In 2026, our very own Creative Director at Beaches COVERED is seeking a reset. Across four issues over twelve months, we'll be covering her transformation as she undertakes personal training from Kristy Battaglia, co-owner of Brookvale's FORMA Battaglia and former trainer on The Biggest Loser Asia. This Autumn, Megan's journey is just beginning.

The Student

While she spends her days perfecting our beloved designs here at Beaches COVERED, Megan Vickery may be stretching her imagination and juggling a heavy mental load, but physically, she's sitting down for hours at a time. With the challenges of office work, it's more important than ever to make the best use of exercise blocks.

However, once we're lucky enough to hit middle age, our body begins responding differently to our usual routines. With the onset of perimenopause, hormonal fluctuations can lead to different results in our fifties for the same work we've been putting in since our thirties.

"I'm feeling like I need that push to get active again. My motivation is low and I need that encouragement to get moving. Working sitting down all the time, I need to find that work/me balance. By the end of the year, I want to feel strong, energised and like myself again," says Megan.

For Megan, the aim is not mindlessly piling on the intensity, but finding the structure that will actually yield results. With the right teacher, she'll be able to overcome the niggling problems and find comfort and confidence in her steadily gained strength.

The Teacher

That's where Kristy Battaglia comes in. Kristy co-owns FORMA Battaglia in Brookvale, a boutique gym dedicated to people, not numbers.

FORMA offers Strength, Cycle, Boxing, Cardio, Mobility and Kids Classes, all in small groups so that Kristy and her husband Mike Battaglia can pay full attention to each individual.

Under her maiden name, she also owns Kristy Curtis Health, a space to share health, wellness and fitness knowledge, or connect with her as a trainer. On top of that, Kristy is the founder of Activemumma.com, inspiring mothers to keep moving.

With a long history of fitness experience, Kristy has made a name for herself as one of the leading health and wellness experts across Australia and Asia. For two years, she was the red team trainer on Biggest Loser Asia, and host of Healthy Me TV Singapore. Today, she continues to share her wealth of knowledge as a speaker on corporate health and wellness.

Her list of qualifications is impressive, spanning from Olympic Lifting to Body Combat Instruction, among many more. It seems there's hardly a sport she hasn't covered, which means she can tailor her training to the interests of any client.

The Program

Kristy characterises her style as 'Situational Training', a method that begins with a thorough individual assessment of each client. She takes into account their strengths and weaknesses, but also what foods they like to eat, how they like to train, and most importantly, what motivates them. It's about giving them a little bit of what they want, and a little bit of what they need.

It starts with one simple question: "What's your jam?" To Kristy, it's everything. If you don't enjoy how you move, you won't stick with it. Once you're able to zone in on what makes you move, Kristy builds a routine at FORMA around it, structured, coached and community-driven, so that every session feels less like a chore and more like something you actually look forward to.

For women navigating perimenopause, this approach is particularly powerful. The hormonal shifts of midlife don't just affect the body physically, they can quietly erode motivation, disrupt sleep and make the gym feel more intimidating than ever. Many women arrive at fifty feeling like they've lost the plot with their fitness, when really, they've simply been mismatched with the wrong kind of training.

At FORMA, small group classes mean no one gets lost in the crowd. Kristy and Mike know their clients by name, by goal and by what gets them through the door on a cold morning. It's that combination of structure, expert coaching and genuine community that makes the difference between a gym you visit and one you actually belong to.

For Megan, the journey is about to begin. With Kristy's help, she'll uncover what sparks her flame, and what gets results. Over the next year, we'll show you what consistent, supported training actually looks like in midlife. This time next year, you could feel like a whole new you.

Training as a Woman Over 50

Once we hit fifty, our primary health goals should be balance and bones. During menopause, women may lose as much as a third of their bone mass. To prevent damage from falls and everyday bumps, it's important to focus heavily on resistance training.

Muscle acts as armour, helping us not only block potential damage, but avoid slips and trips by giving us greater control. Resistance training is weight-based, so pick up a barbell or kettlebell, or use your own bodyweight by hanging from a bar or doing push-ups and squats. Be sure to increase the weight or difficulty as you get fitter. Ten minutes of sprinting, trampolining or skipping will also go a long way toward improving agility and bone density, especially in the hip joint.

Diet-wise, focus on protein: 2 to 2.3 grams per kilogram per day. Remember that protein doesn't always mean animal products, as plant proteins have shown to be just as effective. Look for tofu, nut butters, chickpeas and seeds. A protein powder will also ensure your body has the building blocks it needs to synthesise muscle. Eat up!

This is Your Moment

There's no better time than right now. Whether you're navigating perimenopause, rebuilding after years on the sidelines, or simply ready to put yourself first, FORMA Battaglia was built for women like you. Strong, busy, real women who are done waiting and ready to feel good again.

Grab your 14-day unlimited trial, open gym and small group classes included, for just $62. Your first step starts here.

Try it for yourself: 14 days, unlimited classes, open gym included. $62. One-time purchase only.

Unit 1/2 Wattle Road, Brookvale | 0411 518 525 | @formabattaglia | formabattaglia.com.au

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