Turning Personal Struggle Into Strength and Purpose – Exclusive Interview with Barbara Basia Siwik

Barbara Basia-Siwik is a personal coach and holistic fitness & nutrition advisor with more than nine years of experience helping individuals transform physically and mentally through a science-based, integrative approach. Her journey began in 2015 in England, where she completed her first YMCA fitness qualification and soon became a certified personal trainer and nutrition advisor. Experiencing hormonal imbalances early on led her to explore how the brain, gut, hormones, and nervous system influence confidence, resilience, and long-term change. This curiosity drove her to complete her sports psychology certification in 2024 and begin neuroscience development studies in 2025, giving her recognized ability to apply neuroscientific methods in her coaching.

Barbara Basia Siwik, Personal Coach & Nutrition Advisor

Who is Barbara Basia Siwik? Introduce yourself – your hobbies, favorites, home life and business. Tell us something interesting about you.

My full name is Barbara Siwik. I’m originally from Poland, but I’m far more widely known through my work, website, and social media under my short name, Basia – which is how people naturally call me everywhere. I’m a professional coach, personal trainer, and nutritionist with certifications in sports psychology and applied neuroscience. I’ve always been an active person, and over time I learned how to use that energy in a conscious, structured, and sustainable way – both professionally and personally.

While still living in England, in Colchester near London, I made the decision to move to Barcelona. Living here had been my dream for as long as I can remember. After traveling to Barcelona several times, I knew instantly it was my place on earth – the decision didn’t require hesitation. Today, Barcelona is my permanent home, where I’ve spent the past eight years building my business, lifestyle, and a strong community of like-minded people. I work with clients both in person and online worldwide.

While living in England, I built my professional foundation through fitness, coaching, and nutrition qualifications linked to London-based education. After settling in Barcelona, I continued expanding my expertise through online studies in sports psychology and neuroscience.

Movement is central to my life. Alongside strength training, I practice feminine high-heels dance – a discipline that builds confidence, body awareness, and presence. I’m deeply passionate about connecting people through movement, which is why I regularly organise wellness and training events in Barcelona, Ibiza, Málaga, and Mallorca.

Living by the sea was always part of my vision. Today, I enjoy starting my days with power walks, journaling, and healthy breakfasts with my tribe. Relationships and community are extremely important to me, as is intentional solitude – it allows me to recharge, reflect, and return with clarity and creative energy.

Travel is one of my greatest sources of inspiration. Ibiza has become my second home, and I travel there several times a year. I’m not really a party person anymore – something my friends like to joke about – especially when it comes to my small obsession with Ushuaïa.

A lesser-known fact about me is that I’m a massive chocolate and cheesecake lover while being deeply committed to strength training. I genuinely enjoy that contrast and teach my clients how to combine consistency, flexibility, and enjoyment while still living a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

What inspired you to become a personal trainer and start Basia Fitness?

My inspiration comes directly from lived experience. In my early twenties, I went through periods of feeling lost, lonely, and misunderstood – both by others and by myself. I struggled with eating disorders, body image, and a deep sense of not being enough.

Once I began standing on my own feet, becoming financially independent, and rebuilding my relationship with movement and food, everything changed. I discovered that my optimism and natural energy inspired people around me, and they often asked how I stayed active, positive, and resilient.

I had a clear ‘aha’ moment – realizing that I could share what I had learned and help others avoid the same mistakes. Becoming a qualified personal trainer allowed me to align my true identity with purposeful work, helping people feel supported, understood, and empowered from the inside out.

How does your background in nutrition and sports psychology shape the way you coach clients?

I coach from both education and lived experience. I’ve personally tried restrictive diets, extremes, and shortcuts – cutting food groups, overusing supplements instead of eating real meals, and excusing it all with being ‘too busy’.

Those experiences taught me that restriction never works long term. My background in nutrition and sports psychology allows me to help clients understand how emotions, habits, and food choices are deeply connected.

I guide them toward sustainable systems built on self-awareness, emotional regulation, and realistic routines. I don’t believe in perfection – I believe in mindful consistency, which is the only approach that creates lasting results.

What kind of clients benefit most from your personalized training and why?

I work best with people who are ready for real, long-term change – not shortcuts or so-called 21-day transformations. Many of my clients are busy individuals with demanding schedules, frequent travel, injuries, health challenges, or long-standing struggles with nutrition.

My programs are suitable for all levels because I always teach from the basics, adapting everything to real life. That’s also why I created additional resources, including an e-book, specifically designed for busy people on the go.

Can you walk us through how your “goal-oriented habits” approach works in a typical coaching program?

I genuinely practice what I teach. I intentionally share real-life strategies from my daily routines and my travels, showing how balance can exist during holidays, weekends with friends, or busy work periods.

My approach includes movement snacks, mobility moments, extra steps, and simple nutrition strategies that remove restriction while keeping structure. I often share screenshots, tips, and insights from my own routines directly with my clients, so they always have practical tools and strategies – wherever they are.

What makes your style – “fast, intense, and enjoyable” – different from other fitness coaches?

My style is fast because I respond quickly, adapt instantly, and support my clients when urgency appears. It’s intense because I go deeper than surface-level training – addressing habits, emotions, mindset, and the root of challenges.

It’s enjoyable because my clients feel truly seen and supported. I treat my community like a tribe, and I guide people the way I would want to be guided myself – especially in a world that often feels automated and impersonal.

How do you keep clients motivated and consistent, even when life gets busy?

I build consistency through realism. Training doesn’t always need to be one hour – sometimes it’s 45 minutes, sometimes 20, or even short movement snacks.

When life gets busy because of travel, work deadlines, illness, or personal demands, I adjust intensity and expectations to avoid overwhelm. If there is no progress during those phases, the goal becomes smart maintenance – ensuring there’s no loss while protecting both mental and physical balance.

What role does mental wellness play in your training and nutrition plans?

Mental wellness is the foundation of all my programs. We always start by understanding confidence, self-talk, and the emotional drivers behind behavior.

Through journaling, breathwork, awareness practices, and reflection, my clients build what I call ‘mind fitness’ – ensuring progress goes far beyond short-term physical changes.

For clients opting for online coaching, how do you ensure the same level of accountability and results as in-person training?

Online coaching works because of consistent personal connection. I follow up within 24 hours, adapt training for low-energy days, check in across different time zones, and remain present throughout the week.

Some clients even joke that they hear my voice in their head when they train, which tells me the accountability and guidance truly stay with them.

Share a success story that demonstrates how Basia Fitness changed someone’s life or health.

A lady originally from Costa Rica reached out to me for online personal coaching and support. She was a dedicated marathon runner, but despite her discipline, her biggest challenge was not training itself – it was fear of starting, consistency, and trusting a new routine.

Over time, even while traveling across continents for business – including India and the US – she never missed a session with me. Through strength training, her body composition changed, she lost weight, her skin and overall health improved, and her energy levels increased dramatically. Her blood markers improved, her resilience grew, and she built a stronger foundation for her marathons than ever before.

She overcame limiting beliefs around strength training, became faster, more powerful, and mentally stronger. Today, she is a machine and an inspiration even to me. Our professional relationship grew into a close friendship, and I continue supporting her through every chapter of her life – which is exactly why I love what I do.

What common mistakes do people make when trying to get fit and healthy – and how can they avoid them?

The biggest mistake I see is unrealistic expectations – going from zero to one hundred while constantly comparing to others online. Another is relying purely on motivation instead of accountability, and failing to track habits and progress.

Many people also overcomplicate the process with supplements and ‘magic’ solutions, while ignoring fundamentals like sleep, basic nutrition, and consistent training. Awareness, simplicity, tracking, and accountability are what truly work.

If someone is reading this interview and feels stuck, what’s the first step they should take to work with you?

The first step is identifying the real reason behind the desire for change – emotional or physical. If that clarity isn’t there, I help uncover it through structured consultation and guided questioning.

From there, people can reach me through my website or social platforms. Whether the motivation begins externally or internally, my role is to turn it into sustainable, long-term change.

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info!

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