Penny Lane Talks Personal Training and Creating a Healthy Mindset Around Movement

Penny Lane was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal.Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

As a 2024 SI Swimsuit rookie and certified holistic health coach, Penny Lane prioritizes both her physical and mental well-being through a number of wellness practices. From establishing a healthy morning routine to sticking to a diet filled with super foods, Lane is all about maintaining her own well-being while sharing her knowledge with others. 

We recently caught up with the Cheshire, England, native to learn about her regular exercise routine and how she focuses on her physical health. Here’s what Lane had to say.

Exercising around her menstrual cycle

Lane says that she tends to plan her workouts around her menstrual cycle in order to get the most out of them while also listening to what her body needs at any given moment. When she’s on her period, she tends to do yoga and Pilates, while she saves weight training and cardio exercises for the phases of her cycle in which she has more energy.

“That’s super important to me, because I think it’s all part of the mental health side of [exercise],” she explains. “You know, if you want to keep on top of having a busy lifestyle, I think it’s super important to be in tune with your body.”

Through trial and error, Lane has found which workouts work best for her based on her cycle. She suggests trying exercises like walking, hiking or stretching during your luteal phase to go easy on your body, while saving weight training for when you’re “feeling like your best self.”

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Personal training sessions

Lane is a huge proponent of working with a personal trainer in order to reach her fitness-related goals. She has found success (and achieved what she calls her “best body”) working with Stephen Cheuk, founder of New York City’s S10 Training. 

“I want to look forward to [my workouts], and with S10, it’s somewhere that’s a community. You go there and you make friends and you also get the most amazing, impeccable training as well, and they’ll listen to exactly what you want,” Lane says. She adds that recovery is a huge component of the facility’s offerings, from infrared saunas to steam rooms. “They look after not only getting your best body, but also looking after the recovery side, which I think is crucial,” she notes.

Lane, who has been friends with Cheuk for about eight years, says her trainer is “amazing at what he does.”

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Creating a healthy mindset around exercise

Though she often travels for work and is far more flexible with her personal training schedule today than she used to be, Lane’s ideal week consists of four to five days of workouts. She incorporates weight training three times per week maximum in order to allow her body to rest and recover.

“I used to be really rigid,” she says of her former mindset regarding exercise. “[Now] I’m actually more of the mindset of, obviously I’d love to train every day and that could be anything from weight training to just going for a nice walk. I really try and look at it that way now. I think it’s a healthier mindset to have and not to give yourself a hard time if you can’t do it.”

As for rest days, Lane recommends getting enough sleep and trying out an ice bath or infrared sauna in addition to rolling out any sore muscles. She also notes that nutrition is a huge component of a proper fitness routine, as is looking after your immunity.

For those who are looking to create healthy habits but are perhaps intimidated by the gym, Lane says that even she’s been there before, and we all have to start somewhere. She suggests working with a personal trainer to get over those initial jitters.

“Invest in a trainer to begin with,” Lane says. “Get them to walk you around the gym so you’re familiar with it [and understand] how to use the equipment. I think that’s a really nice way to introduce yourself, do something for yourself, and then start to give yourself some knowledge as well. That can give you a lot of confidence in a new space that you’ve not been in.”

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