Body By Kurt Fitness transforming lives for over two decades

It’s always amazing when the passion for one profession unexpectedly opens the door to another. Kurt Dunn went from only cooking up recipes and pleasing palates as a chef to transforming lives as a certified trainer. Today, he shares more about the life-changing decision he made more than two decades ago.

“Being a chef is my first profession. With cooking and tasting, I did not want to get obese or overweight, so I found it profitable to incorporate fitness in my daily lifestyle,” he told The Gleaner.

Nutrition played a major part in this transformation. And since then, Dunn has been excited to fuse both worlds, taking on a new chapter as a personal trainer.

Inspired by his interest in tackling the increasing issue of obesity in Jamaica, he has seen where exercise assists persons with mental health challenges.

“Motivating and educating others about health and fitness can prove to be challenging. I may have clients who want to lose unrealistic weight in a short period, like 20 pounds in one week. Or I may have clients with extremely hectic schedules that require extra motivation to get them exercising,” he revealed.

He is on the journey that he says is worth it, and believes once you take the first step, you can maintain a steady stride of consistency. It helps that he started Body By Kurt Fitness to hold both his client base and himself accountable for accomplishing the wellness missions at hand.

Because he is not only a trainer but plays a serious game in achieving his own health and fitness goals, Dunn’s day typically starts at 4 a.m., when he prepares breakfast.

After training his first client, he reports for duty at his full-time job as a gym manager. Work, for Dunn, goes on for four more hours, before he takes a break to engage in his workout. The duration spans from 45 minutes to an hour. Mid-morning snack, protein shake, and vitamins later, it’s off to his second client of the day, followed by lunch.

From there, a third client is trained and he heads back to the gym for another four hours, before he closes the facility. But the day isn’t over just yet. Dunn proceeds to have dinner before swinging by his fourth and final client for the day, and having a snack thereafter.

He likens his personal training style to words such as ‘safety’, ‘form’, ‘purpose’, ‘specificity’, and ‘effectiveness’. Training in personal and group fitness has taught him the importance of incorporating those words into every session. “Every client’s objectives are different, so I will always think about if the exercise is safe, if they can maintain proper form and alignment throughout the exercise, and if the exercise is appropriate to meet the client’s goals effectively,” he said.

On a personal note, he works out five days a week, resting for two days.

He remembers when being consistent was much harder. “Training was difficult, as I had a regular nine-to-five job, I was studying to become a personal trainer, I was coordinating group fitness classes, and I had to find time to train for gymnastics. It was difficult and time-consuming to engage in so many activities at once. I started at a late stage, age 25, and many persons tried to discourage my decision,” he shared.

But he maintained focus and continued with his training, all the while reminding himself of his goals and reasons for working this hard. “My hard work paid off when I finally became the winner of Mr Jamaica Fitness for four consecutive years, from 2002 to 2006,” he added.

Being in the business of fitness has come with its fair share of sacrifices, including cutting out the pleasures of ice cream and alcohol, which has been no easy feat. But, with time, it has become second nature to avoid those tasty impulses.

This only proves his view that the mental aspect of the wellness journey is just as important as the physical. Among the list of common misconceptions is the fact that some people believe they can lose weight as quickly as they gain it. That is not the case. “Some persons think that health and fitness is a destination, rather than looking at it as a journey. Another major common mistake is that some persons train for seven days per week, without taking a rest day. Rest is vital in the fitness journey, and without it, it will take longer to see results,” he shared.

Keeping his certification up to date and engaging in fitness workshops, Dunn has thoroughly enjoyed meeting and interacting with the elderly, children, as well as corporate Jamaica, which includes the private and public sectors.

On your road to wellness, Dunn recommends that you start by giving your body the seven nutrients it needs to properly function. It is also important to get a minimum of seven hours rest at night, exercise three to five days per week, and make sure to include some form of flexibility training (stretching).

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com