Wirral Life August 2019 | Page 76

W FITNESS L THE 5 TOP REASONS TO CONSIDER USING A PERSONAL TRAINER by Charlotte Forde, Personal Trainer When considering Personal Training many people assume that they are going to get pushed to a level that they are incapable of and pay for a generic ‘beasting’ session from somebody shouting in their face for an hour. While in some cases unfortunately this may happen, you will not see an experienced and respectable personal trainer taking this approach. ​Everybody has to start somewhere and you can only get fit by training hard over a period of time. Progress doesn’t come overnight and you're certainly not just born fitter than everybody else. Yes, personal trainers like to train hard and enjoy many different activities themselves, however when it comes to training other people, ultimately, it is your workout therefore we cater to your ability and needs to make it as enjoyable as we can for you to get the results that you want. When you are new to exercise or you start to plateau and your regime becomes tedious, a ​personal trainer can give you the help you need. There are a number of reasons people work with trainers but wherever you are on your exercise journey, a personal trainer may be just what you need to finally reach your goals. Do any of the statements sound familiar to you? 1. YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START It can be very daunting if you are new to exercise considering where to start or what exercises will compliment each other to create a balanced programme to achieve your goals. Even if your goal is to create your own workouts and exercise by yourself, hiring a trainer for a few sessions can be a great benefit for learning the right way to exercise. This is especially applicable if you are new to strength training and need advice on correct technique. Here are just a few examples of how a trainer can help you in this circumstance: • What is best for you:​ Once you commit to a trainer they will work out what will work for your body, schedule and/or available equipment. They can help maximize your time and ensure your training is effective while creating a realistic schedule so that you don’t under or over train. Trainers may also have access to different tools like a heart rate monitor or activity tracker to enhance your workouts. • Educate you about the muscles in your body, how they work and how to best target them: This knowledge is essential if you're going to be working out on your own. Knowing a variety of exercises allows you to create your own workouts when you're ready for a change. A trainer will explain how to monitor your 76 wirrallife.com • exercise intensity and show you how to choose exercises, weights, reps, and sets. Teach you correct technique:​ To get the most out of your workouts and avoid injury, you need to perform each exercise in a certain way. A trainer can offer cues to help you get your body into the right position so you're doing the moves correctly and be an available resource so that you have them for guidance. 2. YOU'RE NOT SEEING RESULTS If you've been exercising consistently and not reaching your goals, hiring a trainer may be a good choice. Even if you get results but just not in the way you expected, a trainer may see more clearly and be able to offer you a choice of new ideas for exercises and workouts. Motivation comes in all forms but even ​people who know how to exercise correctly, like having a trainer around for support and supervision. Here are just a few examples of how a trainer can help you in this circumstance: • Look at your current program:​ A trainer may tweak your workouts to make them more efficient and effective. Often people don't see results because they're not working as hard as they could. It's easy to slack off when you're by yourself, but having someone there to challenge you may make a difference. • Examine your goals:​ Your trainer will help you set realistic goals and check in on a regular basis to see how you're doing. Knowing that you have an appointment with a professional can help you stay on track and​ if you know you tend to slack on your own, a trainer automatically makes you work harder. • Educate you on the benefits of different types of exercise:​ Too often people focus on one area to lose weight​, but you need more than one element of training. These are things a trainer can teach you how to do the right way. • Investment and accountability:​ You're investing time and money into reaching your goal, so just showing up for your sessions so you don't lose that money may be enough to keep you going. Your trainer will monitor your workouts and diet, knowing that may make it harder to ​skip your workouts​. 3. YOU'RE BORED WITH THE SAME OLD WORKOUTS If you're an experienced exerciser, maybe you haven't considered working with a personal trainer. However, it can be a great choice if you need some variety in your workouts. It's easy to fall into a workout rut, doing the same workouts over and over. Not only is this boring