Posted in Uncategorized

Top 5 Daily Tasks of a Certified Personal Trainer

Although I would love to say that we certified personal trainers are #livingthedream every hour of every workday, what we do IS after all our job. There are aspects of it that never thought of until I was all up in the grind. Since I want you to be prepared if/when you become a personal trainer, today I’m sharing the top 5 daily tasks of a certified personal trainer.

Recruiting Clients

Many entry level personal training jobs require that trainers find clients by “working the floor” of the gym. This means that if they see someone working out, they may offer suggestions on their form and a free session in the hopes of enticing them to buy a package or upgrade to a PT membership. It’s a right of passage for many beginning on the path to a solid fitness career.

Scheduling Sessions

Once you recruit clients, you must make sure that they are regularly scheduled to attend sessions with you. Most make this process seamless by using a third party scheduling software like MindBody or Pike13. They integrate directly with Google Calendar and iCal so you don’t have put in the legwork twice. Smart trainers book out all sessions in advance, ideally on the same days and times every week. It helps clients stay consist and makes it a lot easier for you to plan your schedule too.

Program Design

Because I’m a research and processes nerd, this is probably my favorite part of job. I get excited when I’m putting together new workouts, especially when I have the time and flexibility to be as creative as possible! Workouts are designed based on:

  • Client Goals
  • Client Abilities
  • The Tools/Equipment Available

I based my 15 Full Body Workouts on the equipment I had available to me at Equinox. Although I use it mainly to teach my most engaging group fitness class, Damage Control, I have often borrowed and cut the workouts down to use with 1:1 clients.

Training Sessions

Helping others achieve their goals through exercise is the reason many trainer hopefuls enter the field in the first place. Although the build up may be slow at first, many are able to build a full schedule of training clients, leading sessions 4-6 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. Session types may vary widely from delivering a 60 minute high intensity sweat session to providing tailored mobility work and myofascial release.

Pro Note: Contrary to what some may think, this DOES NOT involve working out with your client. Much of the work is demonstrating exercises and correcting our clients’ form.

This is where we get to really impact the lives of others, so it’s natural that this is a part of the job that trainers live for 💓

Follow Up

Last but not least, there is a lot of follow up to stay in touch with clients. This is to

  1. Check in after a tough session or a missed session
  2. Send between-session homework
  3. Share educational materials and nutrition plans
  4. Deliver program announcements

When you look at the range of tasks a personal trainer does, it’s easy to see why many in the field are beginning to use the title Fitness Coach. Our work involves so much more than just training sessions. We coach people on how to improve their lives, one workout or meal at a time.

Light,

Nadia

PS – If you’re interested in learning how to build healthy habits that will help you feel happier and more energized for life, my 90 Day Nutrition Challenge may be for you! Click here to find out more.

Posted in Uncategorized

I’m Running the 2019 Silicon Valley Turkey Trot! Here’s Why You Should Too

If you read my blog describing that one year I joined my high school cross-country team, you may have been surprised to read the title of this blog. Yes, friends, I’m velcro-tightening my latest pair of barefoot running shoes, and hitting the road again to run in the 2019 Silicon Valley Turkey Trot. Here’s why you should too.

Support a Good Cause

The SVTT raises money for a variety of local causes, including the following.

  • Healthier Kids Foundation – an organization that provides health screenings, insurance coverage, and education to families who need it.
  • Second Harvest – an organization that provides a food bank, nutrition education, and meals to homeless individuals and families
  • the Housing Trust – working to create and maintain affordable housing in the Bay Area affordable
  • the Health Trust – provides services, grants, and advocacy in the areas of health and equality.

Improve Your Health

The benefits of running are numerous. As an outdoor, moderate to high impact sport, if you stick with a regular routine of running after the race, you may experience one or more of the following benefits:

  • Stronger bones
  • Increased endurance
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Boosted Mood
  • Weight Loss

Plus, if you run with a friend, loved one(s), or a group, you’ll gain the opportunity to strengthen your relationship. Research shows that you become happier when you spend more time with positive people.

Get Started on Your New Years’ Resolutions

If you read my blog regularly, chances are good that you’re either an active person or you want to be. If there’s a goal you want to achieve or a New Year’s Resolution you’ve set that involve moving more, a 5k is a good place to start! No pressure to run the entire course. You can walk, jog, or work some combination of the two!

Want to Run WITH me?

If you’re local to the Bay Area, California, Run the Turkey Trot with me! Click here to sign up while tickets last! Then post a comment below to let me know you’re in!

See you on the course! 😉

Nadia

Not from the Bay Area? Every major city has it’s turkey day run! Let me know which one you’re rocking in the comments!

Posted in Black People Doing Yoga, Uncategorized

Wanted: Black Identified Yoga & Fitness Enthusiasts

As a fitness content creator, I have been disappointed by the lack of available stock photos of black people working out and doing yoga. The wild popularity of the movie Black Panther and now all of the new shows and movies being released with black main characters displays the absolute importance of being represented in the media you consume. Hence, the Black People Doing Yoga project!

Join the Black People Doing Yoga Project

I’m looking for 15-20 women and men of African ancestry to volunteer for:

  • a 30 minute practice
  • a 20-30 minute photoshoot and
  • a 15-20 minute interview about your thoughts on yoga as a black/afrolatinx individual

In order to participate in LIVE practices and photoshoots, you must live in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. I also frequently visit Massachusetts/New Hampshire during the holidays and vacations, so folks in those areas can schedule something with me in advance. If you’re in one of these areas and would like to participate, please email me at letscreatecontent@nadiasantiago.com with the subject line “Black People Doing Yoga.”

Be Part of Our Instagram Movement

If you’re not in one of the areas mentioned above, we still want you to participate! Send your photos with your stories to the email address listed above or tag @blackpeopledoingyoga for a repost.

Thank you in advance for your help with this project. Please feel free to download and share this photo along with this message anywhere you can!

@blackpeopledoinyoga

Much Love,

Nadia

Posted in Uncategorized

Want to Be Happy? Spend More Time with Positive People

“People inspire you or they drain you. Pick them wisely.”

Hans Hansen

It has been said in many ways by a variety of self help authors and gurus throughout the ages that who you are is reflected by the people you spend the most time with. This was a huge lesson for me as I entered the field of fitness. As a lifelong athlete, I thought I was drawn into the gym by the workouts, but truth be told, it was actually the ENERGY of my instructors and the people who showed up and took classes alongside me. Here’s why that made a huge difference.

Positive People Infect You with Positivity

In a nutshell, this is how I experience positive people at the gym. They are:

  • Always excited to be there, even if they struggled to get out the door in the morning.
  • Highly encouraging to those around them.
  • Interested in the lives of the people around them, including their instructors and fellow members.
  • Committed to their own emotional, psychological, and physical health.

The most notable shift I noticed when I started spending more time with positive people was that I felt more balanced, accomplished, and content when I was around them. Talk about a daily dose of positivity!

The Opposite: Negative People Ooze Negativity

In contrast to my experience at the gym, there were areas of my life where I was constantly around negative people. In these situations, I often felt anxious, sad, hopeless, incompetent, and small. That’s because, negative people tend to:

  • Complain constantly. There seems to always be something bad happening in their lives.
  • Blame others for their misfortunes and never themselves.
  • Belittle others because of perceived imperfections.
  • Resist change and discourage others from making change.
  • Wallow in negativity

What’s unfortunate with negative people is that they tend to drag you into their negativity, intentionally or unintentionally. My recommendation: avoid them whenever possible. Develop the relationships you have with positive people and you will bring more happiness and ease to your life.

Do you agree or disagree? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Nadia