My Little Black Book

My Little Black Book

Having worked in the industry for over a decade – and with an enviable career history, from touring with Roxy Music to training some of Hollywood’s leading ladies, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham – in 2015, Louisa fused her experience and skills to create the “The Louisa Drake Method”. In two short years, it has taken London by storm, with sell-out classes, celebrity fans, and even an appearance on Made In Chelsea.

Despite her success, Louisa remains one the most down-to-earth and genuine women you’ll have the pleasure of meeting. She is determined to make her classes accessible to anyone, regardless of their shape, size and experience, and her warmth and positivity keeps people coming back. We caught up with Louisa to find out more about what Balancemagazine have named “one of the top 7 fitness trends of 2017”.

HER BACK STORY

Let’s start at the beginning: what initially drew you to a career in the fitness and health industry?

Throughout my childhood I suffered with health problems, and was regularly placed on antibiotics that didn’t agree with me and unbalanced my gut. On top of this, I was consuming food and drink filled with colouring and E numbers: a typical 80s children’s diet! It didn’t take long for my mother to realise that to increase my wellness she needed to change my diet and overall wellbeing. This was quite radical for the 1980s; I remember we’d go on long car journeys to track down soya milk! A natural interest in food, fitness and healthy eating was born and this childhood lifestyle change generated immediate improvement to my health. I began dancing and found it not only to be a strength building discipline, but also therapeutic. Food is now my fuel: it helps me stay energised and strong when training, and I can share my experience and knowledge with my clients.

How has your background in dancing influenced the Louisa Drake Method?

I’ve always been drawn to movement and I understand how the body works and responds, and how to challenge, strengthen and change it. While I was training as a dancer I relied on Pilates and floor barre methods to help supplement my training, while yoga encouraged me to rebalance and refocus my mind and body connection. Exploring these disciplines became part of my daily routine and led me to discover my passion for the health and fitness industry and, ultimately, to pursue my career as a fitness professional in London, leading to the creation of the Louisa Drake Method.

Did you ever consider a career in another industry?

I didn’t really have any other plan than to dance, perform, choreograph and create. That was always my first career choice and I always imagined it would progress and transition from performing to creating, directing and teaching. Which is exactly what happened, although things took more of fitness direction than a theatrical one. There are several nods to my dancing days in LDM material, though, and I fuse elements of dance throughout my method. It’s a more toned down approach, but everyone has the chance to unleash their inner ballerina or Beyoncé.

If you could give 18-year-old Louisa one piece of advice, what would it be?

I would say to her, “Don’t take things personally.” I wish I had not been so worried what people thought of me. I spent the majority of my childhood and career on stage performing, so you might expect me to be a pretty extroverted character, however I was actually very shy. I learnt to take criticism well and it pushed me train and work harder, but it was difficult having to constantly shrug off comments and criticism. I am made of tough stuff but I took a fair amount to heart. I was always trying to please everyone and at some point you have to accept that some things are out of your control.

 

Read the full article here: http://mylittleblackbook.co.uk/inspiration/louisa-drake-fitness-health-specialist/