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Leaving her job at the age of 37 at the peak of her career was never part of the plan but when her work began to take a toll on her mental health, Wardah Hartley knew she needed to do something.
She quit her high-powered job in media and became a qualified yoga teacher, and now she provides one-on-one training to clients.
“I was at my happiest and most fulfilled when I was working out. I realised that that’s truly where my heart and mind was,” she tells YOU.
Wardah (41) made a name for herself as a sports presenter on eNCA but she didn't like what she saw on the small screen and became increasingly conscious of her weight.
“I just didn't feel comfortable when I saw myself on camera. I decided to embrace a healthier lifestyle and I just fell in love with it,” she says.
In 2011 she started eating healthily and began working out and lost 16kg in 18 months.
“I love the changes I made. There's something so special that happens to you, not just physically but mentally, when you go through a process like that.”
Although she'd worked her way up the ranks in broadcasting, her passion for her job was slowly starting to die. “In those final dark days I'd just get home and burst into tears and tell my husband that I just don’t want to do this anymore. But I needed to have a plan.”
That plan came in 2019 when she quit her job, enrolled in yoga teacher training course and started her wellness and fitness platform called FabuFit which she initially began as a blog in 2014.
“In that year I also founded a women’s-only gym, but I think I was a bit over-zealous,” she laughs. “Because I later realised that the services I offered were in high demand for clients who didn’t always have time to go to the gym and instead preferred private one-on-one sessions.”
She later closed her studio and now provides services to private clients, corporations and mainstream gyms.
“My journey as a yoga teacher has helped me connect better with myself and those that I work with. Educating people about the power of movement and how meaningful that can be towards your overall wellness is something that continues to inspire me daily," she says.
Getting into shape is easier than people think, she adds. “Slow and steady wins the race. Start off by drinking more water and becoming consistent in that, and in no time you’ll see how that little consistency will lead to bigger changes.”
Wardah gets a kick out of challenging herself, which is why she took part in Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island.
She plans to push more boundaries as one of the Saturday Night Fitness instructors – South Africa’s biggest workout party, hosted by YOU magazine.
“I was thinking of putting on something that involves a lot more movement, keeping it classic with vinyasa but still challenging people with some balancing poses. But don’t worry, no handstands!”
Five quick questions for Wardah
Q: If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A: My breakfast, which is my hot bowl of oats with strawberries, almond milk and a scoop of whey protein and creatine as well as glutamine.
Q: Three things you always have in your training/yoga bag?
A: A towel, a change of clothes, and my workout notebook.
Q: Three things people believe about yoga but aren’t true?
A: You don't have to be flexible to do yoga. You don't have to be thin to do yoga. You don't need gym or yoga wear to do yoga – you can do it wherever in whatever you feel comfortable in, even pyjamas!
Q: Which fitness enthusiasts are you currently obsessed with?
A: Phelo Mfini, Mika Stefano and Briohny Smyth
Q: What words do you live by?
A: “If it’s meant for me, it will not miss me.”
