Empowering Women Through Fitness: Talking Strength with Molly Chambers

Earlier this month, DRIVE interviewed Molly Chambers, Enterprise Mobility European Marketing Specialist, talking all things strength!

Hi Molly! So tell me, what’s your sport?  

I mostly strength train, and this year I have set myself the fitness goal of improving my cardio fitness through running and challenging myself to run my first half marathon.

What’s your fitness background?

I used to dance from age five right through to university when I joined the Dance Society. More recently, I had a bad relationship with food at times, and saw my weight swing up and down. During the pandemic I got lazy, and I knew something needed to give.

I’m in a completely different place now. I did a long stint of pole fitness last year which is fantastic for core strength and I’m keen to get back into that. I write my own fitness programs and I mainly focus on building muscle and if I can, burning fat at the same time (it’s hard!). Strength training has really grown in popularity over the last eight to 10 years and I absolutely love it. It’s important for women to strength train, to improve bone density, overall strength, muscle retention and to keep our hearts healthy of course.

“It’s important for women to strength train, to improve bone density, overall strength, muscle retention and to keep our hearts healthy”

What’s a typical week for you? 

I’ve been going for a run at lunch when I work in the office, or I will do my gym sessions after work depending on how I’m feeling. When I work from home, I’ll do my workout on my lunch break. I always commit to three to four strength sessions a week, and two runs. I split my strength workouts into upper and lower body, so I’ll aim to do two upper and two lower sessions per week.

I’ll then do a short run, and maybe a 10k run each week. This is a new goal I’ve set myself to help get up to a half marathon of 20k. I occasionally listen to fitness podcasts when I run, but mostly I opt for music. Anything from The Foo Fighters and Green Day to House and Techno is on my playlist. I use the Hevy app to track lifting, there’s a free version and it’s really easy to use. I write my programme around my cycle and I’ll reduce weights at certain points of the month if I need to. Tracking my cycle helps me to know when I can push harder!

“Tracking my cycle helps me to know when I can push harder”

How did you get into running?

I ran a tough 5K with a friend from the office, and it prompted me to think about improving this area of my fitness. I downloaded the Couch to 5K app, but it was too easy and not the right programme for me. I have always run sporadically rather than consistently. I needed help, I wasn’t a complete beginner.

All I needed was guidance on technique, better form, the right shoes. I found useful videos online, implemented some changes and knew I was getting it right when I could run 10k and still feel comfortable at the end. Now, I enjoy running. I’m improving my times, and being able to combine cardio and strength will help me with my goal of trying a Cross Fit style of training in future.

Why is fitness important to you?

I want to stay fit, healthy and happy. It’s as simple as that! People underestimate how important it is to move your body for both fitness and for mental health too. Exercise releases endorphins which make you feel happier. Even when I don’t want to do a workout or a run, I make myself (within reason) as I know I’ll feel so great after.

 Does having a fitness routine help you at work?

 Yes, it brings a level of resilience. On a stressful day, post-workout, I have a clear head and the endorphins help me to feel positive.

"I’m most proud of how I’ve changed my mindset"

What changes have you seen since adopting a fitness routine?

It’s been a long journey of figuring out what works for me. I’m preparing for the future, I want to stay strong and healthy regardless of age. I’ve had a shoulder injury, so I have some rehab exercises that I do regularly. I know that eating the right types of food helps me train efficiently and  maintain my weight. I have cut back on eating ultra-processed foods. You can’t fully avoid them, I think that’s unrealistic, but I adopt an 80/20 rule most of the time which keeps me consistent. Making sure I eat enough protein daily is important to me and I also take vitamins and creatine to boost performance.

What’s your biggest achievement?

I’m most proud of how I’ve changed my mindset. That’s come from building knowledge, recognising what changes I needed to make on a daily basis and having the discipline to stick to a sustainable routine. I’m proud of my upper body now: this was an area of focus for me and I’ve really improved my strength in this area. Progress is not linear, keep investing in your own journey even on good and bad days and you will see those changes in yourself.

"Progress is not linear, keep investing in your own journey even on good and bad days"

If you are interested in a career with Enterprise Mobility, please visit our recruitment website at careers.enterprise.co.uk and careers.enterprise.ie