There is a strong link between health, fitness and diet. But getting advice and coaching on all of these from a single source is not often possible, and many people tend to focus on one aspect at the detriment of the others.

Newly-arrived personal trainer and nutritionist Amy Turner hopes to put that right by offering a wide-ranging service that she fine-tuned in the UK.

As the newest addition to the MindBody Wellness roster at the ASHLAN Sports Clinic, she offers sport-specific training programmes, core-specific conditioning and nutritional analysis and advice.

In the past she has worked with everyone from teenagers to mothers-to-be, sports people with injuries and those seeking to reach the next level of performance and even a 73-year-old senior.

"It is a lifestyle thing. It is the whole package not just the gym side, it's the medical side and the nutrition. It's knowing how to train safely," she explained.

For someone seeking weight loss Ms Turner would take a base measurement, including their body fat total and look at any psychological attachments they might have to certain foods, she would then design a specific programme. Eating the correct foods is just as important for serious athletes who might think they can simply eat anything and burn it off during exercise.

"An athlete would notice the difference. It is a huge part of training. (Eating correctly) an athlete can recover quicker, their muscles can recuperate and build," she said.

In her homeland of Scotland she worked for a number of years as a nutritionist in a weightloss, homeopathic clinic.

She branched out as a personal trainer and has now fused the two together to provide a fuller service. Clients can pick and choose the areas they are particularly keen to improve.

Aside from nutrition, Ms Turner says having strong core body strength is key to improved athletic ability, good health and posture.

"A lot of people mistake ab muscles for core strength. Core is about posture. Without a strong core your performance is weaker, especially if you are looking to run faster or keep going for longer," she said.

¦ The MindBody Wellness/ASHLAN Sports Clinic is located in the International Centre on Bermudiana Road. The telephone number is 292-6830.