Personal trainers. These are fitness experts who used to be hired only by celebrities when they were trying to stay in shape for the next movie, photo shoot or public event meant an investment in their physical appearance. Hollywood is, after all, one of the cruelest places on earth to “let yourself go” if your goal is to stay in the limelight.
But especially over the past decade or so, more and more “average” people began to realize that the idea of having a personal trainer isn’t just about appearance or fame. Besides striving to look physically fit, it’s about health, flexibility, and balance as well. Personal trainers are used by people of all fitness levels, age levels and economic levels these days and because of them, lifestyles are changing all over the world, one body at a time.
So how do you determine whether sacrificing the cost of those extra few dinners out every week to hire a personal trainer is the right choice for you? Here are just a few things a personal trainer can do:
(1) Improve your overall fitness : Surveys have shown that the primary reasons people hire trainers have to do with cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, endurance, posture, balance and coordination. I have one client whose goals are to not only look good, get fit and make herself heart-healthy, but also to be able to continue to balance herself standing up while pulling on a pair of jeans by the time she reaches older age, to be able to turn her head with the same range of motion she did in her 20s, and to be capable of getting up off the floor without grabbing onto something or someone to help her. Sound crazy? To her, it’s not. Fitness, balance and flexibility mean different things to different people.
(2) Reach or maintain a healthy weight: Body fat reduction, weight reduction or management, body shaping and toning – all of these can be achieved with the help of a personal trainer, who can help you set realistic goals and determine safe strategies while giving you all the encouragement you’ll need to make big changes. Getting into an outfit you haven’t worn in years, getting noticed by others for your fitness efforts, and just feeling better about yourself overall are all gratifying results of getting to the size you need to be. And your internal organs (which were really not designed for a distorted body) will be grateful.
(3) Focus on unique health concerns: Did you know that nearly half of all personal training clients use a trainer because of a specific health concern? Arthritis, diabetes, obesity, low-back pain, rehabbing from injury, preparing for or recovering from childbirth, gaining back range of motion and robustness after an illness – your trainer can work with your physical therapist or any other health care provider to plan a safe, efficient program that can put you on the road to recovery.
(4) Determine the correct way to work out while not wasting time: Ever walk into a gym, and even if you’ve used a piece of equipment there long ago, you’ve now forgotten what it’s for and how to use it appropriately? Trainers not only train you on how to use fitness equipment; they can also design programs for you to use at home or in a hotel room while on the road. Believe it or not, it’s not just about repetitions! There are workouts that can actually get you into and out of the gym in a LOT less time than you’d imagine.
(5) Learn new skills while you get fit: Tennis, golfing, skiing, in-line skating, basketball – you name it and a personal trainer can help you condition to get better at it!
(6) Enhance body, mind and spirit: Most personal trainers believe they have a stake in your personal growth and even provide mind-body activities, such as yoga, Pilates, tai chi, or kick-boxing to help you uncover new insights about yourself, revealing potential you may never have known existed within you.
Carefully choosing a trainer means asking lots of questions, but it also calls for the ability to communicate your fitness or fat loss goals to the potential trainer in a Jerry McGuire “help me help you” approach. So think about it. Isn’t it about time you began taking responsibility for your own health? If you don’t, who will?
