Pilates | Strength | Mobility
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26/08/2026
Why are we so obsessed with numbers?
Our age. Our weight. Our height. Our clothing size.
And somehow we’ve attached so much emotion to them.
I’m 37.
I’m 5’5¾”.
I generally weigh somewhere around 71–73kg.
And depending on the shop, the item and the day, I’m somewhere between a large 10 and a small 14.
I’m completely comfortable saying all of that.
And yet when I tell people my weight, I sometimes get:
“Jesus, I wouldn’t have thought you were that.”
And I’m always thinking… why?
What exactly is that number supposed to look like?
I have a lot of muscle. I train regularly. I’m fit and strong. My weight doesn’t tell you any of that.
And that’s the point.
Numbers are useful.
They’re a really handy form of measurement.
They can help us track our training, strength, body weight, body composition, progress, changes in our clothes, running times, lifts, reps and so much more.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with measuring something if you’re trying to understand it or make a change.
The problem is when we start believing the number defines us.
Your weight isn’t your health.
Your clothing size isn’t your worth.
Your age isn’t your ability.
Your height isn’t your identity.
Use numbers as information, not as a judgement.
Measure things if it’s useful to you.
Track your progress.
But don’t give a number more power than it deserves.
You are not a number.
It’s just a measurement.
Turns out, strong is kinda chic 💪
Sometimes I think about how different my life could have been if that bicycle accident had never happened.
At the time, I obviously couldn’t have seen it that way. Six years of back pain, numerous doctors, countless hospital visits, injections , permanent nerve damage and a body that I had to learn to trust again was incredibly tough — and it’s something that will always have lasting effects.
But somehow, on the other side of all of that, I’ve ended up in a place I’m incredibly grateful for.
I don’t know if I’d still be working in Waterford. I don’t know if I’d have ever become self-employed, opened my own studio, built the community I have today or created the life I’m living now.
And now, with the same body that went through all of that, I can run, compete in Hyrox, train hard, teach multiple classes every week and build my own online platform.
That doesn’t mean I’m grateful for what happened. I wouldn’t wish the pain, the injury or the lasting effects on anyone.
But I am grateful for where it brought me.
Maybe everything really does happen for a reason.
Maybe that accident was the thing that needed to happen then, so I could eventually end up here — with Pilates with Ruth, Move with Ruth, my beautiful studio and the most amazing community of people around me. 🤍
Sometimes the path we never would have chosen for ourselves ends up taking us exactly where we were meant to be.
17/08/2026
Social media has us thinking we need the matching workout set, the branded water bottle, the €100 mat, the fancy accessories, the grip socks… basically an entire new personality before we’re allowed to exercise 😂
And hands up 🙋♀️ I’m guilty of some of it too!
BUT… I work in fitness, and do you know how many expensive gym sets I’ve bought this year?
ONE.
And I bought one last year too.
The majority of my workout clothes are from SHEIN, Penneys and Dunnes — and honestly, I think their sportswear is brilliant. 🙌
I’ve even had a pair of Lidl runners that I absolutely loved for the gym.
Now, running shoes are different. I do spend more on those because I know what suits my body and what works for me when I’m running. That’s something I’m happy to invest in.
And my water bottle?
No fancy €50 Stanley-style situation over here 😂
I use the free protein shakers I’ve collected from various places over the years.
Grip socks are probably the one exception. I do have some really good ones because, with Pilates, grip is a safety thing. You can absolutely use cheaper ones in the gym, but you’ll probably go through more pairs because the grip tends to wear down quicker.
But here’s the point…
You do NOT need the fancy gear to exercise.
You don’t need the matching set.
You don’t need the expensive bottle.
You don’t need the latest accessories.
You don’t need to look like an influencer.
You just need clothes you can move comfortably in, suitable footwear for what you’re doing, and the motivation to get moving.
The best workout gear is the gear that gets you through the door. 🙌
You don’t need the fancy things.
You just gotta exercise. ❤️