Shira Guttman, 34, helps women feel confident through personal training.
After growing up in Baltimore and graduating from Bais Yaakov of Baltimore School for Girls, Guttman became certified as a personal trainer through the Community College of Baltimore County.
She also works in operations at BEW Specialty Foods, a food brokerage specializing in bakery items.
Guttman lives in Pikesville with her two sons. The family belongs to Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim.
What made you get into personal training?
I’ve always been very active and into fitness and health. After having my kids, I struggled with my weight, and I wanted to become a personal trainer for a while. I kept pushing it off and then I finally got the motivation.
Once I had my own kids, I saw my own struggles and I saw what I had to do to feel good. I want to help other women going through something similar.
Is personal training tailored to each individual or do you do certain things with everyone?
There are basics that everyone needs to focus on, like strengthening your core balance and stretching. However, each program is tailor-made towards what the person wants to focus on, what their goals are and the state of their health.
Why do most people come to you?
The advantage of having a personal trainer is mainly the accountability and knowing the right exercises to do and ensuring that you do the proper form. A lot of people are intimidated by working out by the gym because they’re afraid of injury. When you work with a trainer who’s checking your form the entire time, it reduces the risk of injury.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
My favorite part is how good people feel after each session. It’s always hard to motivate yourself to get into the workout, but afterwards, I always get the same response from clients: “I’m so glad I showed up, and I feel so good. I’m ready to tackle the day.”
What is something that someone would be surprised to learn about you?
I love to cook, so I love preparing beautiful, healthy meals for my family and friends. I won a kosher Chopped competition in New York.
Do you think that healthy eating and personal training go together?
One hundred percent. A person’s overall health is 80% nutrition and 20% what they do in the gym. Nutrition plays a major role, and the quality of your food plays a major role in a person’s overall health.
I’m limited with how much nutrition advice I can give to my clients. I can give recommendations. However, since I’m not a nutritionist, I can’t give meal plans, but we definitely go over basic nutrition, and I give tips. We talk about food in general because it plays such a major role in our all our lives.
Another piece to the personal training is the mental health benefits of it. Of course, we all want the physical benefits, we all want to feel good and look good. But so many people are struggling so much with their mental health, and what exercise does for our brains is great.
What do you like about working with women specifically?
For one, it’s relatable. I can relate to a lot of what other women went through being that I’ve gone through puberty, the teenage years and I’ve gone through pregnancy.
Obviously, I’m not able to relate to people who have gone through menopause and everything, but I’m definitely familiar with hormonal changes through what I’ve been through and just guiding people through that and being that support.
How would you describe your relationship to Judaism?
I’m Orthodox, I’m a spiritual person, I live my life with Hashem as the center. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and God has a bigger plan that we can’t always see right away.
What does a day in your life look like?
I wake up and get my kids out to school. I go downstairs and do some strength training. I make sure to get in a walk. I train some clients. In between all that, my main job is from my phone and email.
I’m answering emails throughout the day. Then, by the end of the day, I’m preparing a snack for when my kids get home, I go to pick them up and then the new day of taking care of my kids begins.
What do you like about doing that?
For me, my focus is my family, and I love the flexibility that this job gives me. I work from home, so when my kids call me from school, they’re not feeling well or they don’t like hot lunch, and they need me to bring something, I’m available and I have a very flexible schedule.
What advice would you give to other single mothers who have a passion?
If you’re going to make your passion your living, then stay focused on why you got into it and not the money. When you focus on why you’re doing what you’re doing, the clients come, and the money will follow. People feel your energy when you’re out there.
When you’re doing it because you’re passionate and you care about what you do and you genuinely want to help people, people feel that, and they’re attracted to you.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
A lot of people are focused on how they look. My goal is that I want people to be genuinely healthy from the inside out and I want people to feel comfortable in their own skin and to feel strong. It’s not all about being skinny; it’s about feeling healthy and strong.
Shira Kramer is a freelance writer.
