Fearless in the gym and in life, Chontel Duncan is a force to be reckoned with. Chontel firmly believes that taking small steps can change a life, especially when it comes to health and fitness. When she discovered the power of fitness, particularly its ability to bring people together and to empower people, Chontel became determined to share the message.
Fearless in the gym and in life, Chontel Duncan is a force to be reckoned with. Chontel firmly believes that taking small steps can change a life, especially when it comes to health and fitness. When she discovered the power of fitness, particularly its ability to bring people together and to empower people, Chontel became determined to share the message.
Chontel Duncan is a qualified personal trainer, gym owner, Muay Thai expert and all-round fitness lover, passionate about helping others improve their state of mind through fitness.
As a busy mother and business owner, Chontel understands the importance of efficient, challenging and variety-driven workouts to keep you mentally stimulated, engaged and feeling fierce.
Chontel’s health and fitness journey reached new heights following the introduction of high-intensity interval training (known as HIIT), strength, conditioning and Muay Thai to her training. Finding her love for fitness in combining different training styles, Chontel was inspired to share her experience and vast knowledge with others. Driven to help women improve their wellbeing, Chontel encourages women to switch on everything in their body and find what inspires them to make meaningful and purposeful change.
Her workout program, FIERCE exclusive to the SWEAT App , was stemmed from Chontel’s desire to help women to unlock their potential and take their fitness to the next level.
Find inspiration as we talk to Chontel in our #StrongHealthyWomen interview.
Hi Chontel! Thank you for being part of the Health and Fitness Travel, Strong, Healthy Women Interview Series, where we are shining a light on the importance of self-care, not as an indulgence but a necessity to reduce stress and general health issues.
Is there such a thing as a typical day for you and what does that look like?
As a busy Mum and business owner, every day can be different, but I try really hard to maintain structure and implement a routine. I’m an early riser and kick-start my day before 6am with a training session. Post-workout my day begins with housework followed by dedicated work time for emails, responding to community questions on social media and creating weekly content. After I pick the boys up from daycare, we spend some quality time together, then swimming lessons, dinner and a bath. Once the boys are in bed and asleep, my husband and I cook dinner together, debrief on our day and start preparing again for the next day. Staying organised is vital for a productive week and one of the ways I ensure success is by sleeping in my workout clothes so I can get up and hit the ground running as soon as my alarm goes off.
Can you share a time when you felt your well-being was challenged in the past and what did you overcome it?
During my two pregnancies I was very fortunate to remain active and continue with much of my training under supervision and guidance from my health care professional. Unfortunately, as a result I was exposed to a lot of online bullying which made each journey quite challenging. Whilst this was very disappointing, with the support of family and friends I was able to move past this negative energy and took it as an opportunity to further educate the community on the positive impact a healthy, consistent and active lifestyle could have on your pregnancy.
What does being healthy mean to you and how do you keep this at the forefront when life gets unavoidably busy?
Being healthy to me is feeling incredible inside and out; being able to tick off my goals and spending quality time with my boys each and every day. Healthy isn’t a specific ‘look’ or body shape – feeling healthy is all about my mindset and feeling strong, confident and empowered within myself. One of the first steps is to acknowledge and accept that life gets busy – whether you work a traditional 9-5pm job, are a student or stay at home Mum, life is unavoidably busy for us all. Rather than focusing your energy on the ‘business’, implement strategies that will help you to remain productive and maintain a healthy work/life/balance in amongst the chaos. I know that when I feel healthy, I am able to be the best mother, wife and trainer – I truly believe that what you put out in the world is what you get back, so during the craziness I always remember to put out healthy, happy, positive vibes in hope I will receive that good energy in return.
Have you ever taken a holiday specifically for your well-being? Can you share what the experience was like?
Something people might not know about me is I would take fishing and beach camping any day over a luxurious resort! When my husband and I plan family holidays we always plan with our well-being in mind. A holiday for our family is about connection and quality time building memories away from work and phones. During a holiday we love to switch off and spend 100% of our time in the moment laughing, playing and exploring with our boys – it is so refreshing to step away from regular life and appreciate the small moments together. Our perfect holiday is on the beach, building sand castles, swimming, exploring and fish on the campfire for dinner.
Every woman’s idea of self-care is different, tell us about yours?
Self-care means doing things that make me feel amazing inside and out, mentally and physically. Whether it be getting my hair blow dried, a tough, sweaty training session or a big bear hug with my husband and cuddle with my boys. Self-care is time for all my energy to be focused on making me feel the best version of myself.
Want to tell your story? Reach out to us via info@healthandfitnesstravel.com.au and be featured as our next strong, healthy woman.
About Sweat
SWEAT is the world’s largest digital platform for women’s health and fitness, offering women around the world the best advice, education and workouts to support them on their journey. SWEAT currently reaches a community of over 45 million women around the world, providing access to over 400 recipes and 1,600 exercises. The SWEAT app is translated into eight different languages and is available in 155 countries on the Apple Store and available in 136 countries on the Google Play Store. Head to sweat.com to get started today!
