Fiona Branker
After the birth of her son, Fiona
Branker knew that it would be time to switch careers. Branker worked on a shift
system for an airline and needed to find a way to balance work and family life.
This led her into the fitness arena. The change paid off, as her son is now a
healthy 11 year old and she has been happily married for the past 12 years.
Branker was always a fitness
enthusiast; she came from a family that played sports so it was very natural
for her to be involved as well. She actually became certified as an aerobics
instructor at the age of 17. She is now 36 years old and holds many titles. She
is a Sport Development Officer for the Ministry of Sport of Trinidad and
Tobago, a personal trainer, a spin instructor, as well as a group instructor
that specializes in women’s health and fitness. She is also one of Trinidad and
Tobago’s top female body fitness competitors, having recently represented the country at
the Caribbean and Central American Games in Santo Domingo.
However, the best title to describe
Fiona is busy bee. Every morning, she prepares breakfast and lunch for her
family, and then she’s off to the gym to train for one hour. Following her
workout, she trains her first personal client at 5am, group workouts start at
6am for an hour; then it’s off to the Ministry from 8am. She arrives home in
the afternoon before her son heads to lessons to prep for his homework. While
he’s at lessons she heads back to the gym for clients and her spin class. When
she’s finished at the gym she heads home to finish homework with her son and
prepare dinner for the family. She credits advance planning and the support of
her husband for being able to function on such a hectic schedule. She and her
husband enjoy dinner together every night; this is considered ‘their’ time.
Fiona states that not only is her
day demanding, but her field of work in general. She advises anyone wishing to
enter the fitness field to get certified and continue to read and learn; it’s
important to keep up with the changes in the industry. Her future goals are to
earn a full degree in Exercise science (as she currently has an Associate
degree) and to earn a PhD in Nutrition Science, keep her family happy and
travel throughout the Caribbean, educating people about living a healthy
lifestyle.
As a fitness guru, woman and mother,
she has the following advice for pregnant women
1.
Exercise, especially if you have no
complications. Her top five exercises for pregnant women are: Kegels,
Stretching, Deep Breathing, Squats and Push ups.
2.
Don’t eat for 2, eat TWICE as healthy, you
really only need 300 extra calories per day to support healthy fetal growth
3.
Plan ahead, everything from free time to your
finances – getting a routine will allows for flexibility later on
4.
Carve out 1 hour for yourself - either to
exercise or pamper yourself. Fiona’s idea of relaxing is to put on her
headphones and go for a run or lift weights.
To contact Fiona, you can check out
her Facebook page Designer Bodies International, where she gives awesome
nutritional and fitness advice for fitness enthusiasts. If you want to try her
spin class, just head over to the Long Circular Health and Wellness Club in
Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Indoor Group training at Long Circular Health & Wellness Club
Outdoor group training
Members of Fiona's female group before the start of the UWI SPEC Half Marathon
Add a spark to your life!!!!!! Be a FireCracker!
Love, CT
Photos courtesy Designer Bodies International
Photos courtesy Designer Bodies International
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