‘Find your inner fox' is Fernwood’s new marketing campaign that encourages women to feel foxy, energetic and confident in their own skin by simply adopting a healthy lifestyle. Research shows that regular exercise can actually reverse our biological age and making us feel and look years younger without the need for injections or costly cosmetic procedures.

While cosmetic anti-wrinkle injections can cost from $200-$1000 every four months, Exercise Physiologist Maryanne Long says the best way to look younger at a fraction of the cost is simply to exercise and eat a healthy balanced diet. She explains that ageing is associated with a progressive decline of all systems of the body and after the age of 30, our muscles and bones start to degenerate.

“Strength training is particularly important for women as it not only builds muscle, but it speeds up your metabolism which in turn keeps your weight down and helps to keep your body looking toned and taught – which is what all women want,” she said.

Ms Long says it’s natural for women to want a quick fix but says regular exercise is by far the most effective treatment to slow the ageing process and comes with multiple health, fitness and psychological benefits. “Regular physical activity can reduce the incidence of various chronic diseases by 30-50 per cent which slows the ageing process and makes you feel great - and when you feel great you look great too.”

A recent Newspoll survey revealed that 75 per cent of Australian women were motivated to lose weight so they could feel more confident and attractive, with only one in two women exercising for health reasons.

According to Fernwood Women’s Health Clubs Product Manager, Nic Linford says it comes at no surprise that the main motivation for women to exercise is simply to look good and feel confident.

“We all want to feel sexy and confident, and women develop an increase in self esteem and confidence as they begin to notice improvements in their body shape, fitness and strength. Being part of a supportive and non-judgemental environment certainly helps women to feel less conscious and more focused on achieving their goals,” she said.

Fernwood’s new ‘Find your inner fox' marketing campaign aims to shift the focus from women wanting to lose weight to women feeling confident in their own skin. ‘Find your inner fox' was the mantra established for Fernwood created by their agency, Fiona Leeming & Associates. “We have created an irreverent, zeitgeist campaign for Fernwood Women’s Health Clubs that puts women back in control and in charge of their potential. You don't need to resort to Botox to unlock the fox within us all," Fiona explained.

So what is it that makes a woman feel like a fox?

“I love getting dressed after a workout where I feel 5kg lighter, even though I’m not, but I don’t care because I feel awesome regardless of my weight. I love the endorphins that exercise gives me”

“Knowing that I can do 30 push ups on my toes but my boyfriend still insists on carrying my bags out to the car to help me “

“When someone tells me that I look great, it makes the hard work I’ve put in at the gym worth it!”

“Knowing the curves of my body are as a result of genetics, exercise and healthy eating AND finally being able to embrace everything about that combination”

“There is no better feeling than being able to slide into an old pair of jeans that I haven’t been able to fit into for years”