Most personal trainers start out as fitness enthusiasts who decide to make a career out of helping other people get fit. Unfortunately, they quickly realize that this often means juggling personal training sessions, creating workout programs and sending meal plans – which can add up to a 15-hour workday. If you are struggling with jam-packed days that are physically and mentally demanding, you are likely to neglect your diet and fitness regime which will impact your health and your business.
How to fuel your body working as a personal trainer
As a personal trainer, you understand the importance of a healthy diet but you can’t seem to find the time every day to prepare healthy meals. The good news is that you can tweak your regular schedule to keep your energy levels up despite your long workday. Here are a few ways to fuel your body while working as a personal trainer.
1. Choose recipes ahead of time.
Your idea of meal prep is whipping up something with whatever you have in your fridge, transferring it to a Tupperware container and rushing out the door. Choosing your recipes ahead of time will allow you to prepare healthy balanced meals which will keep you going through your day. Ideally, every one of your meals should contain lean protein such as lean beef, chicken, beans or tofu. Your main meals should contain whole grains and assorted red and green veggies such as sweet potatoes and broccoli. Choose simple recipes such as a stir-fry or casserole rather than elaborate dishes that require sauces and heavy gravies.
2. Meal prep for the week
Meal prep is a personal trainer’s best friend! This simple step will help you save time, reduce stress and most importantly eat healthier. You can prep components of your meal or even whole meals on Sunday so that you don’t even need to think about your meals for the rest of the week. Schedule your shopping and meal prep time each week based on the recipes you have chosen. Instead of thinking as meal prepping as a chore, you can crank up the music and spend a couple of hours chopping and cooking. Invest in high-quality food containers that are microwave safe and neatly label each one. Each night, take the box containing the next day’s lunch out of the freezer and place it in your fridge so that it can thaw during the night. The next day, just pop the container into the microwave and enjoy your healthy home-cooked lunch.
3. Opt for No-prep snacks
Snacks have a bad image but as a personal trainer, they are an important part of your diet. Healthy snacks give you that extra boost of energy to get you through even the most tiring days. But preparing snacks can be time-consuming so your best option is to go with no-prep snacks. As the name suggests, no-prep snacks do not require any preparation time. This means that you can simply pop a box of snacks in your bag and you’re sorted for the rest of the day. Your daily snacks can include apple slices with peanut butter, hummus with carrots and celery or simply a handful of homemade trail mix.
4. Breakfast and lunch should be high in protein
As a personal trainer, it’s likely that you schedule your own workouts in between your clients’ sessions. It’s important to fuel your body so that you don’t land up for your next session exhausted and beat. Your breakfast and lunch should contain high-protein foods to help you power through your day. Protein is particularly important as it not only helps to build and repair muscle tissue but also strengthens bones and cartilage. For breakfast, you can choose from a veggie frittata, a protein shake or oat and Greek yogurt smoothie. If you need to have your lunch on the go, you can choose a chicken salad sandwich or a hummus veggie wrap.
5. Embrace slow cookers
It’s the end of a long and tiring day and the last thing you want to do is stand over a stove. Sure you can thaw a frozen meal you’ve prepped but you’re hungry and exhausted and would kill for a bowl of chili. This is where a slow cooker comes in. Slow cookers use very low heat and generally require 8-10 hours to cook your meal. Before you head out in the morning, add your refrigerated veggies and other ingredients to the cooker and when you come home, your mouth-watering meal is waiting for you. Even if you’re running late, your cooker will simply switch to a lower temperature once the time is up to prevent overcooking.
The life of a personal trainer is tough and challenging but it is also very rewarding. While it is important to fuel your body so that you can manage your days, it is equally important that you give your body sufficient rest. Never skimp on sleep as this can lead to a host of problems including elevated stress which is linked to other health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and even digestive health.
Most personal trainers start out as fitness enthusiasts who decide to make a career out of helping other people get fit. Unfortunately, they quickly realize that this often means juggling personal training sessions, creating workout programs and sending meal plans – which can add up to a 15-hour workday. If you are struggling with jam-packed days that are physically and mentally demanding, you are likely to neglect your diet and fitness regime which will impact your health and your business.
How to fuel your body working as a personal trainer
As a personal trainer, you understand the importance of a healthy diet but you can’t seem to find the time every day to prepare healthy meals. The good news is that you can tweak your regular schedule to keep your energy levels up despite your long workday. Here are a few ways to fuel your body while working as a personal trainer.
1. Choose recipes ahead of time.
Your idea of meal prep is whipping up something with whatever you have in your fridge, transferring it to a Tupperware container and rushing out the door. Choosing your recipes ahead of time will allow you to prepare healthy balanced meals which will keep you going through your day. Ideally, every one of your meals should contain lean protein such as lean beef, chicken, beans or tofu. Your main meals should contain whole grains and assorted red and green veggies such as sweet potatoes and broccoli. Choose simple recipes such as a stir-fry or casserole rather than elaborate dishes that require sauces and heavy gravies.
2. Meal prep for the week
Meal prep is a personal trainer’s best friend! This simple step will help you save time, reduce stress and most importantly eat healthier. You can prep components of your meal or even whole meals on Sunday so that you don’t even need to think about your meals for the rest of the week. Schedule your shopping and meal prep time each week based on the recipes you have chosen. Instead of thinking as meal prepping as a chore, you can crank up the music and spend a couple of hours chopping and cooking. Invest in high-quality food containers that are microwave safe and neatly label each one. Each night, take the box containing the next day’s lunch out of the freezer and place it in your fridge so that it can thaw during the night. The next day, just pop the container into the microwave and enjoy your healthy home-cooked lunch.
3. Opt for No-prep snacks
Snacks have a bad image but as a personal trainer, they are an important part of your diet. Healthy snacks give you that extra boost of energy to get you through even the most tiring days. But preparing snacks can be time-consuming so your best option is to go with no-prep snacks. As the name suggests, no-prep snacks do not require any preparation time. This means that you can simply pop a box of snacks in your bag and you’re sorted for the rest of the day. Your daily snacks can include apple slices with peanut butter, hummus with carrots and celery or simply a handful of homemade trail mix.
4. Breakfast and lunch should be high in protein
As a personal trainer, it’s likely that you schedule your own workouts in between your clients’ sessions. It’s important to fuel your body so that you don’t land up for your next session exhausted and beat. Your breakfast and lunch should contain high-protein foods to help you power through your day. Protein is particularly important as it not only helps to build and repair muscle tissue but also strengthens bones and cartilage. For breakfast, you can choose from a veggie frittata, a protein shake or oat and Greek yogurt smoothie. If you need to have your lunch on the go, you can choose a chicken salad sandwich or a hummus veggie wrap.
5. Embrace slow cookers
It’s the end of a long and tiring day and the last thing you want to do is stand over a stove. Sure you can thaw a frozen meal you’ve prepped but you’re hungry and exhausted and would kill for a bowl of chili. This is where a slow cooker comes in. Slow cookers use very low heat and generally require 8-10 hours to cook your meal. Before you head out in the morning, add your refrigerated veggies and other ingredients to the cooker and when you come home, your mouth-watering meal is waiting for you. Even if you’re running late, your cooker will simply switch to a lower temperature once the time is up to prevent overcooking.
The life of a personal trainer is tough and challenging but it is also very rewarding. While it is important to fuel your body so that you can manage your days, it is equally important that you give your body sufficient rest. Never skimp on sleep as this can lead to a host of problems including elevated stress which is linked to other health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and even digestive health.