ST201906

W

e allknowwe

shouldbeactive.

Butthere’sso

muchstuffthat

cangetintheway:

workstuff,life

stuff,bodystuff...WeloveDrJuliet

McGrattanbecausesheunderstands.She

wasworkingasa GPwhensherealised,in

herownwords,“howpowerfulexercise

wasforimprovingmymentalandphysical

health”.Lookingfora waytoshareher

knowledgebeyondtheconsultingroom,

shebeganwritingandbloggingaboutit.

She’salsogivenusoneofthemostuseful

fitness books we’ve ever read. Sorted: The

Active Woman’s Guide to Health is an

accessible handbook to staying active,

whatever your life stage. It’s won awards

and you only need to read a few of its

(entirely 5* on Amazon) reviews to see how

many people it has benefitted.

The exciting realisation that she could

pair her “medical background with helping

others to exercise” to make a difference has

caused McGrattan to change paths slightly.

She’s now Women’s Health Lead and

Master Coach for the 261 Fearless global

network,whichempowerswomentorun,

andisevenmorekeentospreadthenews

abouthowgoodsportmakesyoufeel.“So

manyofusdon’tidentifywith‘sport’being

somethingwedo,”sheexplains.“Perhaps

that’sbecausewewereputoffatschoolor

seeit astoocompetitive,time-consuming

orexpensive.It’sreallyimportanttoknow

thatwecangetenoughexercisetokeepus

healthysimplybyintroducingbrisk

walkingintoourdayandmakingsurewe

don’tspendtoolongsittingdown.”

“Ifyouintroduceonesmallchangeand

succeed,thenyou’llbemoremotivatedand

successfulinintroducinganother.Every

smallbitofactivityyoucandoaddsupand

willmakeyouhealthier;youdon’tneedto

setasidehours.”Andif thatstillsounds

liketoomuch,sheencouragesusto

rememberwhatweenjoyedasa child.

“Wasit ridingyourbike,dance,table

tennis?Ifyouenjoyedit then,chancesare

youwillnow,andrekindlingsomeofthat

youthfulbuzzisa greatmotivator.”

It’snotonlythebuzzthatMcGrattan

findsrewarding–it’s the ripple effect:

“Encouraging a friend who didn’t think she

could run, to find she can, then watching

her grow in confidence and ability and

become a run leader, helping other women

into running.” We can all follow her

example. Not just in getting moving but

also in supporting others. “Many people

find even the most welcoming group too

intimidating,” she says. “All it takes is

someone to take them by the hand and say,

“Let’s go together.” Ready? Let’s go!

drjulietmcgrattan.com

“Every small bit of activityyou can

do addsup and makesyou healthier;

you don’tneed to set asidehours”

DR JULIET

MCGRATTAN

doesn’t just know

how to move it – she

knows how to make

the rest of us get a

move on, too

OFFERING INSPIRATION FOR THE REAL WORLD, DR JULIET

MCGRATTAN IS AN ACTIVIST FOR BEING ACTIVE

Want to nominate a little-known excellent woman?

Email [email protected].

WORDS: FRANCES AMBLER