For the last few months, I’ve had the good fortune of working closely with Britt Hern, an NTC trainer who is the perfect combination of sweet and strong. A triathlete at her core, she was immersed in the world of fitness from the tender age of eight. She competed in triathlons on a national, elite level in Canada until her early 20s and then switched to cross country and swim at a university level. Basically, she knows her stuff. But even more than that, she knows how to perform under pressure.

I sat down with her last week to talk about pressure — specifically sweat and stress. As a highly competitive athlete who has made fitness her full-time career, she’s one of the best resources to have on hand.

Q&A

MYY: Lets talk about a good sweat session….

BH: The sweat session is the perfect cure for stress. A lot of people when stressed out think about how they need to cut out a full hour for training to get the day started. That doesn’t have to be the case. Sometimes all you need is 10 minutes. It’s all about quality over quantity when trying to stick with your fitness routine, especially when going through a stressful time. The Nike+ Training Club App (N+TC app) is perfect for that. You can go into the app, browse through the get focused section and find something anywhere from seven minutes to 15 and, if you’re feeling ambitious, 45.

MYY: What is it about sweat that specifically helps stress?

BH: When you’re training, you’re sweating. And when you sweat, you’re releasing endorphins, which is that positive energetic vibe you get from a good sweat session. Why would you not want to take that momentum through the rest of your day. Whenever people train in a class, they never leave upset. You always feel accomplished, positive, energetic and that’s a great way to start your day. When challenges come your way, use that. You started your day that way, take it throughout.

It’s about being present.

MYY: What would you say to people who could benefit from fitness but don’t currently don’t make it a priority?

BH: To the person who doesn’t make fitness a priority right now, but who can benefit from sweating any daily stress out: Don’t compare yourself when working out in a group. If they’re thinking about trying a group class or even an individual workout, they should focus on their goals, not on what everyone else is doing in the room. It’s just that first step — literally that first step into a class, the first click on the NTC app.

For people who don’t work out regularly, the N+TC app is perfect. If you’re not confident in your training, you can scroll through the Get Focused and pick something you are comfortable with. The app helps personalize workouts to what the beginner wants. Not to mention you can do it at home if you’re not yet comfortable working out in front of others.

MYY: How does fitness help you?

BH: Fitness is my life. I use it when I’m feeling confident and I also use it when I am stressed — when I’m down. For me, there’s two ways you can do it. First is through running. I can go on solo runs to let myself clear my mind and focus. I’m able to evaluate why I’m stressed or in this mind-frame. Or through NRC and NTC I can surround myself with people and community. It’s easy to feed off other people’s energy and motivation. Using the community as inspiration and just sharing your story is enough. Talking about what you’re going through can be enough. Sometimes stress can get away from you when you’re in your own head. It’s good to share with the people around you. So I do a bit of everything, I think it’s good to have all aspects.

MYY: What has sweat taught you?

BH: When I think about what sweat has taught me — there’s many levels to it — but for me it has been about getting out of my comfort zone. When I sweat, I’m getting uncomfortable, I’m trying new moves, I’m pushing myself. Like our whole Better For It series, it’s about getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new. We don’t sweat if we’re not challenging ourselves.

Sweat for me is about goals. A lot of times when we’re not feeling motivated — getting back to stress — you think about your goals, whether they’re short term or long term. I’m dragging my butt through the door and I’m asking myself, “Why am I doing this, “What am I training for,” “Why do I bring myself week-after-week to NTC NRC and so on.” It’s because of these goals down the road. I always use that for motivation.

MYY: Any last thoughts?

BH: People should remember that no matter how you come into your workout, whether you’re thinking about the responsibilities you have outside of here that’s stressing you, when you’re here, it’s about being present. No matter what kind of workout your doing — running, NTC — the big thing is to change your mindset, get focused and be present. If you do that in your workout, try to do that in your work and personal environment as well. Don’t get stressed but think about the task at hand and be present.