There are a lot of common misconceptions of what a day in the life of a trainer is. We’ve been sharing a lot about us lately, and we thought this might also be a fun way to shed some light on some common myths about what we do all day!!
We work out all day long. Unless we’re teaching classes all day this is in fact a myth. We’re certainly on our feet all day, but we are here to guide you through a workout, not do the workout (unless you ask us to of course!!) We get our own personal workouts in on our own during our day! If you see us working out, ask us what we’re doing!
We LOVE to work out. Obviously, we wouldn’t be in this business if we didn’t have a passion for movement and wellbeing - but there are most definitely some days when working out is a chore and we just don’t feel like it!! On those days, we dig deep, remember our why but also listen to our bodies. If we’re super sore from a workout, or feeling really fatigued, perhaps that is a stretch day or we do a quick 20-minute workout. Usually, once we start we feel better and keep going!
We eat super clean and never eat dessert. Eating healthy is definitely part of most of our lifestyles BUT we believe in moderation. We listen to our bodies as to what feels good and what doesn’t (i.e., what causes bloating, heartburn, etc) and aim to nourish our bodies with the stuff that energizes and fuels us for our busy days. However, we enjoy food and will enjoy treats as well! For example, in Melissa’s family, we all enjoy a treat after dinner. This usually comes in the form of a Trader Joes mini peanut butter cup! We “cheers” as a family and enjoy it! Now, we don’t eat the whole container - we eat one (sometimes two ha!) but with ZERO guilt.
You must always feel great since you do this all day! Nope. There are days we feel achy, we feel sore, and days we’re tired. We are human! On these days we listen to our bodies. What do we need? Is it stretching? More water? Paying attention to what our bodies need is key to a healthy lifestyle - but we definitely have days where we don’t feel 100% - and the biggest takeaway is that we bring awareness to those feelings and figure out what may have triggered them and how we can get back on track.
Our form is perfect. We are all a work in progress! We may know the proper mechanics of exercise and how to perform them to avoid injury, but that doesn’t mean WE can execute it properly all the time. We have “things” that give us challenges too, but we work with them and understand what they are and do movements that feel good on our bodies as well as challenge them!
We have a healthy work/life balance. Being a trainer can mean we work at all times of the day. We work when the clients want to work out. This can mean a wonky schedule where we’re up at 5am or working late until 8pm. It takes time to figure out the schedule that works best for us, and where we can be at our best for you. We’ve all been in situations of burnout with our schedules, and it’s a learning experience for all of us! We all strive for that balance, but don’t always get there!
We have so much time to workout since it’s our job. Just like you, we juggle. Whether it’s juggling kids, other obligations or our busy work schedules - most of us are happy to fit in a 20-minute workout during our day!! We focus on quality not quantity and work with and make the most of whatever time we do have.
We don’t have any insecurities about how we look. Totally false! Yes we practice what we preach about positive body image and positive self-talk, but that doesn’t mean that inside we don’t have that negative self-talk from time to time. We’re always trying to improve ourselves in the healthiest ways possible, but we’re human and sometimes that negative self-talk can creep up. Like many things, we bring awareness to those harmful feelings and try our best to convert them into positive energy for the betterment of ourselves.
All our workouts are sweatfests and super hard. Nope! We strive for balance in our workouts. Some of us have a routine, some of us may be training for something, some of us just do whatever we feel like doing that day! Some days yes, it’s a sweat fest and we’re working really hard. Other days, we may take it a little lighter such as stretching or yoga. Hard work can manifest in different ways depending on what we’re doing. The main point is that we’re moving our bodies, and this doesn’t always mean we have to sweat, breathe hard, or burn a ton of calories to do so.