For as long as she can remember, fitness has been central to Katie Martin’s life. “I can’t really pinpoint a start to my fitness journey, it’s just something that has always been really important to me,” she tells Women’s Health. “I grew up in a very fit household where my day started with wake up, brush your teeth, get your body moving.”
Growing up in Brisbane, Martin entered the fitness industry in a professional sense at just 16 years of age, when she started working at what she describes as a “female-based dance-inspired Pilates gym”, where every client was older than her. It was exactly what she wanted. “I’d have my own clients from 5-8 in the morning and then go to school all day and then have more clients from 4-8 at night. I loved it,” she says.
This upbringing allowed Martin to develop a mindset that still guides her in daily life: be present in every moment and constantly push yourself mentally and physically to new, challenging places. In Martin’s own words, it’s all about living like you’re alive.
“I think that mantra is really about making the most of every opportunity and pushing the limits to see what I’m truly capable of,” Martin says. “Whether that be through marathon training or assisting clients in the gym to achieve their goals or just being fully present in the moment, it makes me feel like I’m living life to the fullest.”
Martin applies that direction and drive to almost every aspect of her fitness routine. While she’s primarily known as a strength trainer, running is an integral part of her routine, and it serves to remind her of how capable she is.
“Running gives me an opportunity to do something hard, and when you consistently do something that pushes you and you subsequently accomplish it, you’re proving to yourself over and again that you can achieve,” she says. “Running acts as a reminder, whenever I’m going through something hard in my life or my career, that I can surmount challenges if I apply myself.”
Martin also places a great deal of importance on mindfulness. “As I get older, I’m starting to recognise just how important mindful awareness is for me in daily life,” she says. “When I sit back and just work on my mental fitness, I remind myself why I’m doing the things that I’m doing and everything just feels easier, like it flows.”
Now, Martin will get to share her approach with a wider audience in her new role as an ambassador for lululemon, a women-first brand that shares her thoughtful, energetic ethos. And in serendipitous news, it turns out that Martin has, in fact, always been a fan of the Canadian-born athleisure wear brand.
“Hand on heart, I’ve always loved lululemon. I’ve always admired the quality of their pieces,” she says. “Some of the lululemon stuff I have in my wardrobe, I’ve had for over a decade now, and it’s still what I’ll turn to every time I need something to rely on. Especially with my long-distance running, I just know that I can easily grab and be comfortable in any of my lululemon pieces.”
As part of her role as ambassador, Martin will receive some of the brand’s world class products to aid in her training sessions, but this is a two-way relationship. The Sweat trainer will also be providing feedback on new athletic and lifestyle products to help lululemon create the best collections they can. “As an ambassador, I’m in a position where, yes, I strength train and I do Pilates and I run, but I’m also active in the fitness community and speak to other people about their experiences and how they feel,” says Martin. Martin is a product test aficionado in the truest sense. She’s in the field and conducting real-time focus groups as she goes to help the brand optimise.
One of lululemon’s most appealing qualities, according to Martin, is the brand’s people-first approach to designing products. “lululemon always take a human-first approach and has what consumers want and need at the front of their design process,” she says.
That mentality has driven the creation of lululemon’s new Glow Up collection, which was created to inspire confidence. The pieces in the collection make you feel held-in and provide shape, with a snug fit, a great deal of support and structured waistband innovation for unrestricted movement.
As Martin explains, feeling confident in what you wear is a key part of making exercise enjoyable. “Confidence when you’re working out is such a huge component. If you feel confident, you’re going to perform well,” she says. “A lot of people step into a workout feeling vulnerable, which can make the whole experience challenging. Knowing that your activewear is going to hold you and support you and sculpt you in the best way possible, to help you through that workout, just means you have one less thing to worry about.”
Martin takes a similar, people-first approach to her role as a trainer. “I like to take in the whole picture and listen to what they want to help them on their journey because everybody is individual. Everybody has a different history and their own fitness goals, so taking a blanket one-size-fits-all approach isn’t going to work,” she says.
With such a clear alignment of values, it’s easy to see this partnership bearing fruit.
