I have known David for many years now and he is the first person I go to when experiencing any discomfort or injury. As an active person, my priority is to return to what I like to do as quickly as possible and David has never let me down. He analyses very carefully before making a diagnosis and always has a treatment plan. His knowledge of anatomy is outstanding and he’s the only therapist I refer my friends to.
Michelle Marshall
I am very happy with the treatment plan of corrective exercises and massage I have received from David at Bodyrefine. Over the last 18 months I have successfully rehabilitated following a total hip replacement and previous issues with a knee and shoulder and now feel more balanced and stronger than ever before! I am running, swimming as well as back to yoga and Pilates.
Cathy Johnson
Thank you David for helping me to run a half marathon again after several years of missing out due to recurring injuries. The care and attention given to assessing the cause of the problem, followed by the combination of strength / rehab exercises given and trigger point release work has helped me massively and allowed me to enjoy running without pain again.
L Kent
Last year, I found myself in quite a low state. I was experiencing shoulder pain, struggling with sleep, and feeling overall weakness—typical complaints for a woman in her forties. Initially, my goal in starting sessions with David was to address my shoulder pain. However, I gained so much more than that. David began by rejuvenating my muscles through a gentle yet effective exercise program. We made significant progress and eventually transitioned into a proper weightlifting program. Not only has my shoulder improved, but I have also become stronger and more confident overall.
David’s guidance has smoothly led me into a routine of regular gym visits, something I never thought I would enjoy. His expertise provides me with reassurance that the exercises are safe, my progress is stable, and I am consistently motivated to embrace my new lifestyle. I am incredibly grateful to David for his support and guidance.
Ksenia Gordeeva
After a half Ironman my knee was in so much pain I could hardly exercise, and after visiting various other sports professionals I met David for a review. His holistic approach and consummate professionalism has led to me being able to run again pain free. I cannot recommend him enough.
David Bannister
Last year I was incapacitated for a month when one of the muscles in my bottom failed. Thanks to David, who spent the time to assess me and start me on a series of easy and achievable exercises I have gradually got better. As my strength improved the exercises were increased until full mobility was achieved. I recommend David and his expertise to anyone that finds themselves in a similar predicament.
Ian Gamble
David has helped me overcome long-standing shoulder and knee problems, building up my strength and resilience to run again with confidence – priceless
Neki Suharan
When I first came to David, I couldn’t run for 1km without back pain. I was in my mid-20s, had played rugby my whole life, through university, and was a frequent gymgoer. Still, after an injury deadlifting, and subsequent inactivity at a desk job, I developed debilitating aches and pains in my back and legs.
I’d been to many different physios and osteopaths in London to try and support me. They all told me similar things and generally told me stuff I already knew wasn’t the issue. Just generic “You need to stretch and strengthen your hip flexors”. When I was finally referred to David through my friend, he took the time to understand and assess my body from a holistic perspective. He was able to quickly identify a load of deficits, asymmetries and imbalances that I’d developed in my muscles post-injury and we were able to identify a clear root cause. That was such a game changer; not just treating my symptoms, but finding and helping to rectify the underlying issues.
I’m now very active again, running 20-30km per week, going to the gym 2-3 times per week and playing tennis. Sure, I still build up tension that I need therapy support to release, but when I’ve tried other sports massage therapists in London they aren’t able to find and release what needs to be addressed. It’s always worth the trip back up to Berkhamstead as David understands what needs to be done, and has the techniques to do it.
I can’t recommend it enough when trying Bodyrefine. I felt like no one was going to be able to help until a friend pointed me towards David.
Darius Singh
Having had a back operation and two hip replacements in recent years I still experienced many difficulties and was forced to stop playing golf 2 years ago. I was recommended to see David which I did last summer. He identified the cause of my restrictive movement and set out a series of treatments every week together with an exercise program to be done every other day. Over time the treatment evolved as did my exercises and I began to see increased flexibility and ease of movement. Sessions then became bi-weekly. It was hard work and David provided great support, advice and encouragement. Roll forward to today and I am now back playing golf at least twice a week and seeing David once a month. I am thrilled to be back playing and have immense gratitude for David as he got me to a place I thought I would never get to a year ago. I would have absolutely no hesitation recommending him.
Ian Carlile
I came to David in a moment of deep crisis after a near 12-month ordeal of trying to fix a slipped-disc-induced back injury. I had seen various physios and therapists the year before, and multiple doctors, all of whom I could say helped somewhat, but none of whom seemed focussed on getting me to a full recovery. (As a 26-year-old I was often told things should just improve themselves over time.) David’s assessment in the first session was the first time a therapist had helped me understand the underlying muscular causes of my chronic pain symptoms, and the subsequent exercises I was given were the first I’d ever done that started to actually relieve that pain, within just the early weeks. While it took nearly a year of following his progressive exercise regime to fully recover from my injury and safely return to playing tennis and running; my knowledge of my own body’s strengths and weaknesses grew immeasurably, and I go forward knowing how to understand and prevent future injury, aches and pains far better. I have already recommended David to my closest friends and family (and he has already helped them too!) so I do not hesitate in endorsing his wonderful work here!
Julian Iacoponi
Working with David has unquestionably been life-changing, he has completely upgraded my attitude towards my body and the way that I train. I have learnt a huge amount from him. The programmes were more rewarding and effective than any other training system I have ever experienced. I would, without doubt, recommend to anyone to book a consultation with him. It is a solid long-term investment in living a better life.
James Sandler
I’m so thankful to David. Guiding me in using the right exercises and combined therapy to strengthen my hips and knees. It was incredible to be able to go on a hiking holiday again with friends and feel no pain in my hips even after 5 days of walking. Also, my knees have stood up to continuous gardening, my other hobby. Amazing!
Doreen Watson
David. Thank you so much for your help. I really mean that. My back is considerably better. You are exceptionally skilled and very caring about your clients.
Victoria Pulley
David. Thanks to you my knee is fixed and I can walk about as normal. Just have to keep up with the exercises to increase the strength of those essential muscles. I am so grateful. I can’t tell you how fabulous it feels just to get on with life with no pain.
Cheryl Wares
Over the last year, I have had terrible thoracic (mid) back and shoulder pain, which deteriorated further during the pandemic lockdown. Each morning I woke in serious discomfort and I stopped all physical activity and sport. David’s initial assessment went way beyond my expectations – it was incredibly thorough and informative – I left the session feeling like I had a clear corrective plan and this is something we can fix! Over the course of a handful of sessions, we worked on massage techniques to alleviate immediate pain and a stretch and strength training programme as a long-term preventative action. David very simply explained the root cause of the problem, the overall mechanics of the body and how the prescribed exercises would help to prevent future problems… The results have been excellent and I am now able to exercise again. I have a much better awareness of my posture and know which exercises I should do after prolonged periods of sitting at a desk. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend David and Bodyrefine.
Liam Blake
3 years ago, I suffered a back injury, the result of which was consistent back pain and sciatica. I suffered from numerous annular tears from S1-L5. The pain was chronic and was affecting my mood, sleep and ability to undertake day-to-day tasks, especially exercise. My job involves a lot of driving and sitting in meetings and this further compounded my pain and lack of flexibility. Over the last 5 months, David has been working with me to help me understand what caused my back to get to the position it was in from a holistic perspective. This has helped me to better understand not just how to strengthen and support my back, but how to improve my posture and use the appropriate muscle groups when undertaking any activity. His support, exercise regime and sports massage have changed my day-to-day life. It has enabled me to begin to start exercising again, and for the first time in over three years, have completely pain-free days. Before working with David I had worked with physiotherapists and chiropractors who had only focused on the specific back injury rather than looking at the whole body and how other aspects such as my posture were negatively affecting my back. David’s approach has made a dramatic difference in my recovery. For anyone who has had injuries but has tried therapies that have not worked, I cannot recommend David and his holistic approach enough. I look forward to continuing to work with David to work towards getting back to true fitness and pain-free days becoming a daily occurrence.
Ross Allan
As an Osteopath, it is important to know other local health care professionals with a high standard of knowledge and expertise. This allows me to confidently refer my patients to them, knowing they are under the best of care. David McGill fills all these requirements and delivers his professional advice with enthusiasm, sincerity and empathy. His depth of understanding and ethos that exercise does not have to be excessive to be effective means the body can become balanced and efficient, leading to an improvement in his client’s health, well-being, energy and performance. I will continue to refer patients to David who need specific, individualised corrective exercise programmes, as opposed to a ‘one size fits all’ approach. I’ve received positive feedback from my patients whom I’ve referred to David and can see their results including improved mobility, posture and a substantial reduction in pain. I can highly recommend David.
Gina Guscott
I was struggling post-pregnancy with severe shoulder and neck pain. This was affecting my sleep and subsequently my mood. I had also given up running after having my first child, due to a recurring knee problem. I was a wreck physically and had started to think that I would never feel strong again, let alone run. Right from the beginning, David listened, sympathized and helped me to understand what I needed to do to fix these problems for good. He designed a gradual and realistic exercise programme that never left me aching. My neck pain was soon a thing of the past. Over six months, I have gradually built up a general fitness that has hugely improved my everyday life. I can carry the kids, the shopping and even chuck the double-buggy in the back of the car! The best part is that I have now successfully resumed running, free of pain. I cannot recommend David highly enough, especially for those feeling that their bodies have been wrecked long-term by having babies.
Dr Emily Spry
I’m a regular gym-goer and have been active for most of my life. Over the last 5 to 10 years I’ve been dealing with ever-increasing shoulder and knee pain, to the point that I’ve had to completely change my fitness routine and lay off sports that put my shoulders in a compromised position. I tried to resolve it by seeing different specialists, physios, doctors, therapists, etc. but nothing gave me any permanent relief. Unlike most specialists, David doesn’t deal with the symptoms, so he didn’t look to fix my knee pain by working with the knee only. David provided an initial assessment which went into a GREAT deal of depth to identify what was causing my pain and then followed up with a comprehensive program that I can do myself to help correct the root cause of it. It hasn’t been very long at all but I have already gotten significantly more mobility in both my shoulders and I now experience much less pain in my knee. My shoulders are also more stable now, so soon enough I’ll be able to resume my previous training program and the sports that I used to do 5 to 10 years ago before this all started happening. David is very knowledgeable in his field, has been incredibly patient in helping me understand my injuries, and then provided me with a solid plan of action to fix them. I can’t recommend him highly enough.
Alex Stefan
When I initially consulted David, I had injured my knee and could hardly walk across a room due to the pain. Due to my immobility, I had a blue badge. I’d had ineffective physiotherapy, injections and surgery to try and address this. The consultant told me to just accept my age, get a stick and use the lift! I otherwise used to dance, walk and play tennis. Within half an hour of initially meeting and being assessed by David, he was able to pinpoint which of my muscles were not functioning at all and the cause of the ultimate pain felt. Having now worked and progressed with David every week over the last few years, he has performed a miracle! I was hoping to walk again without sticks or the need for a wheelchair. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be here …trekking, golfing (which I didn’t even play before!) playing tennis and, my favourite, dancing!!! Despite the original, irreparable physical damage to my knee stemming from the prolonged problem had before, this is countered by the surrounding muscle strength in my legs, correct alignment and body function. David is the most incredible personal trainer, not like any other I know. He has completely changed the quality of my life.
Cheryl Clements
My wife and I are active seniors looking for a gym-based component to our physical activity. Cheryl also had serious knee problems, unresolved by arthroscopic surgery. We wanted something that would help our general fitness and improve our strength and flexibility, and increase Cheryl’s mobility. We tried many different gyms offering group PT and 1:1 training and although all our instructors were positive and supportive we felt that there was not much appreciation for the impact of ageing. Consequently, we were being asked to do things that prompted pain and felt like they might lead to injury. We started work with David over a year ago and the cumulative impact of David’s work has been transformational. His carefully graduated, individualised, science-based approach has got us doing things we never thought we would do, without triggering any fears of injury. We have achieved our primary goals in terms of fitness, strength, flexibility and Cheryl’s mobility. Our posture is much better than it was, and the bonus has been improvements in our tennis and golf. What’s not to love!
John Clements
Over the last nine years, I have been working with David. Initially to rehabilitate a bad back (disk prolapsed), but increasingly to help my sporting activities. The work on my core muscles, posture and strength has made a huge difference to my golf swing. My consistency and quality of ball striking have improved immensely; in no small part due to the increased stability and flexibility developed with David that allows me to turn and stay over the ball, rather than sway. The work with David, mixing training with stretching and massage, has ensured I keep active and healthy. I recommend him highly.
John Cooper
David is not only incredibly knowledgeable about the human body in terms of structure, but he is an excellent motivator too. He will not throw people in “at the deep end” as others might; he will ensure that all treatment/exercise starts from the correct level to ensure that one is challenged but within one’s ability. The improvement follows if people follow David’s advice and words of encouragement.
Stuart Allan
David is extremely professional and knowledgeable. He offers plenty of encouragement and carefully customises exercise programmes to meet specific and changing needs. The body is treated holistically. Exercises are carefully explained so that their purpose and benefit are thoroughly understood. I can highly recommend David and his team. I have gained strength and for the first time feel motivated to exercise and continue to improve physically.
Claudia Hurford
David has been my trainer for the past eight years. He was initially recommended to me as I had been suffering from both a bad back and a sore knee. David devised a programme of exercises to improve my core strength and correct the issues I had with my back and knee. During the time I have been training with David, my general strength and well-being have improved considerably and I am now able to tackle physical tasks such as lifting heavy objects with a lot more confidence. The exercises David has devised have improved my overall flexibility and I now find I can play golf without feeling back pain the next day. David is a very encouraging personal trainer and his diligent planning of the exercise programme has certainly helped me to improve my fitness enormously. I can highly recommend David as a trainer for corrective exercise therapy and general fitness training.
Mike Gosling
I have been working with David for the past 5 years and can honestly say I have looked forward to and felt the benefit from every session had with him. Initially, I contacted him to find a solution to recurring back, knee and foot pain during exercise. He quickly identified the cause of the pain and designed a bespoke corrective exercise programme to resolve the issues. After a relatively short time, I was able to run pain-free again for the first time in several years, as well as feeling a significant improvement in both my physical and mental well-being. Subsequently, I continued training with David through my second pregnancy until almost full term. During this time, David helped me enormously, paying close attention to my condition and using massage and specific exercises to ease my discomfort and keep me conditioned. Post-natally he has shown the same commitment, care and professionalism to get me safely back to a healthy exercise regime, as well as losing 2 stones.
Marian Sexton-Jennings
David has been my trainer during the past year following a recommendation from my Physiotherapist. I had been suffering from frequent headaches/ migraine caused mainly by bad posture from being desk-bound in my job for many years. David has transformed my life and enabled me to lead a much more active lifestyle; most importantly I am now pain/headache-free and enjoy exercise. His corrective exercise prescription, patience, continual encouragement and methodical approach have increased my confidence, overall strength and fitness enormously. His attention to detail is outstanding, always clearly explaining the purpose and benefits of the prescribed exercises. I cannot recommend him highly enough to anyone suffering from any muscular pain/injury. He has opened my eyes to the importance of staying fit, and preventing injury, so that I don’t have to live with pain.
Sarah Groom
I first came to see David after experiencing a severe muscle spasm in my back after participating in a boot camp-style training session elsewhere. With his skill and expertise in the initial assessment, he was able to quickly pinpoint the underlying cause of the problem which existed elsewhere in my body. David’s approach to treatment was very different to other therapists/trainers. His selective massage techniques, corrective exercise and education have been amazing. The corrective exercise regime was empowering, I felt like I was in charge of moving forward, and I was positive and ready to tackle this injury. David educated me along the way, not only with the corrective exercises but teaching me many very effective self-massage techniques and self-help tips to do at home, helping me stay pain and injury-free. Thanks to David’s encouragement, empowerment and corrective exercises, I quickly moved forward with my fitness and running more than I ever thought possible. David is an excellent listener, he is empathetic, calm, and professional, he has great knowledge of the body and its mechanics, and most importantly, he knows how to help. I recommend him 110%, he is fantastic.
Elle Bishop
David’s expertise and motivational approach are enough to spur me on. I cannot recommend him highly enough to anyone who wants to achieve realistic results from their exercise routine, especially to anyone affected by muscle or joint pain during exercise. I approached him as I was unhappy with the lack of results I was seeing in my body shape and muscle tone despite exercising regularly. I was initially apprehensive as my previous experience with personal trainers was unsatisfactory, due to the ‘one programme fits all’ approach most of them use. David is so much more than this! In a helpful, professional manner he created a tailor-made regime to suit my fitness objectives and worked with me on treating previously recurring joint and muscular injuries using massage and corrective exercise. This transformed my ability to exercise and my confidence to do so. My figure has improved dramatically and I’ve received such positive feedback.
Marie Tayob
As a 1 handicap golfer, I have been working with David for 12 months now. Initially, he used corrective strength and flexibility exercises which stopped my back pain. Since then, his programme has significantly increased my power and flexibility, adding distance and consistency to my game. If you are serious about improving your golf, I would recommend working with David.
Chris Dixon