The Teacher Fit Program

The life of a teacher is misunderstood.

Sure the hours appear great. And summers off are nice. But the illusion of a life of relaxation underscores the incredible amount of time it takes to prepare, teach, grade, and then prepare some more. Toss in stressful interactions with students and parents, and teachers find themselves in the frustrating position of so many others: Early mornings, late nights, and very little time in between.

Add to it a salary structure that few would call comfortable and food services (offered by schools) that have been fattening up children for the last few decades, and you have perfect storm of unhealthy.

(I can hear the heads nodding.)

I know this because I’ve been a teacher. My mom is a teacher. My wife’s mom is a teacher. And many of my friends have chosen the education route.

After years of being asked the same questions and seeing the same problems pop up in education, I decided help was needed.

Why Teachers Struggle with Fitness

I wanted to understand why educators struggled with their health when most teachers are inspired by a desire to set a positive example and lead. Typical areas of blame such as “laziness” or “lack of desire” should be tossed out. Like anything in life, this isn’t about labeling people as a certain way; it’s about identifying the circumstances that serve as a catalyst and reason for undesired behaviors.

Most teachers I know bust their ass and work extremely hard without much acknowledgement or appreciation. So putting in effort isn’t the issue; educators know efforts. Instead, it’s a matter of identifying the roadblocks. With that in mind, I started spending more time speaking with teachers to understand the real issues that limited healthy efforts. My initial areas of focus were simple:

1. I tried to determine the breakpoints that made eating the right foods so difficult
2. I interviewed teachers to find out just how much time they had to exercise and what would make that process a little easier to squeeze into their day.

I took it all together and then started designing programs for the educators of the world. They came in all shapes and sizes—just like students—and my job was to teach and lead them to better health.

I tested the programs on a group of 10 teachers. It was a small sample size, but it was a all that was needed to start. Like most coaching programs, the assistance went a long way towards changing physical appearance. But the the benefits of eating better and finding a practical way to squeeze in quality exercise paid off in other ways. The 10 teachers all reported:

• Having more energy for life inside and out of the classroom
• The ability to function the way they want and thereby perform the way they want at their job. Coffee wasn’t abandoned but it was no longer a lifeline
• The feeling that they were setting a better example for their students
• A general sense of feeling better about themselves and their lives.

Be Teacher Fit

While the years of working with teachers was rewarding, I sensed that more could be done. So I took the lessons from the teachers, surveyed a larger group, and then designed a comprehensive health and fitness program for an occupation that seems like it was ignored and priced out of receiving health assistance.

I’m not someone who makes excuses, but I’m also a realist: Teachers can’t possibly afford high-end personal training that could cost hundreds each month, spend money on groceries, and afford a gym membership when they might be making $25,000 per year (or less).

My findings came down to 3 simple conclusions:

1. Teachers need a guide that simplifies healthy eating in a way that fits into their busy schedule. For most, snacking all day won’t work. Neither will cumbersome meal plans or lots of time spent cooking.
2. Exercise needs to be efficient and focused and planned around the teacher’s schedule.
3. Support is necessary. Work builds up quickly for teachers, and the first thing to falter is usually personal health because no infrastructure exists to help protect it.

To solve for this problem, I created the Teacher Fit Program. The elements were designed by teacher’s needs and built for their lifestyle.

The program consists of 2 components:

1)   The Teacher Fit Healthy Guide (FREE)

When you sign up below, you’ll be sent a free guide to eating and living better. This isn’t your typical approach of counting calories or stressing about multiple meals. It’s a practical guide that shares what you need to know about eating, meal planning, creating a healthy menu, and determining what types of exercise can work for you.

In talking to teachers it became very clear that the basic understanding of the minimum effective dose was not clear. Now, the information you need is all stored in one place to help you live a healthier life.

2)   The Teacher Fit Fitness and Nutrition Program 

The hardest thing for teachers is spending more time figuring out what to eat, how to exercise, and receiving the support they need to live the way they want—all at a cost they can afford. To solve for this, The Teacher Fit Program simplifies the approach and offers a comprehensive program at a price that most teachers can afford. When you join this community specifically designed for teachers you receive:

• Private 1-on-1 help from a Born Fitness Coach that will work with you towards your goals.
• Access to a messaging system so you can have help at any time.
• A new training program sent to you each week so you know exactly what to do. These are efficient programs designed for your schedule. (We build programs for a gym or a workout you can in your home)
• Diet Help and Nutrition Plans, customized to your individual goals
• Recipes and food choices to help fuel your body and feel satisfied
• Access to a private community of teacher’s all working towards similar goals with community support from Born Fitness coaching

Joining The Program

The Teacher Fit Program was designed specifically for teachers to remove the barriers and empower anyone in the education space to look and feel the way they want.

To join the movement, simply fill out the form below and you’ll be sent your free guide and receive more information so you can join the program. Like most courses, enrollment will happen in cohorts. I’ll be accepting applicants for only one week, and then you’ll be moved to a waiting list that will be revisited each month. So if you want to join, send in your application now.

It’s time to arm teachers with what they need to be the change and take back their health.