Hailing from the beautiful Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand, it's no wonder that nature plays a huge role in the wellness routine of Los Angeles-based personal trainer and fitness author, Dane Kent. Along with ample time outside, Dane finds optimal health and happiness through a plant-based diet, an active lifestyle, and an overall focus on balance and simplicity!
Biorhythms
As a personal trainer I often have clients that like to train early morning before work and also in the evening after a typical working day of 9-5. This means during weekdays I often rise around 5am. This actually works well for me though as I love seeing the sunrise and the start of a new day. When I first wake, I like to meditate for 10-15 min to set firmly in my mind my goals for the day. I also like to often do some early morning cardio for 30 minutes, which is either a moderate paced run or some HIIT training involving sprint work. In the evening I usually get home around 730pm, cook some dinner and then relax reading a book (always hungry for knowledge) or do some writing. I aim to get to bed no later than 11pm but sometimes it ends up closer to midnight.
Diet
I’m a firm believer in moderation for everything. Diet wise I like to stick to a 90% rule which means I aim to eat clean, whole foods which come from the earth 90% of the time and 10% can have some flexibility. I completely cut alcohol from my diet about 6 years ago and don’t miss it at all. I also feel all the better for it! I do have some meat in my diet, which mainly consists of wild fish and organic chicken. I also enjoy cage free eggs on an almost daily basis. I love raw green veggies and aim to have a large serving of green veggies with each of my main meals, even breakfast (although this usually comes in the form of a green juice) Another daily staple is an organic apple and a handful of almonds for an in-between-meals snack. These two foods are incredibly satisfying due to the high fiber content of the apple and the healthy fats and calories from the almonds. They are also incredibly good for you! Two days per week I like to do intermittent fasting which means that apart from my juice in the morning I only drink water and maybe an organic coffee or herbal tea throughout the day until approx 4pm when I have my first meal. I find this helps keep me extra lean and also frees up my day considerably. Breakfast: I like to start every morning with a homemade green juice I zip up in 4-5 minutes, which usually consists of lemon, ginger, cucumber, celery, parsley, turmeric, aloe vera juice and Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar. I feel it’s incredibly important to keep your body alkalized as most people have too much acidity in their systems. This is not just from diet but also from pollution in the environment. Lunch: A large mixed green salad, half a sweet potato or some quinoa, and a source of protein - usually either chicken or wild fish. Love salmon! Snacks: Apple and almonds or a protein shake. My go-to protein shake is the Sun Warrior brand, which is all vegan ingredients. Dinner: Very similar to lunch except I normally limit my carbohydrate intake and just stick to a large serving of veggies and protein. I also love avocado so often have a half. Drink: Water, organic coffee, herbal teas. Splurge: I love kale chips, organic chocolate, and the Perfect Bar (it’s an organic protein bar)! Supplements: I take digestive enzymes before each of my main meals and also L-Glutamine and Tryphala, which are all excellent for overall digestive health. Because I weight train a lot I also supplement with BCAAs before and after my workouts to help with muscle recovery.
Fitness
As a personal trainer and someone who has grown up incredibly active I guess you could say I’m rather addicted to exercise! Although many people believe in rest days where they don’t exercise at all I’m more a believer in what I call “active recovery” meaning that I will still work out but it’s often a lot less structured than a typical training day for me. In a typical week I like to get in early morning cardio for 30-40 min 3-4 days per week which either consists of moderate intensity running or HIIT training such as short sprint repeats on a hill. Hill running in particular has so many overall benefits. If done correctly I believe it’s one of the top fat burning exercises you can do. It also works all major muscle groups in your body. Because you are working against gravity as you sprint, you are not just working your legs but are also significantly engaging your upper body and core. Outside of cardio I like to hit the gym 5 days per week where I train a different body part each time. This consists of legs, back, chest, shoulders, and arms. I also train my core in a 15 minute circuit on each of these days.
Relationships
I believe honesty and great communication is the foundation of any healthy, long lasting relationship. Obviously having some key areas in common are also important. For me this is a true passion for living, a healthy lifestyle, and also a love of travel!
Home
I’m pretty simple in that respect. One of simplicity! I wouldn’t say my house is sparse, but I’m not a huge collector of things either. I find that a de-cluttered house supports a de-cluttered mind.
Stress-Release and Centering Tools
Exercise obviously helps on a daily basis, but if I really feel the need to de stress, I love to do what’s called earthing or grounding. This basically involves walking barefoot on the earth, such as on an open grass field or out in nature somewhere. I also just love to go out into nature and lay under a tree or somewhere off the beaten track. I feel this is a great way to reconnect with nature and mother earth, which always works wonders at re-centering me.
Soul
Meditation and connecting with nature whenever I can really keep me alive and feeling great. I just love the feeling of truly connecting with the planet in its natural state.
I’m happiest when I’m helping people improve their lives for the better. This is my true passion and brings me so much fulfillment.
At the moment I’m really excited about my new website launch called fashionmodelfitness.com along with a book I have authored called The Female Fashion Model Physique Formula. In the past I was the personal trainer on the New Zealand TV show “New Zealand’s Next Top Model” and it was this experience that made me realize a lot of models, especially those new to the industry need a lot of guidance on how to eat well and exercise correctly. The modeling world has been renowned in the past for eating disorders and other serious health problems, often life threatening. It is my goal it help turn this around and educate models on how they can achieve a healthy and fit body, look great, and succeed long term in this highly competitive industry.