Sean's story: "I managed to break out of this loop by slowly swapping it for a virtuous cycle."

My story of going from a heavy drinking, hard living DJ to someone who loves fitness and feels more confident in themselves by the day is far more common than you might think - although of course the small details do change a little from person-to-person.

Whether it's a newly sober mum who has found a passion for jogging with her kids, or a man with serious health issues who has stopped obsessing about drink and drugs for the first time, I've been privileged to know and work with many of them.

Before I started running and began my journey towards a life without alcohol, I had become unfit without really realising it. I was overweight, had no muscle mass and had a very high resting heart rate. A real wake up call came one day as I walked the streets of Berlin and, having spotted a group of kids doing pull-ups, decided to show them how it was done. Imagine my embarrassment when I realised I couldn't do a single one.

A few years later I am in the best shape of my life, both physically and mentally. Getting here hasn't required some remarkable, bolt-out-of-the-blue change in lifestyle or me suddenly finding unbreakable resolve. It has been a steady process that was, in truth, far easier than I imagined and built on two things – exercise and alcohol reduction.

For a number of reasons, the best way to see quick results when upping your exercise routine is to stop or cut down on drinking. One of the most obvious and biggest being that it slashes your calorie intake. The average pint has more than 200 calories, which takes roughly two miles of running to burn off. Cut out a few pints a week and soon you'll be seeing amazing results, far more quickly than you imagined.

Another big reason is the impact cutting back on your drink can have on your sense of self worth and motivation.

Several years ago I was stuck in a toxic loop of drinking. I'd binge drink which would lead to an unmotivated hangover that stopped me exercising, which made me feel bad about myself, which contributed to me drinking again.

Last year, after just nine months of exercising again, I stopped drinking for good.

At first I was worried about how my social life would be hit, but soon the FOMO I used to have at weekends was gone, to be replaced by purpose in the form of exercise and much more fulfilling social events.

Another thing I have grown to really love about exercise is that it offers an essentially limitless path of improvement. I remember calling my mum when I began exercising again and saying how much I regretted the fact I'd never get back to where I'd been in my 20s, fitness wise. Now I am the fittest I've ever been and have taken things to a level I never thought possible.

Now in my role as a lifestyle coach and advocate for alcohol reduction, I am helping others on their own fitness journeys to find the same amazing results.

Recently I met up with a group of incredible people who I had been guiding through a 12-week transformation programme. It was amazing to see how far they had come on their journeys and how happy they all looked in their skin. Many of them had wanted to kick the booze for a long time but hadn't known how, until now. Two people in particular really stuck out.

One man who had been struggling a lot with his internal health went through a stunning transformation. By the end of the 12 weeks, he looked great and was starting to build a really positive life for himself. He's no longer talking about drink or drugs anymore. The other was a mum whose transformation was almost unreal. Over the course she inspired her kids to take up running with her and they really went for it.

In September we'll be launching the programme again and I can't wait to see the changes people make. 

The course takes participants on a 'before-and-after' journey in which their measurements and photos are taken at the beginning and then again at the end once three months of supported exercise, healthy eating and alcohol reduction has passed. Along the way we build a community around those taking part through weekly catchups, while making sure the tailored fitness and nutrition plan is working hard for them.

At the end of it all everyone comes together for a celebration of how far they've come and a photography session to show off the huge progress they've made. 

It's inspiring to see people setting goals for themselves and deciding that they are going to look, feel and think the best they've ever done. Stopping drinking and falling in love with exercise again has changed my life and I love to see it do the same for others.