Dry January …. Dry February … well, so many good intentions when one wakes up on the first day of the new year after having indulged in all kinds of delicacies and champagne for weeks, and I always wonder how many of us stick to their detox plans to the end since I plead guilty of total failure in doing so. However, being part of the ‘fifties club’ since last year, I felt that things had changed and on the second week of January, I succumbed to peer pressure and met with Mayfair’s best-kept secret (that is how the friend who made the connection introduced him), Henry Barratt. I must admit to being rather nervous by this first encounter, since I am a very average sporty person and always felt overwhelmed by the whole idea of having a personal trainer who looks like an Olympian and makes you feel rather run down and unfit the minute you meet them, and even before if one ventures on their Instagram account. But my perception changed completely after my light ‘healthy’ lunch with my now new health and fitness ‘guru.’
Henry Barratt is in his very early forties and married with two children, which makes him a very grounded chap who gave me the impression of using social media under duress, unlike many of his accolades who are now brand ambassadors of a multiple selection of sportswear since they tend to flog their perfect bodies to their world of thousands of followers, seeing who will get the most ‘likes’ on Instagram or TikTok. But first and foremost, I really liked his realistic approach to the lifestyle and daily challenges we all have, and thus, his goals for each of his clients look achievable from day one. Over the years, this ex-rugby player who was once the star of London Wasps and Harlequins in the under 21 years of age category has developed a very holistic approach where body and mind work hand in hand since he believes that each of us has gone through minor or major traumas over time and it is important that both are encouraged to heal and operate hand in hand, and naturally.
Henry Barratt
‘I personally went through physical trauma at the age of 25 where I had to stop playing rugby and went through a whole process of rehabilitation. This made me realise how important it was not to dissociate body and mental health, but instead, go through the healing process by taking care of your body and your soul so that one’s brain always engages with one’s physique.’
This made him develop a unique approach which is more long-term instead of concentrating solely on one’s short-term physical look while neglecting an individual’s state of mind, which is crucial in a big city like London where everyone is in a rat race and competing in every aspect of one’s life.
He decided to take the challenge of moving his studio to Mayfair a year ago; a major leap for him since he has a great place on South Audley Street which is pretty … but pricey. And the results have been beyond expectations, not to mention the fact that he thrives on the vibe of Mayfair which he thinks has a great international eclectic atmosphere. The way he describes his experience of being located in one of the most exclusive postcodes of the city seems at first rather odd for a grounded individual who likes to be off the radar, but the fact that he has been able to build a solid network has helped and he is now getting referrals from all the top end hotels and companies in the area, with a local and international set of clients.
‘My brother was my very first client, which was great since he was one of the driving forces behind my move to the area. He immediately referred me to many of his friends from the business world and this really helped to get me on my feet from the start.
Kate Beckinsale is now a regular, not to mention a few royals and highflyers who Henry will not mention since he believes that his relationship with his clients needs to remain personal (Kate is a friend and she does not mind being one of his ‘Ambassadors’). He intends to grow organically his business and keep the one-to-one approach as his main method of helping his clients reach the fitness level which would make them live a healthy happy life since personal growth is after all the main leitmotiv that most people are yearning for.
Henry also has a few ideas for this new year which he will soon be able to implement while keeping them in tune with his focus on helping people with their sleep, nutrition, and training. One of them is to put together small groups of people (maximum of 6) who he feels share the same philosophy about life in general and have similar goals and take them incognito on a retreat in the UK or overseas where they can reconnect with themselves in a deeper way while sharing some time with like-minded individuals. As such, those people would be handpicked according to their profile and invited personally by Henry, which is totally different from the approach of other trainers who advertise retreats online on a first come first serve basis.
‘I wish to have people that would feel at ease with one another and help each other to grow while also enjoying each other’s company.’
Since we met, I have had my first two sessions with Henry while not sticking to my dry January plans. The great thing is that for the very first time, we have set goals for the next few weeks that I feel I can achieve while at the same time being able to somehow keep my epicurean lifestyle.
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Imagery credit to one_personal_training / Henry Barratt.