Fit Bits: Meet psychiatrist, GP and sports professional Dr Claire Gillvray

Dr Claire Gillvray is a psychiatrist, General Practitioner, sports doctor, personal trainer and nutritionist who helps people of all ages to optimise their health. Here she reveals her motivations, favourite workouts and nutrition tips

*My Fitness Story
I am passionate about closing the divide that currently exists between physical and mental health services and believe that it is not possible to be healthy without thinking about both. With this in mind I co-founded Gillvray Health Ltd and together with Lucy Hibben, we created Cognitive Sports Therapy (CST), which is our evidence-based trademarked approach to fitness. We want to help everyone, young or old, those with health problems or not, to be able to optimise their health and get the most out of their life. I like to think of it as premium personal training!

*What we do
We work with individuals who may have barriers including, but not limited to, physical or mental illness that prevent them from accessing mainstream fitness or therapy facilities and anyone interested in a more holistic approach to their health and wellbeing. We work with many local companies delivering wellbeing packages that might be one-off educational events on health topics, or could be our full package with access to experienced therapists, workplace wellbeing assessments, breathwork coaching and fitness or yoga sessions for staff. We work with a number of sports teams in Cambridge interested in health education for their athletes and coaches. I have been a medical doctor for nearly 25 years. I am a psychiatrist, General Practitioner, sports doctor, personal trainer and nutritionist. We work both face-to-face and online, and are piloting an app to provide our therapy in the health services, sports teams and the workplace.

*My go-to quick workout
If I am time-limited, I enjoy going for an interval run, jumping on my indoor bike with the Rocacorba Collective on Zwift or getting out my kettle bell and doing a 15 minute full body workout.

*My favourite feel-good long workout
I compete for Ireland at long course triathlon events and have recently become an ultra runner, so if I have a few hours then I will be found out running on the trails around Cambridge, swimming in one of the Milton country park lakes or cycling with friends.

*My energy-boosting food
I am an ambassador for Veri and from having worn a continuous glucose monitor for a while I know that my energy is boosted most if I eat food with a high protein content. I therefore love adding chia seeds to my breakfast or adding nuts, edamame or eggs to my lunch and dinner.

*My indulgent treat food
As I work a lot with people with eating disorders, I don’t have foods that are off limits and advocate for food to be enjoyed for everyone. I definitely have more of a savoury tooth and would rather a second starter than pudding.

*How I kick back and relax
As a working mum with three young children I don’t often get an opportunity to relax but I do love rolling out a yoga mat and have become increasingly a fan of a good Savasana even if I can hear screaming children in the background!

*Top tip for anyone who needs motivating to start exercising
The research has been done for us on this. There are three things that help with getting us motivated to exercise. The first is to find something we enjoy doing. The second is to do it with someone else. Finally having a coach or mentor is key. Even though I am a personal trainer and doctor I still value having my own personal trainer and therapist. I would definitely encourage you to do the same.

-Find out more about Claire’s work at cognitivesportstherapy.com and cambridgeprivatedoctors.co.uk (where she works in the Nuffield, Cambridge). Email claire@cognitivesportstherapy.com