‘Afterwards I would feel blissful’: how exercise convinced a psychotherapist to become a personal trainer

Therapists and gyms are working both brain and body as the full benefits of fitness are increasingly recognised

Twelve years ago, when he was in his mid-40s, psychotherapist Andrew Keefe found himself in a very stressful job – working with survivors of torture – and really out of shape. Determined to improve, Keefe joined an outdoor fitness class. Hours of burpees and press-ups in London’s Finsbury Park helped him get physically fit, but he was fascinated to discover that his state of mind also completely changed.

“Afterwards I would be incredibly relaxed – blissful,” he says.