“I was told I’d die if I didn’t take action” - Alex’s story

Alex Holt is 35 and a Freddie Mercury tribute act and coaching assistant at Transform Hub Knutsford. He lives in Hartford in Cheshire with his partner Krista and three young daughters. In this interview we chatted about the last 9 months and how Transform Hub has helped him change his health, his life and now his career.

‘It was May 2023 and I’d been experiencing severe nose bleeds and headaches for a couple of months. My mum, who is a nurse, recognised that things weren’t right and forced me into a blood pressure monitor sleeve to check what was happening. It was high, as she thought, and she demanded I needed to see a doctor.’

‘At the time I was working as a operations manager in the banking industry and I had reached a point of no return when it came to stress. I was always on, 24/7. I never switched off from work and was constantly available 7 days a week. Even when I was on holiday with my family I was still fielding calls from work and always seemed happy to do so.’

‘It’s fair to say I was a workaholic. With a young family to provide for I felt it was my duty to work hard and it’s my personality where I had to give it my all. But it was affecting my life with negative consequences. I wasn’t very present as a parent, missed far too many bedtimes and was constantly in a cycle of high stress.’

‘Then my grandad got sick and along with day-to-day work and parenting pressures, I spent a lot of time helping my family to care for him. He was an old stubborn Scottish man and didn’t want help or to go to hospital. He just carried on and on and I recognised myself and my own patterns in him. When he passed away I was devastated and I thought “What is this all for?”. My mindset spiralled and my stress levels soared. I felt like I wasn’t coping at work or with anything else. Severe nosebleeds happened more and more and the headaches were crippling, feeling like my head would split into two.’

‘My mum guessed I had high blood pressure due to stress, so when the reading came back sky high I knew I needed to seek the advice of my GP and I knew she wouldn’t let me get out of it.’

‘Walking into the GP practice I felt like it was another inconvenience stopping me from working. “I am going to sign you off work” he said and I felt fear rise in my body. “No, please don’t do that, I don’t need to do that” I protested but his next words stopped me in my tracks. “Mr Holt if you carry on like this, you won’t see the birth of your next child.” Krista was 5 months pregnant with our third daughter and the thought of not being around for my girls sobered me quickly and made me listen. I agreed to be signed off but it was a horrible feeling. The GP recommended getting out in nature for walks and prioritising resting and relaxing but when you’ve gone from being 100% ‘on’ all the time to being told to switch off, it was difficult.’

‘I found slowing down to be an additional stress at first. It was another thing to do and achieve and I felt guilty I wasn’t in work. I was dragged out on walks in nature and forced to sit with myself. The stress started to subside and I knew that focusing on my food and alcohol consumption was the next thing to get on top of for the sake of my blood pressure. I also toyed with going to the gym to work on my fitness too and do a bit more than just walking. I like the idea of the gym, I’d been before but always found myself losing momentum and getting intimidated either by the meat heads or the teenage girls who could lift more than me! I would pay for a gym membership and then not go. I knew this time I wanted something different.’

‘I saw the advert for The Transform Hub opening in Knutsford and the idea of the group training and the accountability appealed. My family weren’t as keen, wanting me to just take it easy with walking but I knew I needed that bit extra to stop me feeling so bored and lethargic. I compromised with their concerns and didn’t actually start properly exercising for the first month after I joined as the Hub wasn’t quite ready to open. For a month before the 6 Week Challenge started Hannah coached me via the Transform Hub app. I followed the nutrition plans and ticked off the habits, listened to her advice and asked lots of questions. I really enjoyed the accountability and having the habits to do every day gave me a sense of purpose while signed off.’

‘When it came to starting the 6 Week Challenge it was a bit of a shock to the system but I loved the high intensity and it was so much fun. After the very first session I rang Krista and said I didn’t think I’d make it home to do story time with the girls! I was sat in my car in the car park, shell shocked but also on a high. That feeling I started to chase week in, week out.’

‘Everyone else in the group was on the same journey and I enjoyed seeing them progress too. I quickly started seeing results and noticed my energy levels soared within the first week. By week 3 I was feeling more present as a parent and by the end of the 6 week challenge I felt like I’d had a shift in mindset too. I was more positive and felt more resilient. I lost two stones (28lbs), lost % body fat and gained muscle mass after the initial month of online coaching and then the 6 Week Challenge.’

‘It was a big decision for me to not go back to my role in banking but I had made such progress with my health and wellbeing and I knew that jumping back in would undo all my hard work and I’d be back to square one. It was a difficult choice because I loved the job but I knew deep down I needed to make a longer term change for the sake of my health and my family too.’

‘An admin role came up at Transform Hub Knutsford and I decided to go for it. It was reduced hours and flexible around the kids. I wanted to get back to work but knew that going back to my old job would compromise my health again. So I interviewed for the position and got it! I bring a real-world experience to the Hub and love to support 6 week challengers and long term members with their health goals too.’

‘In addition to working at the Hub I am also a professional vocalist and work as a Freddie Mercury tribute act. Leaving banking and doing reduced hours in the Hub has meant I could gradually ramp up my availability to perform. It’s something I really enjoy doing and since training at Transform Hub it has actually had a positive knock-on effect in terms of my vocal range. I can sing that little bit higher and little bit lower so coupled with the increase in energy, my performances have improved and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I have even performed as both Freddie Mercury and George Michael at special themed workout sessions at the Hub.’

‘Right now in addition to performing and supporting members at The Hub I am still training and eating well. I did of course make the birth of my third daughter, Sophia, back in September and I think the focus on my health has helped with the additional pressure of a new baby in the house and sleep deprivation. My blood pressure has come down a lot but there is still room for improvement there so I have set myself a goal of reaching 80kg in weight and I’d love to compete in a sporting event like Hyrox in the future.’

Alex as George Michael at a special tribute sweat session

Alex rocks his Freddie leotards with confidence in the Hub!

Alex performed as Freddie for a series of sessions

‘For now I am so happy being part of the Hub community and I get a real sense of fulfilment seeing people transform their lives. I enjoy being part of the sessions and supporting others - particularly those who may seem nervous and new. I’ve been there and know how that feels.’

‘For anyone else out there who found themselves so riddled with stress and anxiety that it was negatively impacting your life, I’d say go for it with Transform Hub. The support of the coaches, the sessions and the easy to follow programmes mean you won’t feel like it is an additional stress. For the duration of the 6 Week Challenge you’ll get the best support and accountability out there. This will keep you consistent and this will help with your stress. It’s very hard to do it alone when there’s so much pressure consuming your every waking moment.’

‘Trust me, I’ve been there, done that and sweated through all the t-shirts. Life is too short to be consumed by stress and finding a positive and healthy outlet like Transform Hub can only benefit you and your life.’

To get results like Alex, click the button below and contact your local Transform Hub.