Business owner combined her passion for fitness and travel to launch exciting new venture

Ellen Saunders was a professional dancer working at sea until 2016, when she joined her mother Jane who had worked hard to establish Enhance Fitness in Long Buckby.

After Ellen returned home from living in America with the ambition of creating a career in her home county, she qualified as a fitness professional and began working with her mother.

This soon transitioned into a partnership and when the pandemic hit, the pair moved Enhance Fitness online and brought in new clients from all over the world.

Jane began to step back during the pandemic and as the restrictions eased, she felt it was the right time for Ellen to carry the business forward.

Since then, Enhance Fitness has expanded across both Long Buckby and West Haddon – and the online subscription service sees new members join ‘Enhance Digital’ every week.

Ellen offers personal training to individuals or in small groups, and is a fitness instructor in pilates, clubbercise, fit step, circuits and ballet barre.

Having last spoken to the Chronicle & Echo in May 2024 when she was named the best fitness instructor in the county, Rutland and Leicestershire, Ellen says things have remained “fantastic”.

The fitness side of the business is still across three strands – Enhance Fitness, Digital and PT – but Ellen decided her love for travel deserved a strand of its own.

Having travelled all her life and throughout her career, Ellen gained her UK travel pin during the pandemic. At an uncertain time when people were figuring out how to make money, Ellen saw the potential for it to be her side hustle.

Through Enhance Travel, Ellen’s clients can book holidays and wellness packages. She is currently focusing on beach, sun and family holidays, with a view to introducing her own retreats in the future.

“It brings it all together and I’m not going to lose anything by doing it,” said Ellen, who has already booked four holidays and has eight quotes on the go since launching a few weeks ago.

The business owner believes it is the personal touch that members like most about Enhance, and Ellen says she thrives off the loyalty of her client base.

Alongside last year’s award win, her proudest achievement is the concepts she has introduced to take the business to the next level – such as pilates and clubbercise.

Interestingly, Enhance Fitness is seeing an influx of new members at this time of year. Newbies typically commit around now after trying a class at the start of the year, and Ellen cannot wait to get to know the new additions.

For more information on Enhance Fitness, visit the business’ Facebook page here.