Welcome
Wallsend Feel-Good fitness... Fitness that feels good!
Do it for you!
About Us
What makes Feel-Good Fitness so different?
Many fitness programs focus on what your body looks like.
At Feel-Good Fitness, we care more than just about how you look. We want you to have a healthy body to improve your quality of life, one that works to prevent chronic diseases, improves brain function, builds strong bones, improves heart health, fights inflammation, increases energy availability, assists with mobility and functional movement and promotes independence as we age.
We focus on mental health first and foremost - how you feel. Getting fit, building muscle, losing weight or learning a new skill are the added bonus!
What do we mean by a mental-health focus?
- All abilities are welcome.
- We understand anxiety and low self-esteem, particularly around fitness training, and aim to support you to build confidence and reduce anxiety.
- We understand that everyone can have different goals. Some people who go to the gym may want to get ripped! But many people may want general fitness, better health and well-being, to support mental health, to help with aging, or just to get more active. We are here to support you individually, whatever your goals.
- We care about you and your health goals, and want you to be the best version of you! To feel strong! To have fun while you're working out. And to do it for you. Because you are absolutely worth it!
About Your Trainer
Melissa Franze
We are not your ordinary fitness program, and that's because I'm not your typical trainer! As a woman in her menopausal years, a single mum of a child on the Autism Spectrum, I bring years of life experience, and understanding of just how hard it can be to begin and then commit to your fitness training.
I only started my adult fitness journey at the age of 40! After being a sporty child, I then neglected my physical health my whole adult life until I approached the big 40. I decided to re-live my youth and join a football team. Before the season even started, I snapped my Achilles Tendon, and was told by the physiotherapist that at "my age", I would be silly to ever try and play again. At first, I felt defeated. I would see people running, which I had always thought was too hard as an adult, and thought, "What if I can never run again? What if I can never play soccer?", and I felt like I had taken my health for granted my entire adult life. Then I decided that that comment was all the inspiration I needed to prove him wrong!
A year of recovery and intense physio later (a different therapist!), I began running. I built up from not being able to walk, to running over 10km. I not only played soccer again, I thrived with my new mindset - I won Best and Fairest Player 2 years running, Golden Boot Winner (highest scorer) another year, and won a Grand Final in another, then went on to work in a job as a Female Football program Coordinator, a Seniors Football program Coordinator, and also to coach. This was after an adult life of inactivity!
This has not been without its challenges though. I have suffered recurrent injuries over the years and live with arthritis and chronic back pain. I have also had to face substantial personal challenges. So I understand how hard it can be to overcome setbacks and obstacles, and the need to adjust fitness goals accordingly.
As a single full-time mum of a child with a disability, I also understand the challenges of making time for yourself. Whilst having 100% care, I have worked up to 3 jobs at once, studied and home-schooled, on top of all the therapy and extra-curricular activities. However, I firmly believe that we cannot provide the best for the people in our lives if we don't take care of ourselves.
My mission is to empower you to smash through your self-limiting beliefs, achieve what you never thought possible, appreciate and value the miraculous power and awesomeness of your amazing body and be the best and healthiest versions of yourself. I can't wait to meet you on this journey!
