Metafitnosis is a boutique personal training studio in Islamabad and Karachi that has revolutionized the fitness standards in Pakistan. Pushing their clients to reach beyond their limits, Metafitnosis focuses on individual client’s needs and customizes fitness and nutrition plans. At Metafitnosis you can expect that transformations are not just limited to physical, but also where each personal trainer is dedicated to their client’s mental well- being as well. We sat down with Aliya Ahmed, CEO of Metafitnosis to learn more about her approach in the fitness world.

When did you know you wanted to open a gym?
I didn’t! I had a chronic knee condition and realized I needed strength training instead of the conventional big box gyms I’d been using.

There are so many gyms and fitness centers opening up in Pakistan, especially Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. How have you made yours unique?
We were the first exclusive personal training facility that opened over 13 years ago. We’ve retained ourselves with consistency in services, ethics, and values – no shortcuts!

 Is Metafitnosis for everyone?
Metafitnosis is definitely for everyone. Our youngest client being 9 and the senior most 86, each client gets a customized program, which fits their goals and limitations.

A lot of people coming into the gym most probably go through phases where they feel they’re suffering from low self-esteem. How do you step in to motivate them and make them feel good about themselves?
As humans we’ve all suffered from low self-esteem at some point in our lives. At Meta, we ensure nobody gets judged – in fact they’re assessed and guided with empathy and understanding hence resulting in a positive turn around. Apart from that, our clients usually are very open with us especially if they are feeling down and we are always there to boost them with positivity and optimism and remind them to achieve their end goal.

Is there any such client that you remember who has had a complete transformation?
In over 13 years we have had numerous transformations! For us a transformation means accepting guidelines, minor tweaks automatically resulting in a new lifestyle overall – mind and body both.

A lot of diets are trending these days such as Keto etc. Do you believe in diets?
We certainly don’t believe in any set diet so to say. “Diet” for us is a “Die” with a “T”. It’s all about learning to enjoy your food and portion control rather than those fads, which burn a hole in your pocket.

What is your daily routine?
I leave home around at 7 a.m daily and make sure I time myself. Having had this routine and stuck to it for all these years at Meta – I train with a Coach at 9am daily. Other than this, interacting with our team & clients usually fills the rest of my day.

Your favorite exercise?
I do have a few favorite workouts which include crawled bear walks, mountain climbers and planks.

If it were your cheat day today, what would you be munching on?
Oh, a dense walnut bread and butter!

Lastly, as a female entrepreneur any words of wisdom for our future females wanting to break the barriers in starting their own businesses?
Frankly, we have so much fun doing what we do. I feel teamwork is the key coupled with humility and gratitude. It’s the best formula for anyone to succeed!