weeks before the lockdown hit.

Having never done a home workout before, I needed a way to motivate myself to stay fit and keep moving. I started doing live workouts on Instagram every single day and the rest is history. Everyday we turned up and sweated, burpeed and laughed together. It skyrocketed when one day I reached 30,000 live viewers. We were all on the same mission, to stay fit and healthy and look after our mental health during such a scary time. I did this completely for free for about six months until we were able to pivot my app to focus on home workouts. My app is for absolutely anyone, any age, any ability. Whether you’re busy, time-poor or just starting out, my app helps fitness support and elevate your lifestyle, not consume it. We make fitness accessible and that’s what is so special about our community, everyone deserves a chance to feel their happiest, healthiest self.

What’s your philosophy for building the healthiest and happiest version of oneself through fitness?

Just being consistent and showing up for yourself everyday. Fitness is more than just the incredible physical benefits, it’s so incredible for our mental health, it relieves stress, helps us take time for ourselves and feel incredible from the inside out. You don’t need a fancy gym membership or flashy equipment to feel amazing and healthy. You just need your workout mat, a little space and our amazing community who inspire and support each other every day.

Your journey of overcoming eating disorders has inspired many. How did you find balance in your relationship with food, and what advice would you give to those struggling?

The key word is balance. That’s something I really used to struggle with and believed that to be healthy you had to eat the healthiest and lowest calories you could at all times. That is not the case. You need to have balance to follow a sustainable diet. You need to allow yourself to socialise, eat out and take rest days when your body needs them.

What are some key principles you follow to promote balanced nutrition without falling into restrictive habits?

Restriction is the biggest downfall when it comes to dieting and healthy living. By restricting you’re simply encouraging your mind and body to crave those things more. I follow a balanced diet and always allow myself the things I love in moderation. If I am in a calorie deficit, I’ll make sure I have factored in all the things I love. I steer clear of cheat days and cheat meals and just focus on balance and fuelling my body with nourishing, healthy foods throughout the whole week (including the weekend).

How has embracing self-love and a positive body image transformed your approach to health and fitness?

I no longer see exercise or fitness as a punishment for what I have eaten. I celebrate my body and the incredible things it can do. I love pushing myself in my workouts and enjoy my sessions so much. I keep things dynamic and fun with the aim of feeling fit, strong and incredible!

What practices or mindset shifts do you recommend for people working to improve their body image and confidence?

I think confidence and self-love from within comes from how we treat and speak to ourselves everyday. If you are constantly picking yourself apart in the mirror or filling your mind with negative, intrusive thoughts, you are never going to feel good about yourself. Self-love takes practice and daily effort. Speak to yourself positively, think about the food you are eating as fuel to reach your goals and not about the number on the scales. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, even on social media; if an account or person is not serving you, you have every right to unfollow or remove them. Comparison really is the thief of joy and social media is a highlight reel. Cut out the negativity and remember that being you is your superpower.

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