Flowness Club: Yorkshire fitness and wellness influencer Olivia Jarvis is transforming women's lives around the globe
At school, Olivia Jarvis would be one of the girls regularly handing in a sick note to get out of physical education. Today, she’s the founder of a growing fitness and wellness platform, supporting women around the world with workouts, meal plans and transformations in both body and mind.
Olivia, who grew up near Bingley, was a child who was always outdoors, riding horses, clearing stables and playing with friends. “But I wasn’t sporty at all,” she says. It wasn’t until the now 26-year-old was studying businesses management at London Metropolitan University that she “fell into the gym”.
“That’s when my fitness journey properly began,” she reflects. “And I think that’s when I first started to notice how movement affected how I felt more so than what I looked like.
"I was going through ups and downs with my health, anxiety and life changes at uni and that eventually led to me thinking about building something that could support other women with things I had struggled with.”
Olivia started creating content online focused around health, fitness, nutrition and wellbeing, and after graduating from university, undertook a personal training course and began coaching women.
She now has an online community of over 500,000 followers across Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, and last year, launched the Flowness Club online platform.
It is now helping women worldwide to meet strength and fitness goals, transform their bodies, and shift how they see themselves, with a focus on building self-worth, confidence, and community.
"I’d kept noticing how women felt really stuck, how they’d lost their spark,” Olivia says. “And personally, I really resonated with that. I’d seen a lot of women tired with constantly dieting, not happy with their bodies and not knowing where to turn. I wanted to create a space to give women the tools, support and structure.”
Olivia, who lives in Harrogate, encourages members to focus on wellness, mindset and meditation. “People are really realising that health isn’t just about what you eat and how you train,” she explains.
“It’s how you sleep, how you think, how you manage stress, your mindset. I think wellness culture has grown because people are wanting more balance. And I think online communities make support feel more accessible and normal.”
Lisa Wood, from South Yorkshire, is one the many members of the club, aged between 19 and 65.
The 47-year-old joined the platform in September last year after following Olivia on YouTube for years. At the time, she was spending her days visiting a family member in hospital.
“The community and its support kept me accountable,” she explains. “When I was going through a really bad time, it was allowing me to show up in the morning for myself, with support.
"I’ve been through quite a lot in the last few years…and the Flowness Club is a perfect mix of (supporting) emotional and physical transformation.”
Eve Richards, 33, from Cornwall, joined the club at a similar time to Lisa and finds motivation through daily check-ins. “At the end of the day you look back and think what’s gone well today, in your workouts, in your food, in a mindful capacity.
"To me it’s like gentle accountability. I also find it useful reading other people’s daily check-ins…Not in a comparison way, I use it to influence and motivate me. You’re all rooting for each other as well, that girl supporting girl vibe.
“It’s had a huge impact... I’m showing up for myself in a way that I never have before. I’m losing weight, I’m building strength, and mentally I’m in the best place I’ve been in a long time after being quite ill last year with my mental health.”
Stories like Lisa’s and Eve’s are what motivates Olivia to continue her efforts. Already she has a global following, but the influencer and entrepreneur hopes to grow the movement further.
She’s planning soon to launch fitness and wellness retreats for members in different parts of the world and has been exploring venues in Bali, Indonesia.
"It’s completely changed my life (too),” she adds. “Every day, I am surrounded by women who are showing up for themselves and I am seeing their growth physically and emotionally.”
For a girl who dodged PE, “it’s funny now, how things have turned out”.