We practice what we preach here at bazaar. We go out and do the things we write about so we can deliver true accounts to you, our readers. That’s why when I visited Inspire, a boutique personal training gym tucked away in the corner of the Bida’a Strip, back in March to write a review I experienced the most satisfying workout of my life thus far. As I lay in pools of sweat at the end of it though, I had no idea how much they would truly inspire me.

Cut to almost six months later, I’m a fully paid-up member and I’m still inspired. Not only by the crème de la crème of personal trainers but also by my fellow members. Seeing the gains people are making pushes me further on my own journey. This is a community of fitness; a community of people who want to use their bodies for what they were designed for, people who respect their bodies, who want to maintain or improve them, people who want to push the limits of what their bodies can do – people who want to know what it feels like to be alive.

Over the months I’ve gotten to know these sweaty-faced folks at Inspire. They walk in with a smile, they bound out red-faced and beaming. How can going to the gym have this effect, you may ask? Well, I asked. Omar Al-Othman finds that “Inspire inspires me when I see how it has transformed its members. The dedication and enthusiasm of the trainers has rubbed off on the members, and you see it every day by watching people train.” Reem Al-Fadala sees the motivation as a trickledown effect, “Everyone at Inspire inspires me in some way or another, from the trainers’ upbeat attitude to the drive and motivation I get from other members. Each and every person inspires me and motivates me to jump a little bit higher, kick a little bit harder and lift a little bit heavier.”

Fawaz Al-Qanae believes that “Inspire has the best trainers; combine that with diverse training methods and a sense of community and that’s extremely rare to find.” Omar agrees, “Inspire is a gym that allows its members to learn about their bodies and the best way to work out, which is something most gyms lack in Kuwait.”

So it’s a sense of satisfaction that has Inspire’s members smiling every time they leave. Although for Reem she isn’t always happy to leave, “There is so much going on at the gym that it is hard to stay away – training with my PT, then saving some energy for Body Combat, Tabata, Fight Club, and Crossfit. You just want to do them all. Seriously, it’s addictive!”

But don’t think any of this is easy, the hard work all comes down to the individual in the end. Fawaz cites the handstand walk and human flag (Google it!) as challenges, whereas for Omar it has been more of a mental game, “The hardest challenge since I have joined is believing that I am capable of doing everything that my trainers have asked me to do.”

The guys who run Inspire are also pushing it, too. They could have easily rested on their laurels, inspiration spreading through word-of-mouth, success stories abound, and been comfortable. But when you are practising what you preach you’ve got to keep making gains, keep pushing, keep getting better. They’ve added a multipurpose fitness rig outside in a space which other clubs may have utilised for other purposes. They also just signed a lucrative deal with Nike Store Kuwait to bring their members exclusive deals and a personal shopping service. They also offer holistic approaches to fitness with Yoga classes led by Kuwaitis and have just added a state-of-art pilates reformer in its own dedicated room.

I asked my fellow Inspire members for pieces of advice for bazaar’s readers, a little bit of their own inspiration that they’ve taken away from Inspire. Reem believes that “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you” and Fawaz says “That it’s never too late to start, add to that the amazing trainers and encouraging environment and nearly anything is possible. Omar tells me it’s to “Never give up. You are much stronger than you think.”

An anonymous post from a member on the Inspire Pure Fitness Facebook group sums it up best;

“It’s hard to believe that only 5 months ago I was still chain smoking, eating fast food, and just wasting my life away on the couch! I am now surrounded by so many inspiring individuals at Inspire, (who are such an amazing support system and give me constant drive and motivation) that my outlook on life has completely changed.”

Inspire is on the Bida’a Strip at the Al Remal Hotel & Resort. For more information visit inspirekw.com or call 2226 3151. You can also be inspired via Twitter @InspireQ8.