Zanna Van Dijk From Speech Therapist to Fitness Icon and Travel Enthusiast
Introduction
Zanna Van Dijk has become one of the most influential voices in the fitness and wellness space, inspiring hundreds of thousands of followers with her balanced approach to health, adventure, and life. With an impressive following of over 505K on Zanna van dijk Instagram and 89K on TikTok, she has built a community that values authenticity, strength, and sustainable wellness practices.
What sets her apart in the crowded influencer landscape is her genuine commitment to helping others find balance. She’s not just a fitness guru—she’s an author, travel enthusiast, and advocate for mental health who shares her journey navigating life in her 30s with refreshing honesty. Her platform, zannavandijk.co.uk, serves as a hub for fitness advice, travel guides, and wellness tips that resonate with people seeking a more holistic approach to health.
Early Life & Background
Origins
Born in Yorkshire, England, zanna van dijk brings a unique multicultural perspective to her work, being half Dutch and half English. One of the most distinctive things about her is her zanna van dijk height—standing at an impressive 6 feet 2 inches tall, she’s often breaking stereotypes about what female fitness influencers “should” look like. Currently based in London, she’s embraced city life while maintaining her love for outdoor adventures and nature.
Education
Her journey didn’t start in fitness. She studied Speech Science at Sheffield University, specializing in speech and language therapy with a particular focus on stroke rehabilitation. The decision to attend Sheffield was intentional—she chose it because the university was known as the UK’s greenest city and boasted the best Human Communication Sciences department in the country. This academic background would later inform her thoughtful, science-based approach to fitness and wellness.
The Transformation Story
College Years: The Wake-Up Call
Like many university students, her college years were marked by less-than-ideal health habits. Her diet consisted primarily of shortbread biscuits and pot noodles—convenient but far from nutritious. Heavy partying and alcohol consumption were the norm, and physical activity was minimal at best. The result was what she describes as a “skinny fat” physique that left her feeling uncomfortable in her own skin.
This period of her life is something she’s been open about, recognizing that many people can relate to feeling lost or unhealthy during their early adult years. It was this discomfort that would eventually spark a complete lifestyle transformation.
The Turning Point
The decision to adopt a fitness-focused lifestyle didn’t happen overnight, but once she committed, everything changed. She started with cardio and strength training, diving deep into learning about nutrition and wellness. Like many beginners, she made the common mistake of doing too much cardio and not enough weight training. Over time, she learned the crucial importance of resistance training for building muscle tone and achieving the strong, balanced physique she desired.
This trial-and-error process became invaluable—it gave her the real-world experience that would later help thousands of others avoid the same pitfalls.
Career Evolution
From Therapist to Fitness Influencer
After graduating with her degree in speech and language therapy, she could have followed a traditional career path in healthcare. Instead, she created an online blog to share her fitness journey and the advice she’d gathered along the way. The response was overwhelming—her blog gained rapid popularity as people connected with her authentic voice and practical tips.
What started as a passion project soon became a full-time career. She transitioned from aspiring therapist to full-time fitness blogger and personal trainer, proving that following your passion can lead to unexpected opportunities.
Major Achievements
Her career achievements are impressive by any standard. She became the first UK Adidas Global Ambassador, a testament to her influence and credibility in the fitness world. She’s also the published author of “STRONG,” a comprehensive fitness and nutrition guide that took 18 months to complete.
As co-founder of the #girlgains women’s fitness empowerment movement, she’s helped build a supportive community focused on women supporting women in their fitness journeys. She’s been a cover model and brand ambassador for numerous companies, including being featured on The Sunday Times Style magazine cover in January 2016.
Her collaborations have included working with Tommy Hilfiger on their sports collection, and she’s even created her own activewear collection and shoe line, expanding her influence beyond digital content into tangible products that help women feel confident and strong.
The Book: “STRONG”
Overview
“STRONG: Over 80 Exercises and 40 Recipes For Achieving A Fit, Healthy and Balanced Body” represents an 18-month labor of love that she describes as her “pride and joy.” Published by Headline Publishing Group, the book distills years of experience and learning into a comprehensive resource for anyone looking to transform their relationship with fitness.
Key Features
The book includes over 80 exercises with detailed instructions and photos, ensuring readers can perform movements safely and effectively. Beyond just workouts, it features 40 delicious, nourishing recipes that prove healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring or restrictive.
Readers will find a comprehensive guide to weight lifting, detailed workout routines for various fitness levels, sustainable nutrition tips that can be maintained long-term, mental health and wellness principles, and goal-setting strategies that help create lasting change rather than temporary fixes.
Philosophy
The core message of “STRONG” is simple but powerful: ditch fad diets and focus on balance over deprivation. She emphasizes both physical and mental health, promotes body positivity, and advocates for sustainable, long-term fitness practices rather than quick fixes that lead to burnout or disappointment.
Fitness Philosophy & Approach
Core Principles
Her fitness philosophy centers on several key principles that set her apart from many in the industry. Balance is the foundation of sustainable results—not extreme restriction or punishing workout schedules. She advocates for weight training over excessive cardio, having learned from her own mistakes early in her fitness journey.
Her holistic approach addresses mind, body, and spirit, recognizing that true wellness extends beyond physical appearance. She focuses on building strength without burnout and emphasizes finding joy in movement rather than viewing exercise as punishment.
Weekly Routine
Her personal routine includes HIIT and weight-based sessions five days per week, with workouts lasting 45-60 minutes. She also commits to daily walks of at least 30 minutes, viewing these as essential for mental health and connection with nature. Adequate rest and recovery are non-negotiable parts of her program.
Training Tips
When it comes to training advice, she always puts proper form and safety first. Progressive overload—gradually increasing the challenge over time—is key to continued improvement. She encourages variety to prevent boredom and burnout, reminds followers to listen to their bodies, and emphasizes that consistency matters more than intensity.
Nutrition Approach
Diet Philosophy
Her nutrition approach is mostly whole-food plant-based, though she’s not dogmatic about it. She focuses on variety and seasonal ingredients, prioritizes gut health, and actively avoids food repetition to ensure she’s getting a wide range of nutrients. Importantly, there’s always room for treats and balance—deprivation has no place in her philosophy.
Sample Daily Eating
A typical day might include protein zoats (oats with courgette), dark chocolate, and raspberries for breakfast. Lunch could be an omelette loaded with spinach, peppers, onion, and feta. For a snack, she enjoys apple slices with cinnamon and peanut butter. Dinner might feature salmon with steamed broccoli, asparagus, and sweet potato. And yes, dessert is included—perhaps a mini pot of salted caramel lucuma ice cream.
Key Nutrition Principles
The guiding principles are simple: never feel deprived, enjoy daily chocolate in moderation, include plenty of vegan-friendly options, use meal prep for success, and make sure your nourishing food actually tastes delicious. Food should be enjoyed, not feared.
Travel & Adventure
Travel Focus
Beyond fitness, travel is a major passion. Her website features in-depth travel guides, and she organizes bespoke group trips for those who want to combine adventure with wellness. She’s known for outdoor and adventure travel, with a particular love for hiking. Sustainable travel practices are important to her, reflecting her broader commitment to environmental consciousness.
Notable Travel Content
Her California road trip was featured by Visit California, during which she explored Newport Beach, Ojai, Big Bear Lake, and Greater Palm Springs. She maintains a vegan food finder for every destination she visits, making it easier for plant-based travelers to navigate new places. She seamlessly combines fitness and exploration, and her UK hiking guides—including routes like Balcombe and Ardingly Reservoir—help locals discover natural beauty in their own backyard.
Wellness & Mental Health
Holistic Health Approach
She’s a strong advocate for mental health awareness, consistently emphasizing that self-care goes hand-in-hand with physical fitness. Work-life balance isn’t just a buzzword for her—it’s a practiced principle that she shares openly with her community.
Daily Wellness Practices
Her daily routine includes morning sunlight exposure during the first hour of waking, a practice inspired by the Huberman Lab podcast. She prioritizes daily outdoor time for stress relief, viewing connection with nature as “food for the soul.” Mindful breathing and meditation round out her wellness practices, creating a comprehensive approach to mental health.
Mental Health Advocacy
She encourages her followers to prioritize mental wellness alongside physical health, shares practical coping strategies for stress and anxiety, is refreshingly open about navigating life in her 30s with all its challenges, and actively promotes seeking professional help when needed. Mental health is never treated as an afterthought—it’s central to everything she teaches.
The #GirlGains Movement
As co-founder of the #girlgains women’s fitness empowerment movement, she’s created a space focused on women supporting women. The movement encourages female entrepreneurship, helps women build confidence in the gym (a space that can feel intimidating), and promotes body positivity and self-acceptance. It’s about celebrating strength in all its forms and lifting each other up rather than tearing each other down.
Social Media Presence
Platforms
Her digital presence spans multiple platforms. On Instagram, she has over 505K followers at @zannavandijk, where she shares daily content ranging from workout tips to travel adventures. Her TikTok account has grown to 89K followers with the same handle. She also produces video content and vlogs on YouTube. Her website, zannavandijk.co.uk, serves as the central hub for all her content, and she lovingly describes herself as “your tall outdoorsy-ish bestie.”
Content Themes
The content she creates covers workout demonstrations with proper form tips, healthy recipe ideas that are both nutritious and delicious, comprehensive travel guides and adventures, hiking trails and outdoor activities, glimpses into life in London, honest discussions about navigating your 30s, and consistent mental health and wellness content. The variety keeps her audience engaged while staying true to her core values.
Impact & Influence
Recognition
Her influence has been recognized by major publications and organizations. Women’s Health named her one of their top 5 fitness bloggers. Women’s Fitness included her in their “Ones to Watch 2016” list. She’s served as a judge for the HBC Health Blog Awards and regularly hosts events, brunches, and group workouts. She’s spoken at fitness festivals including the Be:Fit festival, sharing her knowledge with even wider audiences.
Message to Followers
Her message is consistently empowering: “Don’t be intimidated by the journey ahead.” She reminds people that taking the first step is all it takes to begin. Fitness is a marathon, not a sprint—there are no shortcuts, and that’s okay. Balance and sustainability matter more than perfection, and women absolutely can be their own boss, in fitness and in life.
Key Takeaways
The lessons from her journey are clear and applicable to anyone seeking positive change. Transformation is possible at any stage of life—you’re never too late to start. Balance beats extreme measures every single time. Strength training is essential for women and shouldn’t be feared. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Building sustainable, enjoyable habits is the key to long-term success. Community and support matter tremendously. And most importantly, it’s never too late to start your journey toward becoming the person you want to be.
Call to Action
If you’re inspired by her approach, there are many ways to connect and learn more. Follow her journey on social media to get daily motivation and practical tips. Check out her book “STRONG” for a comprehensive guide to fitness and nutrition. Explore her travel guides on zannavandijk.co.uk to combine adventure with wellness. Start your own fitness transformation today—remember, the first step is the hardest but also the most important. Join the #girlgains movement to connect with a supportive community of like-minded women. And above all, prioritize balance in your life—that’s the secret to sustainable success.
Zanna van dijk has built more than just a career—she’s created a movement that empowers people to become stronger, healthier, and more confident versions of themselves, all while maintaining the balance and joy that makes life worth living.
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