Meet the Trainers: Caitlin!
We haven’t done a get-to-know-us in a little while, so we thought that it would be super fun to do this week with five fun questions for our superstar trainer Caitlin - all about the intersection of performing arts and fitness.
Next week Carolyn heads off to Europe so we’ll have a little one month break from our blogs while the boss is away and then we’ll be back with another get-to-know-us for our owner and trainer Carolyn once she returns!!
So… let’s get started!
How did your journey as a performing artist influence your approach to fitness and personal training?
Being a performing artist has helped me appreciate the here-and-now. Performing is an entirely present art form that centres you in the moment, and the growing love of that feeling made me appreciate my body in more aspects. My love of the present moment has inspired me to exercise and take care of my body. A flow on from that is that I want to help other people look after their bodies too.
What type of training or exercises do you find most beneficial for performing artists, and how do they impact performance?
HIIT training and other cardiovascular endurance training has changed my life, without a doubt! As a singer, breath control is the main guy that trips me up when I’m nervous, so increasing my base level of fitness has helped me combat this immensely. Being fit has allowed me to handle ‘breathlessness’ better and has allowed to move around on stage more easily without compromising my vocal tone.
Can you share a personal experience where your training as an artist helped you overcome a physical challenge or injury?
During a gym class in 2023 I injured myself- it was my first injury and it really concerned me. I’d never experienced that kind of anxiety before. But I can proudly say that my recovery was speedy thanks to the habits I learned from years of musical training. My myotherapist gave me some rehab exercises and told me to do them every day… thankfully, I have years of experience in the area of ‘everyday practice’ thanks to music lessons, so I did exactly what I was told. Within a couple of months, poof! No more pain.
How do you balance the physical demands of both training clients and performing? Do you have any strategies for maintaining your own health and energy?
I believe that sleep is the key to contentment in the ever-fluctuating balance of work and personal-life. Not only does sleep allow me to recover physically, but it also gives me the mental clarity to appreciate my job as a personal trainer, and my passion for performing. If I were working split shifts and performing on the side, I wouldn't be sleeping much, and I’m sure I would grow to resent my jobs and gradually lose energy and health. Allowing time for sleep is the key.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in performance or fitness to prevent burnout and stay physically strong over the long term?
Find a community. Everyone dips in and out of fitness in different seasons of their life, and the same goes for the performing arts. But if you have a community, the friendships will keep you coming back just as much as your love for it.
That’s all for this week! See you in May!!
Big love.
Xx
