Creating a fitness regime that works for your body and that fits into your schedule can be overwhelming, but with the help of a personal trainer, it can be easier to achieve.
Personal trainers are fitness professionals who work with a variety of clients to help them reach their fitness goals, but have you ever wondered how they reach their own? Well, we have, so we sat down with personal trainer Courtney Waldron to get a look at what a typical day is like as a trainer.
Courtney Waldron is a certified personal trainer at Club Apple with years of experience. After having her son 11 years ago, she wanted to better herself and found a passion for fitness.
“The funny thing is, I played sports as a kid, but I was never athletic. I never liked working out,” Courtney said. “After I had my son, I felt like it wasn’t my body. I started working out again and I wasn’t totally serious about it until I started working at KoKo FitClub. I got my first taste of helping people with their goals and learning about their lives and I thought, ‘This is really cool.’ I love seeing people get better through exercise.”
As a personal trainer, Courtney has a lot on her plate.
Each morning, she begins the day by whipping up four egg whites, one whole egg and oatmeal with blueberries. “I eat a lot in the morning, and then I eat a couple of snacks throughout the day, and then I have a bigger dinner, which some might disagree with, but I just say that as long as you get your healthy food in, then that's what’s important.”
In between meals, Courtney spends her day training clients, teaching classes and squeezing her own workout in while finding the balance between it all. On a typical day, she coaches an average of five to seven clients and classes.
After breakfast, Courtney heads to the gym to begin her one-on-one training with clients, which lasts 50 minutes each session. When afternoon comes around, she indulges in tuna and celery for lunch and gets an afternoon HITT workout in.
“I love HITT training because it's a combination workout. It's high intensity, so you get a cardiovascular workout, but you're incorporating strength training as well,” Courtney said. “You can burn a lot of calories and get a lot done in a shorter amount of time.”
Prioritizing time for herself with her busy schedule is what has made the difference in reaching her health and fitness goals.
“Even as a trainer, I have days where I don't feel like doing it, but I make sure I have a designated time in my day that's for my workout,” Courtney said. “Life is busy, but I pick a time and I remember the long-term reason why I do it.”
After her afternoon workout, she coaches the Fitwall and Women’s Weight Loss classes, and is a coach for the Ultimate Loser Competition when it’s running.
As the day winds down, she typically eats shrimp, chicken or eggs for dinner. “I love eggs and having breakfast for dinner,” Courtney said. “I always have some sources of protein in the house. I don't want to say it's the most important macronutrient, but proteins are important, along with fruits and vegetables. I just like to make sure that I always have healthy food.”
Finding the balance between working, family life and reaching her health and fitness goals is no easy task, but she makes it look easy and inspires others to stay consistent.
“You deserve it just as much as anybody else does,” Courtney said. “You deserve to feel good and healthy, too.”