It's Tradies National Health Month. Meet Rianna, our inspiring manager at Nutrition Capital Sunbury. Her personal journey reflects a deep understanding of physical demands and a commitment to holistic health solutions. Starting out in construction, Rianna's hands-on experience swinging shovels and mastering pneumatic jackhammers provided invaluable insights into the challenges of rigorous work environments.
Her dedication to health and fitness, combined with her expertise as a certified fitness professional and recovery coach, ensures she brings a wealth of knowledge to our customers. Rianna's passion for improving mobility and overall wellness shines through in the success stories of clients who have overcome challenges under her guidance.
How did you maintain your health and fitness while working such a physically demanding job in construction?
This will annoy most people, but ensuring I was drinking at least 3L of water per day, prioritising sleep as well as prioritising my training after work 4x per week. I was powerlifting for 3 hours per night when I trained including cardio.
What inspired you to become a recovery coach?
It was actually a car accident that I was a passenger in back in 2019. I'd just completed my Cert IV in fitness and found that I was deeply fascinated and intrigued by the home exercises and the benefits I experienced within days of visiting the physio.
While I was a Personal Trainer, I had a few clients with varying flexibility and mobility concerns which were debilitating, but being treated weekly. For these clients, I actually reached out to their physios for a reference as to what they observed and would then facilitate not only the "homework" my clients would receive, but I'd build entire training programs around this as well as to increase flexibility and build strength in these ranges of motion. The results were slow, but they were the most gratifying experience of my life to see my clients realise their own improvements.
How do you incorporate recovery techniques into your own routine?
Prioritising mobility - ALWAYS. You'd be surprised at how much it changes your breathing, posture, mood, sleep, even libido. When I'm feeling extra sore or like smashing a hard strength session just isn't happening, I don't force myself to give half the effort I'd be able to give on a better day, I'll go for a big walk and sit in the infrared sauna with aminos and plenty of ice water instead.
What are your top tips for tradies to stay healthy and recover effectively after a long day of work?
Keep it simple and stop slapping a “lazy” on everything. It's the opposite of helpful. If it was helpful, you wouldn't be crashing on the couch as soon as you get home, mate.
- Shit sleep? Reduce caffeine & stop after 1pm.
- Hungry? No, put the pie/sausage roll and coke down and opt for a BALANCED meal, prioritising whole foods in protein, carbs, fats. This can look like picking up a ready made microwave meal from the servo.
- Swap your full sugar coke or Dare Double espresso for a coke with no sugar or even better - water.
Better still, enlist a nutrition coach, tell them your preferences as well as time limitations and be HONEST with them if you're finding it difficult to adhere. Consider solutions rather than lazy bandaids.
What are your go-to supplement recommendations for tradies?
- For Joint Health:
- Jolt from ATP Science
- For Energy and Endurance:
- Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy (Caffeinated)
- Switch Nutrition Hydrate+ (Caffeine Free)
- For Recovery:
- WATER & SLEEP
- Switch Nutrition Adrenal Switch
- Primabolics Everyday Sleep
As we celebrate August as Tradies National Health Month, Rianna, stands as a testament to the importance of health and wellness in physically demanding professions. Her journey from construction to becoming a certified fitness professional and recovery coach highlights the transformative power of prioritising well-being. Join us in honouring Tradies Health Awareness Month by putting your wellbeing first and asking how Nutrition Capital can support your health goals.