Movement coaching for strength, fitness, and confidence that carries into daily life.

This is movement coaching for four types of people:

1. Healthy ageing and prevention. You want to stay strong, mobile, and capable, with no current health concerns.

2. Long-term conditions and cancer. You want safe progress that respects treatment phases, symptoms, fatigue, and clinical guidance.

3. Strength and performance. You want to train hard, build real functional strength, stamina, and power, and improve lifts like deadlifts and Zercher squats.

4. You do not like exercise. You want something different, playful, practical, and still progressive. Animal moves and primal movement make training feel like skill, not punishment.

I am a chartered movement coach with postgraduate training in exercise medicine DFSEM (UK), specialising in strength, conditioning, and exercise oncology support. Other credentials include: Chartered Fellow Physical Activity and Health Practitioner FCIMSPA (Chartered), Fellow of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (FBSLM) and American College of Sports Medicine Cancer Exercise Specialist® (ACSM-CES).

Training aligns with recognised exercise medicine and oncology guidance and works alongside existing clinical care.

Experience includes working alongside clinicians and presenting at medical and health conferences.

How we work

• You tell me the goal and the reality. Time, stress, injuries, symptoms, kit, and what you will actually do.

• We assess movement, strength, balance, and tolerance. Then we pick the minimum effective dose that you can sustain.

• I use strength training, conditioning, and primal movement. Animal moves and active play add variety, skill, and enjoyment without losing progression.

• Technique first, then load, then volume, then intensity.

• You get a plan for good weeks and a plan for low-energy weeks.

• We review, adjust, and keep the direction clear.

Outcomes we aim for

• You get stronger where it matters. Legs, hips, back, grip and core.

• You move with more control. Balance, foot strength, coordination, and confidence.

• You build fitness that supports life. Walking capacity, hills, stairs, carry capacity, and recovery.

• You train consistently without burning out or breaking down.

• If you want performance, you move heavier loads with better form and higher intent.

Integrity and safety

• I provide strength and movement coaching informed by exercise medicine. I do not diagnose, prescribe medication, or replace medical care.

• For cancer and long-term conditions, we work within your clearance and restrictions. We scale training to fatigue, recovery, flare-ups, and treatment phases.

• If you have red-flag symptoms, unstable medical issues, or recent surgery, we align training with your treatment, clinician or physiotherapist.

Why work with Darryl Edwards

• I am a London-based movement coach, author, speaker, and founder of the Primal Play Method®.

• I have 16 years of coaching experience across healthy ageing, strength and functional training, and fun, playful movement.

• Primal movement and animal moves are part of my coaching toolkit, alongside progressive strength and conditioning training.

• My approach is grounded in evolutionary biology, exercise physiology, cognitive neuroscience, sports science and play psychology.

• Professional credentials include: FCIMSPA (Chartered), DFSEM(UK), FBSLM, and ACSM Cancer Exercise Specialist®.

What This Coaching is Not

• It is not generic fitness programming.

• It is not a bootcamp.

• It is not rehab treatment.

Ways to work together

• Online coaching worldwide.

• In-person coaching in Chiswick, West London, UK. Indoors or outdoors.

FAQ

Is this appropriate if I have never strength trained?

Yes. We start where you are, build technique first, then progress loads and volume at a pace you can recover from.

Can you work alongside my clinician or physiotherapist?

Yes. If you have restrictions, we align training with that plan.

I am living with or beyond cancer. What does training look like?

Training matches your treatment stage and day-to-day capacity. The focus stays on strength, function, fatigue-aware pacing, and confidence. Decisions are based on where you are.

I am on a GLP-1 medication. What is the priority?

Strength training, recovery, and habits that support muscle retention and function while body weight changes.

Do you coach online?

Yes. Online coaching includes assessment, programme design, sessions, and progress reviews.

I want to train hard. Do you coach heavy lifts?

Yes. We build strength with smart progression and solid technique. Deadlifts, squats, carries, pulls, presses, and conditioning, scaled to your training age and goals.

I hate the gym and I do not like exercise. Will this work?

Yes, if you want to feel better and move better. We can use playful movement that feels practical and enjoyable, with clear progress markers so you still make progress and get fitter and stronger.

Next step

Book a free 15-minute call. Tell me your main goal, your constraints, and what you want daily life to feel like for the future you.

[Book a free 15-minute call]

TESTIMONIALS

“From my breast cancer diagnosis, Darryl understood each stage of treatment as a cancer exercise specialist. Working with me remotely, he gave me a clear training plan for each phase, pre-surgery, post-operation, during chemo and radiotherapy.

He knew when to be cautious and when to push, so I kept progressing without overdoing it. He scaled strength and cardio to my energy each week and kept the focus on function. His support helped me cope better through treatment and recovery, physically and mentally, with strength and cardio scaled to my levels of fatigue.

He is now supporting me through hormone therapy, and I feel better equipped because he is helping me to stay strong and active.”
- Sophie S., 47

"I have gone in 24 months from struggling to get round a 5km course to regularly placing in the top 10 for my age group (I am 43 this year) and my aim for 2017 is to qualify for the World Championships.

I can’t speak highly enough of Darryl’s methods when it comes to improving my OCR (Obstacle Course Racing) ability. Set aside your scepticism and give it a try. Not only will you see a huge difference but his are the most enjoyable sessions I have undertaken. Highly recommended."
- Iain R.

“Darryl, I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found you—to work with you as my movement coach.

Just a few years ago, I was struggling with chronic fatigue from Hashimoto’s, and I couldn’t even get out of bed, but now I am doing strength and HIIT training for the first time in my life, and I feel like a new person.

In my 60th year, I thought my best years were behind me, but I was so wrong. With your help over the last year I have improved my strength and energy levels, and I have never felt better. My progress has been outstanding, and I am so grateful to be able to move better and feel strong. We have a genuine partnership regarding our work together, and as a result, I have complete confidence in what you ask me to do, even though all our sessions are done remotely.

Darryl’s playouts are challenging but also so much fun for the body and mind. The support and encouragement I receive from Darryl are priceless, and his advice on appropriate nutrition and other lifestyle behaviours has helped dramatically.

If you suffer from chronic fatigue or any other health condition, I highly recommend working/playing with Darryl. It has completely transformed my life, and I am confident it can do the same for you.

Darryl, you’ve given me my life back. You’ve helped me find my inner superwoman, and I look forward to seeing where our journey takes me!”

-Lynne C., 60.

“I took a class one-on-one a couple of years back from Darryl after feeling like gym's didn't have enough for me and also reading about 'natural fitness'. His approach to exercise is unorthodox but it works. I try never to take the sedentary path in my life now.”
- Zach R.

“Darryl has helped me through various stages of recovery from a neurological injury, I have thoroughly enjoyed with sessions with him. Darryl likes to incite fear and competitiveness to make his sessions fun and challenging.

He has focused on animal movement patterns, games and balance work, things that can be adapted as I gain strength and coordination.
- Emma H.

“In 3 months I’ve achieved a body fat% reduction from 34.6% to 27.9%. My weight is down from 11 Stone 9lb (74kg/163lb) to 10 Stone 8lb (67kg/148lb), a significantly difference in terms of the clothes I am wearing and also in the positive comments made about how I am looking now.”
- Pari P.

"I have found Darryl knowledgable and engaging to work with. I love working outdoors with minimal equipment too.”
- John B.