An interview with Chris Nayna
With over 18 years of experience in the health and fitness industry, Chris Nayna has grown to become one of Australia’s leading health and fitness experts. His unique and holistic approach to fitness has resonated with Aussies around the nation. He’s amassed over 150,000 Instagram followers and has been recruited by some of Australia’s biggest trailblazers including property developer Tim Gurner, Linktree co-founder Anthony Zaccaria and Rollie Nation founder and CEO, Vince Lebon, and was cast on Channel Nine’s ratings juggernaut, Ninja Warrior. 2025 has been a huge year for Chris who recently opened Adapt Health Club in Western Australia, his first boutique health club. Chris chats to Men’s Weekly about Adapt and shares some tips on how to stay disciplined and motivated this festive season, and how to set achievable new year’s resolutions.
1. Who is Chris Nayna?
I’m a health and fitness professional with a background in critical care cardiology nursing and strength and conditioning coaching. My passion has always been about helping people improve their quality of life, initially through hospital-based healthcare and now through gym-based healthcare with a greater emphasis on prevention. I’m the founder of Adapt Health Club in Claremont, Perth - a boutique health club committed to improving the quality of our members’ lives through health and fitness.
2. What inspired your health and fitness journey?
In addition to experiencing firsthand the significant positive outcomes that investing in my own health and fitness brings, working as a critical care nurse gave me a unique insight into the consequences of neglecting health. I saw many preventable conditions and wanted to be part of the solution on the preventative side. I wholeheartedly believe that educating people about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through sleep, nutrition and movement, and giving them the tools to stay consistent can lead to a dramatically improved healthspan and lifespan. That shift inspired me to move into fitness, where I could empower people to take ownership of their wellbeing.
3. You recently relocated to Perth and opened Adapt Health Club - what sets Adapt Health Club apart from other health and fitness centres?
Adapt is a boutique health club built around personalisation and genuine human connection. We’ve created an environment that feels premium yet grounded, combining intelligent programming, expert coaching, premium equipment and opportunities for members to up-skill and develop. Every member is known by name and our approach focuses on helping them build routines that are sustainable and suited to their individual lifestyle - not just chasing short-term results. It reinforces one of our mantras, ‘consistency is key’.
4. What has been some of the feedback from your clients about Adapt Health Club?
Our members say Adapt feels different from any gym they’ve experienced, because we’re a health club in the truest sense. We’re a members’ club centred around improving health and fitness and bringing like-minded people together. They love the attention to detail, intimate class sizes, the care delivered through coaching and the scalability of workouts to suit all fitness levels, and they appreciate not feeling like just another number. Many have said they finally feel understood, supported and confident in their training for the first time in years.
5. You've trained some of Australia's most prominent and successful trailblazers including property developer Tim Gurner, Linktree co-founder Anthony Zaccaria and Rollie Nation founder and CEO Vince Lebon - what is it about exercise and fitness that goes hand in hand with cultivating a successful career?
Success in business and in health share similar principles, discipline, consistency, and self-awareness. Training provides structure and clarity; it sharpens focus and builds resilience. The science is clear. Many high performers use exercise as their foundation, it’s often where they stimulate creative thought, solve problems, reset their mindset and maintain their edge. I often say to clients, “improving your health and fitness provides the foundation for energy production. The more efficient and effective our physiology is, the more we can give to life. Whether that’s family, work, hobbies or other pursuits”.
6. What have been some of the most rewarding experiences for you as a health and fitness coach?
There are many, but the most rewarding is seeing clients transform beyond the physical and witnessing the positive flow-on effects that consistent exercise and attention to healthy behaviours bring. Gaining confidence, energy and presence in their lives often sees them reach new heights, from major career progress to simply having more energy for the things they love. Watching someone who came in burnt out or disconnected start thriving again, with renewed energy for their family, work, and passions. I love seeing my clients and our members win. I find it incredibly fulfilling.
7. With the festive season around the corner, what are some of your tips and suggestions for people to enjoy the festive season but still maintain healthy habits and routines?
- Move daily, even if it’s just a walk, jog, run, or quick bodyweight session
- Prioritise protein and hydration — it naturally balances appetite and energy, especially during Perth’s hot season
- Sleep, sleep, sleep - for many we have more time for it
- Be mindful, not restrictive. Enjoy the celebrations, but don’t abandon your rhythm completely. It’s not all or nothing.
8. New Years and summer is the period when most people decide to dig out their active gear and running shoes and reattempt their health and fitness resolutions. What are some tips and suggestions you have to maintain realistic resolutions and goals?
Start small and focus on systems, not just goals. Instead of saying, “I’ll train every day,” commit to “I’ll train three days a week and walk daily.” Build momentum and layer habits as you go. Also, get to the bottom of why those habits matter. The emotional reason behind the goal is what sustains it when motivation fades.
9. You've had an incredible career from designing the fitness offering at Safe Haven in Melbourne, to being head of health and fitness Perth's exclusive members club, Lawson Flats and opening Adapt Health Club - what's in store for you in 2026 and beyond?
2026 is about sticking to our process and commitment to our members, continuing to grow Adapt’s amazing community and supporting them through industry leading sessions, events, workshops, and experiences. I want to keep bridging the gap between fitness and healthcare, creating opportunities and programs that genuinely help people improve their health span and lifespan. More personally, I’m focused on supporting my wife Liz and our three children while continuing to pursue my own health and fitness goals.
10. What words of advice do you have to anyone that's procrastinating making 2026 their year to achieve their health and fitness goals?
Start before you’re ready. The hardest part is taking that first step, but trust me, momentum builds quickly. Build your support network, focus on progress, not perfection and remember, consistency is key. The sum of all efforts amounts to something big and powerful. Trust the process.
