'My fitness journey began with a Hobbit picture'

A fitness influencer with about half a million social media followers has said he became motivated to turn his life around after seeing a picture of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit trilogy.

Jason Smith, from Horsham, West Sussex, said before he started his fitness journey, he spent much of his 40s "feeling life was passing me by".

"I was overweight, tired all the time, stressed and depressed," he said.

The 56-year-old said the "pressures of midlife" led him to adopt unhealthy habits and a sense of denial.

But when he turned 50, he said he decided to do something about his health and fitness.

Mr Smith told BBC Radio Sussex that he was scrolling social media and came across a post which featured Martin Freeman, who played Bilbo Baggins.

"It was a photo of him running through The Shire with a big beaming smile on his face, and there were the words, 'I am going on an adventure'," he said.

"It made me stop in my tracks. I then thought, 'that's how I want to feel'."

Mr Smith said the picture inspired him to "jump into action".

"That picture gave me something to aim for. I dug out some old trainers and went for a run, although it became more of a walk because I wasn't in any fit state," he added.

After losing 25kg (55lbs), he said he was "on a mission" to help others in midlife begin and maintain their own health and fitness.

Mr Smith founded Fit in Midlife during lockdown and works as a personal trainer and nutritional adviser.

He coaches and trains clients worldwide and has amassed 271,000 followers on Instagram, 115,000 followers on TikTok, 56,000 followers on Facebook and 47,200 on Threads

"I didn't expect the social media following to take off at such a level," Mr Smith said.

"But it's a testament to people who want to improve their lives in mid-life phase."

He added: "Once you realise trolls are only trying to upset you, it becomes easy to ignore.

"My mission is to get more people improving their fitness, feeling good again and seeing themselves in a good light."

He has also been featured on the cover of Men's Fitness magazine.

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