Catherine Wishart Personal Trainer

Catherine is a personal trainer who changed her ways after she realised how bad her diet and lifestyle were. She now works hard to help other people on their journey of self development. She talks to Sundried about training and motivation.

Tell us about your journey to fitness? Where did it all start?

I used to be a restaurant manager several years ago, but I had reached a point where I was actually making myself ill due to how bad my diet and lifestyle were.  I didn't really care how I presented myself and I realised that if I wanted to do more with my life then I needed to change some things about how I treated myself, so I quit my job and took a full time personal training course before moving to London. 

What are your training goals now?

Having just completed the London Triathlon (my first!) my main focus is on helping my body recover so I can feel mobile and strong.  During the training I learnt a lot about myself and my mind but I would like spend some time trying a wider variety of activities and really having fun, but am also looking to take part in the Dorney Lake Triathlon next year as well.  If anyone would like to join me let me know!

Tell us one unusual fact we wouldn’t know about you:

I grew up on a farm so I love that 'farm smell' that most people pinch their nose at! 

What advice do you wish you'd been given when you first started out?

I wish I had been introduced to the world of personal development years ago! I actually think it is something that should be integrated into school programmes as it is often those years when people have the experiences which shape them as a person and can end up holding them back from things later in life.  Opening myself up to this and starting to learn more about myself on different levels I realised how little I really knew myself and how much more I am really capable of achieving. 

Do you follow a specific nutrition plan? If so, what/when do you eat?

I do not follow a strict nutrition plan most of the time to be honest. I do always encourage my clients to track their nutrition especially at first so they can really get an idea of what exactly they are putting in their body and what different foods contain nutrient and calorie wise.  The main thing for me is keeping control of portion sizes and making sure that I consume minimal processed and sugary foods. I also eat very little dairy and gluten products (and now have also reduced alcohol to almost nothing) due to the way they make me feel .  But I do have times where I go off track and have to reign myself back in, as does everyone.

What do you do to keep your clients motivated? Do you have any top tips to keep motivated?

With my clients I spend a lot of time finding out what is really going on in their lives, what motivates them, what is holding them back and why it is they have not previously managed to maintain and active or healthy lifestyle.  Setting priorities is essential, a lesson I have learnt several times over, that if you have too many things to focus on you will simply keep extending your to do list and never achieve anything.  To stay motivated you also need to know in your heart that what you want is possible and absolutely believe that you can get there, even if the journey will be a bit bumpy.

Talk us through your training regime.

Right now my focus is going to be on mobility, re introducing more weight training and adding some fun activities - I really enjoy exercise where there is an element of learning or having to problem solve so I will be doing 3 days of weight based training, 1 day of boxing and running, and 1 day of climbing or swimming. No doubt some other activities will creep in there as well as a big focus on mine is also to get outdoors more as well, there really is no comparison to being out in nature.

How do you keep your fitness knowledge up to date?

I am lucky enough to currently be based in Third Space in Canary Wharf in London so not only do I receive ongoing education from their core team which involves training techniques, programming, research based discussions and more, I also have access to some of the best trainers in London to learn from on a daily basis.  I also learn by doing, for example I took part in this triathlon in order to give myself the understanding of what it takes to go from zero to being ready for such an event.  I think the best way you can really know is by doing it yourself.

What are your top 3 trainer tips?

Do exercise you enjoy - if you hate running, don't run.  Unless you want to start to train for en event (for me the running was the biggest challenge of the triathlon training) but if your goals are to be generally healthy then don't punish yourself with activities you don't enjoy.

Set your priorities - as I mentioned before, you can't do 10 things at once.  If being fit and healthy is genuinely a priority for you, then make sure you make time for it. Schedule it in your diary as if it were a meeting.  If you really want it, you will make time.

Find other people who inspire you to be around.  You have to be around people who are positive, people who will give anything to reach their goals, and people are succeeding more than you so that you can use them as inspiration to achieve what you want and work harder to get there. I like to think perhaps I am that person for someone else but I have others around me who are training harder and taking their business to new levels and I love it!

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Oh wow that is a hard question.  I think I would have to say overnight oats.  I am actually surprising myself by writing that to be honest(!) but I eat them most days at some point and there are so many delicious combinations you can create! 

What do you like about Sundried and what's your favourite bit of our kit?

I have yet to dive into the gym wear but I am fully on board with the tri suit its super comfortable and looks flattering as well. Of course my favourite aspect of Sundried is that they are made of reused materials! Fast fashion is just out of control at the moment and it's so so awesome to see a business reusing all the materials that already exist for clothing instead of creating new ones.  I really urge people to think of quality over quantity and if you can't quite afford to buy quality, just wait a little longer until you can and you'll feel so great about it!

Favourite fitness quote:

"The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self."

- Dalai Llama

It is hard to choose a favourite but I think in the current world of social media and pressures at work and so on, it is crucial to focus only on what inspires you and what you want to achieve.  Not focusing on what others have but on improving yourself.