Burnout is one of the biggest threats to success for fitness business owners.

The relentless drive to grow a gym or personal training business often leads to exhaustion, stress, and even long-term health issues. In this episode of ‘Profit Made Simple’, I sat down with Kathy O, a health and wellness strategist, embodiment coach, and founder of New Fit Wellness, to discuss how fitness professionals can recognise, prevent, and recover from burnout.

From her own personal journey of overcoming adversity to coaching high-performing professionals, Kathy has developed a holistic approach to maintaining energy, health, and balance in both business and life. If you’re a gym owner or personal trainer pushing yourself to the limit, this episode is a must-read.

Kathy’s passion for health and wellness stems from her own transformative journey. Originally from Australia, she moved to Croatia at a young age and returned at 14, struggling with language barriers and the pressure to perform. This internalised stress manifested as an eating disorder, fuelled by the need for control.

Through therapy, education, and personal growth, Kathy found her purpose in helping others achieve optimal health. With a background in dietetics, she initially pursued a clinical approach but later expanded into holistic wellness, integrating Eastern and Western health principles.

Today, she combines nutrition, movement, breathwork, mindset coaching, and embodiment practices to help her clients achieve lasting well-being.

Many gym owners and trainers push themselves to the brink, working early mornings, late nights, weekends, and holidays, often neglecting their own health in the process.

My own story is a testament to this—I spent the first 18 months of my business running on fumes, believing that working harder was the only answer.

Kathy describes burnout as a state of complete physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion, caused by chronic stress and overwork. The fitness industry—despite being built on the idea of health—has one of the highest rates of burnout due to long hours, high client expectations, and financial pressures.

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It creeps up gradually, showing up in small but significant changes in your behaviour and body. According to Kathy, some key signs to watch for include:💡 Pro Tip: Go to Settings > Custom Instructions and fill in:

✅ Constant fatigue – Feeling tired no matter how much sleep you get.

✅ Loss of motivation – No longer excited about your business or training clients.

✅ Decreased performance – Struggling to hit goals or stay productive.

✅ Increased reliance on caffeine and sugar – Using stimulants to push through the day.

✅ Poor recovery from workouts – Feeling weaker or taking longer to recover.

✅ Irritability and mood swings – Losing patience easily with clients, staff, or loved ones.

✅ Frequent illness – A weakened immune system leading to colds, gut issues, or inflammation.

If you’re experiencing multiple symptoms, it’s time to act before it escalates into full-blown burnout.

Kathy introduces a 4-pillar framework to preventing and reversing burnout:

One of the biggest causes of burnout is limiting beliefs. Many fitness business owners believe:

🚫 “Success requires sacrifice.”

🚫 “I have to work harder to make more money.”

🚫 “Rest is for the weak.”

Kathy challenges these beliefs, asking: “What if success was fun? What if growth was effortless?”

✅ Reframe your thinking – Instead of “I have to work,” say “I get to grow my business.”

✅ Practice gratitude daily – Shift your focus from stress to appreciation.

✅ Detach self-worth from productivity – Your value isn’t tied to how many hours you work.

Your body is the foundation of your business. If you neglect it, everything else crumbles. Kathy emphasises these six key areas:

🔹 Nutrition – Fuel your body with whole, nutrient-dense foods.

🔹 Movement – Exercise for vitality, not punishment.

🔹 Sleep – Aim for 7-9 hours of quality rest.

🔹 Stress Optimisation – Implement recovery practices.

🔹 Light Therapy – Get sunlight exposure to regulate your circadian rhythm.

🔹 Mindset & Spirituality – Connect with something greater than yourself.

One of the fastest ways to calm the nervous system is through breathwork. Kathy explains that burnout leads to a state of sympathetic overdrive (fight-or-flight mode), disrupting digestion, immunity, and hormones.

Using breathwork techniques, you can activate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest mode), reducing stress and inflammation.

✅ Try Andrew Huberman’s Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) practice – A 10-minute session can

✅ Use deep diaphragmatic breathing to lower cortisol and increase energy.

Burnout isn’t just physical—it’s deeply emotional. Many fitness professionals carry unprocessed emotions, leading to stress accumulation.

🔹 Unresolved anger – Often stored in the liver, leading to irritability.

🔹 Sadness and grief – Stored in the lungs, affecting breathing patterns.

🔹 Fear and anxiety – Accumulated in the kidneys, contributing to burnout.

Healing requires self-awareness, emotional release, and personal growth. Kathy recommends:

✅ Journaling – Write about stress triggers and patterns.

✅ Working with a coach – Get support in navigating personal and professional struggles.

✅ Breathwork and meditation – Tap into inner wisdom and emotional healing.

The biggest mistake fitness professionals make is waiting too long to address burnout. Instead of pushing harder, take a strategic step back.

✔️ Track your behaviors – Look for signs of exhaustion.

✔️ Prioritise recovery – Implement rest, breathwork, and mindset shifts.

✔️ Get support – Work with a coach who can guide you through the process.

“Burnout is the enemy—retreat before it takes over.” – Kathy O

If you resonated with this episode and want to dive deeper, reach out to Kathy on Instagram or LinkedIn. She offers burnout prevention workshops to help fitness professionals take control of their health, business, and life.

🚀 Don’t just survive—thrive.

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