If you popped into the Healthy Hairdresser Lounge during America’s Beauty Show 2015, you may have seen a guy lifting bottles of developer for exercise. That guy was Ivan Zoot demonstrating that, no matter where you are or how busy you are, you can fit in a workout.

You can stretch your hand and wrist to help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. You can strengthen your body by lifting objects that you can find right in the salon or at home. You can increase your stamina by making it a habit to take the stairs instead of the elevator. Those three s’s—stretching, strengthening and stamina—are the three cornerstones of taking care of yourself, Zoot says. 

Fitness wasn’t a concern back in 1998, Zoot was doing as many as 45 haircuts a day in the salon he owned at the time. “I was in ‘fighting shape,’” Zoot says. “I was young, healthy and cutting hair every day.” An expert especially with clippers, Zoot maintained a quick pace to keep his income high. But when he discovered that there were records in hair cutting, he set out to break them, and he broke three world records.

Having conquered those goals, Zoot filled up every hole in his schedule. He wrote the first of his eight books, which outlined his system of cutting hair to make more money. For some years he also was a platform artist for Andis. As he kept super busy, his records were being challenged and, eventually, they crumbled. Zoot didn’t like that.

“I was older, heavier and not in good shape,” Zoot recalls. “But it was time to break those records again, so I had to get into shape. Every other night for a year I put in my iPod headphones and ran up the stairwell of the tallest building in my area, which was the Westin hotel.” His fighting shape returned, as did his place in the record books. He currently holds the record for the fastest haircut (55 seconds), the most haircuts in an hour (34) and the most haircuts achieved in 24 hours without a break (340). 

Now 51, Zoot has spent the past three years focusing even more on health. He’s even become a certified trainer. Known as the “ClipperGuy,” Zoot tours the country doing shows, events and classes to educate stylists in cutting and the business of hair. He has a popular YouTube channel and writes a blog for MODERN SALON.

Ivan Zoot taking a workout break in the Healthy Hairdresser Lounge during America's Beauty Show 2015.

“I’ll continue to talk about hair and about building business,” Zoot says, “but now I’m going to also talk about taking care of yourself.” Zoot is concerned about hairdressers under age 30, “who are doing okay but think they’re invincible,” as well as those over 30 who have begun to experience the more difficult aspects of the career.

“This industry is tough on you physically, emotionally, mentally, financially,” Zoot observes. “I’ll be offering programming in the three areas that tie health to productivity: stretching, strengthening and stamina. At my hair show classes, at events and seminars and in my MODERN SALON blog, I’ll incorporate wellness conversations to help stylists build upper body strength to deliver services, lower body strength to stand on your feet all day and stamina to work long hours without getting tired. I’ll address portion control and eating a well-balanced meal. I’m not a nutritionist, but I can tell you that eating fast food every day is not helping you.”

Zoot encourages stylists to use technology—fitness trackers, pedometers, exercise apps. He likes the phone app Couch to 5K, which instructs you as you run so that you gradually increase your endurance. That incremental, small-goal approach works with or without an app, he says.

“Do one thing just a little bit better,” he urges. “Decide that on even numbered days you won’t eat junk food. When that becomes your habit and baseline, take it one step further. Or walk around your house during TV commercials. Don’t set a goal of running a 10K. Start with something easy. You’ll see some progress and, before you know it, you’re that fitness nut in the break room no one wants to listen to.”