Michelle Bridges has long been a pioneer. Not only did she help make fitness interesting enough for reality television but she also spearheaded the activewear trend. A look that made her feel like an outcast when she arrived in Sydney 20 years ago from the Northern Territory.
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"When I first moved to Sydney I was working full-time as an instructor and personal trainer in the city, so I was going from gym to gym to gym with my backpack on dressed in my tights and workout gear," she said.
"This was a long time ago and people would stare at me like I was some kind of strange person. I felt certain that the shopkeeper was thinking I was going to steal something but now it's the fashion to be wearing your fitness gear with your little backpack on."
The Biggest Loser trainer laughed at new research, conducted by ING Direct, which highlighted that Australians, on average, spend about $1400 on workout wear every year but only 19 per cent put it to use in the gym.
"That old chestnut," she said. "I've always encouraged people to put their fitness gear on even when they may not be specifically training because you tend to just move with more freedom."
The aftershocks of the activewear tsunami are still being felt and look to continue. Last week's annual shopping festival - Vogue's Fashion's Night Out in Sydney - had an "athleisure" theme. FitBit sponsored the official bar and the fashion bible's editor-in-chief Edwina McCann swapped heels for white trainers for the event.
It's a look Bridges endorses.
"Just put your gear on and if you get an opportunity of 10 minutes or 20 minutes at least you are dressed and ready to go."
She is now slowly getting back into her daily exercise routine following the birth of her son, Axel, last December and was one of the 25,000 who took part in Saturday's Medibank Personal Better Day at her local Park Run meet - the five kilometre fun run held every Saturday morning at various locations around Australia.
It was her first sweat-covered public appearance since she and partner, Steve "Commando" Willis welcomed the new addition to the family eight months ago.
"I'm not working out enough," she said. "I get three or four sessions in a week. I miss my habitual training session every morning.
"I've just started to get back into that because most mornings for the last couple of months I've been waking up feeling like I've been hit by a Mack truck. But he's now starting to sleep through the night and I feel like I'm getting my groove back on again with my training."
Another change brought on by motherhood was her approach to the way she trains other mums.
"Motherhood has given me a lot more empathy for my mums," Bridges said. "I've always been very respectful and empathetic, but I guess it's not until you really live that sleep deprivation side of things that you think: 'More power to you, you've turned up. You've got out of bed, you've put your clothes on. Sure they may be inside-out and back-to-front, but you're here. Congratulations'."
While she continues to grow her online "12-week body transformation" program, she may not be returning to the small screen, admitting that the format of The Biggest Loser franchise seen in Australia will be "completely changed".
"I don't think you'll see Biggest Loser again unless they dust it off and bring it back in a couple of years' time," she said. "It's going to be a whole new format, a whole different kind of vibe, which is exciting for those that are going to be doing that. Whether I'm going to be part of that, remains to be seen."
