ML Coaching
A holistic approach to health has become almost indispensable in the executive suites of Switzerland and Germany. A representative survey by the Max Grundig Klinik among 1,000 executives found that nearly half of German executives who exercise pay for a personal trainer, and 20% do so regularly.
Around a tenth of managers also regularly consult a nutritionist. The numbers in Switzerland are likely similar, if not even higher.
For people in senior leadership positions especially, it's usually not just about looks. It's about balancing a stressful daily routine on one hand, and boosting performance on the other.
Managers hold positions of responsibility and face important decisions every day. They're accountable for their employees and their concerns, while at the same time answering to their own superiors.
This high level of professional strain can push you to your limits fast. That's why it's so important to treat body and mind with care and awareness. Plenty of movement and mental relaxation techniques are essential to function at your best and actually enjoy life.
A personal trainer can play a key role here, helping you not just cope with professional (and private) pressures, but master them. A personal trainer quickly identifies individual challenges and adapts measures accordingly. That way, training fits neatly into a busy executive's schedule and delivers a wide range of positive changes.
Below, I want to go into a bit more detail on whether and why a personal trainer, despite the higher cost compared to a plain gym membership, can be especially worthwhile for managers and executives.
Time savings and higher motivation thanks to a personal trainer
Time is money - every executive knows that. With a personal trainer, sessions are short and intense, yet still deliver more results than a regular trip to the gym. Visible and noticeable success comes quickly, and motivation rises with it.
Without competent, targeted training adjustments, it usually goes like this: super motivated for the first few weeks, then one session gets skipped, then the next, until the gym membership or the new running shoes are completely forgotten.
With personal training, you make a commitment, put the appointment in your calendar, and stick to it. Unreliability, after all, isn't one of the traits that made an executive an executive. Without a fixed commitment, the gym visit is often the first thing cut from a busy work schedule due to lack of time. It's also much easier to overcome your inner resistance when someone on the sidelines is cheering you on, motivating you and challenging you.
On top of that, as a manager you barely have time to fight your way through the information jungle and research which training and nutrition methods are actually right for you. The internet is full of contradictory information, often put out by people with no training or experience.
A qualified personal trainer takes all of this off your plate and creates an individual training plan for you (ideally a nutrition plan too), tailored precisely to your body, your goals and your schedule. Specific questions get answered quickly and competently, with your situation in mind, without hours of Google research. That saves an enormous amount of time, which you can invest much better in the actual workout.
Putting together training plans for business trips is also part of what some personal trainers offer. In management roles, travel is often a fixed part of the job and makes it incredibly hard to build a normal fitness routine, since time zones, workout options and food availability keep changing.
I myself am not only a personal trainer but also an international fitness model, and I know the challenges of an unpredictable lifestyle more than I'd sometimes like. Over time, though, I've figured out all the tips and tricks to stay fit despite a constantly changing routine. As a personal trainer in Zurich, I can help executives especially well because I live a similar lifestyle and know the difficulties firsthand.
Burnout prevention and work-life balance with a personal trainer
The stressful everyday life of executives increasingly leads to burnout. Supervisors and executives are the second most affected professional group. With 312.1 sick days per 1,000 members, executives in Germany accounted for the second-highest number of burnout sick days in 2018, almost 3x higher than the average.
Burnout prevention is now one of the top topics in health and work, and it hasn't left the executive floors untouched. The tragic death of Swisscom CEO Carsten Schloter was a wake-up call for many, and led more and more managers to start listening to the signals their bodies send.
With a personal trainer, you can finally hand over the responsibility. Despite the physical effort, that's an important part of relaxation. You show up, and it's laid out exactly what to do and when - aside from actually doing it, there's no responsibility, no need to make decisions yourself.
Better performance at work thanks to personal training
Personal training doesn't just improve your work-life balance, it also boosts your performance at work. Someone who's more balanced automatically shows more focus and productivity in every area of life, especially in a stressful work routine.
If the boss performs well, they can set a better example for their employees and act as a role model. Instructions and tasks are delegated with more confidence and authenticity. Especially in stressful times, executives can then stay calm and decide quickly on the best course of action and find a solution. That, ultimately, is what makes a good leader.
An upright posture, built through regular training, also conveys confidence and authority. Someone who walks through the office hunched and slouching signals insecurity and weakness. Employees trust their boss more when they give instructions with confidence and a straight back. A personal trainer corrects these kinds of postural issues and helps executives project health and self-confidence.
Support from the company
One of the main reasons many people argue against a personal trainer is the cost. Setting aside that the higher price already pays for itself through the huge amount of time saved and faster results, increased productivity is another factor in favor of personal training. This matters enormously, especially for the self-employed.
But many companies have recognized this advantage too, and support their leadership teams. In the German study, 41% of managers said their employer pays for the personal trainer. So why not ask whether your own company would be willing to do the same? The cost of an employee being unable to work far outweighs the cost of a personal trainer, and more and more companies and health insurers are realizing this.
Conclusion: is a personal trainer worth it?
The answer is a clear YES. A personal trainer is not only a good investment in your own health, satisfaction and balance, but also in your company's. In fact, aside from the higher cost, which pays off many times over in the long run, I can't think of a single reason against personal training. Executives become more capable and happier as a result.
Be careful when choosing a personal trainer
I'd like to add a brief note on choosing the right personal trainer. Rising demand has led more and more unqualified trainers to enter the market. After all, working as a self-employed personal trainer promises far better earning potential than being employed at a gym. But a personal trainer without proper professional training can cause more harm than progress. That's why great care needs to go into your choice. In this article I give some tips specifically on how to find the right personal trainer.