Self-proclaimed energy dealer, Kirsty Godso is one of the very few trainers that can get people to smile while doing a set of burpees. She exudes nothing but positivity and motivation when it comes to health, wellness, and training. When she’s not training she’s helping others boost their performance with her own line of whey isolate protein called Made Of. From Nike, Vogue, Mejuri, to Sporty & Rich, Kirsty’s been working with a wide variety of brands teaching her at-home workouts during this time, making sure we all come out of quarantine looking and feeling like the best version of ourselves mentally and physically. We caught up with Kirsty to talk about how her professional routine has changed, her personal advice to others, and what she hopes for the future when we all come out of this. Read Up.
Describe what you do for a living and how you’re adjusting to social distancing.
I’m a Nike Master Trainer, health and wellness consultant and the founder of Made Of Protein and Pyrogirls. My job usually has me traveling constantly and touching people constantly so it has been very interesting to be in one place for a period of time and with little to no physical human interaction. In a weird sense, I feel very peaceful and calm as I have more structure and routine that I am always craving amongst my chaotic schedule but I also miss the energy and chaos of being everywhere with everyone all the time. I’ve been using this time to amplify my energy out to others in different ways such as Nike Youtube Live stream workouts from my kitchen, sock workouts and many selfie videos trying to encourage people to stay motivated and moving!
During this time of social distancing, people are leaning on things such as streaming services, puzzles, at-home workout classes, to name a few, what activities are you using to take your mind off of things?
One of the biggest parts of my job for Nike is being one of the faces of the Nike Training App where I have programs on NTC Premium, so I have personally been using this a lot during this time. It’s so special to see everyone engaging with us on the app and how much of a powerful tool it is to support people during not only this time but far beyond it. I also do yoga via Sky Ting TV every day and have been working on my protein powder Made Of which restocks this week (yay) and trying to read and learn as much as possible.
What is keeping you grounded/balanced at the moment?
I find having routine always keeps me happy and in sync so I am still getting up at 6am every day and going about my work. Obviously it is in a different manner but having structure keeps me positive and on track. I don’t want to spend isolation feeding into any potential bad habits and ideally would like to come out with some extra skills haha. Waking up early, stretching and working out, coffee, water and breakfast then emails and calls and maybe a quick run outside are all my favorite things to do in the first half of the day. I grew up in a lot of nature so I’ve definitely made extra effort with plants and flowers in my apartment to help it feel better when we’re staying inside so much. Cooking is always very calming for me and I find that physically, mentally and emotionally I peak when I am making my own food, as much as I do love all the amazing restaurants in NYC, Casa Keyonce is great for now.
How have you stayed connected to friends and family during this time?
FaceTime is a life saver! My family is on the other side of the world in New Zealand so it’s great to connect with them and my friends who are anywhere from NZ to Australia to London to LA to up the street in New York. It’s so important to check in on your squad and make sure the vibrational frequency is staying high. I love my friends so much and that’s definitely one of the things I’m missing most. We’ve been doing group workouts via Instagram Live and FaceTime so that’s fun. It’s really special the connections we all have and whenever times are tough, it highlights even more how important human connection is.
How are you staying productive while at home? Any useful tips?
Try and keep as much of a routine as possible. For some people actually getting dressed each day is a huge help. Stepping into their “uniform” can make them show up for themselves more even if they’re going nowhere.
There’s a surge of livestream workouts happening right now which is awesome but I’d also suggest trying to workout at regular times of the day like morning or evening not 11am and 1pm which isn’t conducive to real work life living and a huge disruption to your day and productivity.
Don’t call people just for the sake of calling people – for your sanity and theirs. I’m all about communication and checking in on the squad but don’t spend the majority of the day on the phone and please don’t call people while you’re scrolling on instagram at the same time lol. Quality communication is more important than quantity.
What advice would you give to someone who’s struggling in isolation right now?
It’s definitely easy to run away with bad habits or thoughts during this time and I’d challenge you not to. The work that you put in now will be so important in the months and years to come. You’ll get what you’re looking for so if you focus on something dark and everything that’s making you feel insecure or out of sorts, you’ll just amplify it. But if you focus on what you can do with the time right now, such as upskilling, reading, working out, cooking, communicating with others, these are all habits and skills you want to continuously improve and carry forward into your every day life. One of the hardest things right now is not having anchors or certainty of time, things to look forward to etc., so I would suggest creating some “events” or milestones for yourself so you stay accountable and motivated. Take and finish an online course, read and finish a book about a topic you’ve always thought about, work on your mobility and pick certain drills/movements you’re going to nail!
Isolation is confronting. You literally have to sit with yourself and examine all your habits, behaviors and personality traits. It’s like being in the University of Self and you’re not going to like every subject. But internal work like this is so important so take it day by day, learn your patterns and learn which ones need more attention. Let’s come out of this time as vibrant as ever.
What accomplishment are you most proud of while social distancing?
Honestly, staying positive and calm. I haven’t lost my sh*t yet during over 3 weeks of isolation and I’ll be so impressed if it stays like that the whole time haha. Positivity takes work. It really is a muscle you have to flex. And it’s not about being naive or unaware to the situation at hand, but focusing on the opportunities that this time presents to us and using the time wisely.
What are you most looking forward to once this is over?
I CAN’T WAIT TO TOUCH MY FRIENDS! lol. Like I’m going to be all up in their grill haha. And wow I can’t wait for Cafe Leon Dore and posting up on Mulberry Street with the squad. But on a serious note – I am excited for us to come out of this with a heightened sense of appreciation for the world and what we have, not what we don’t have. Simple pleasures will feel like an absolute luxury and I think kindness and innovation will be at an all time high. Life is a team sport and I think we will all play better together after this and hope that it lasts a very long time.
