Why should you have a personal trainer? Can you imagine a football team getting ready for a season without a coach? Think about having a baby without someone telling you how to breathe. People need real live words of encouragement to do (like Jim Morrison sang) “Break on through to the other side!”
What can a personal trainer do for you? The main thing a trainer can do is improve your fitness by designing a safe program to motivate YOUR fitness goals. Having a trainer can reduce injury while you achieve goals like: strength, flexibility, muscular endurance, and balance. These are attainable goals and will be accomplishments that WILL make your life longer, healthier and happier.
Motivation is such an important part of any exercise and having someone to make you stick with your exercise program, get you over a plateau, keep you interested, and push you more… You can achieve more with someone over your shoulder telling you to get it done. When someone shows you the correct way to position your body, your life does change for the better because your body does too.
As a Pilates teacher I want to be challenged just as much as my clients do. I think sometimes, it’s easier if you have a standing appointment in your schedule and a commitment to meet someone that you will actually follow through. What’s nice is that for one hour YOU are the center of the universe and the best part is that your trainer becomes your friend who cares about you.
That feeling you get when you’ve accomplished a workout is like a little happy place. How can you not want to follow up on that? I never regret a workout but I always regret missing out on a window when I could have.
My husband Derek is a cyclist and he wants to up the ante by practicing with a trainer. Derek’s excited to be pushed to new thresholds of endurance and power in his cycling when he meets with his new trainer. Even the anticipation creates that “happy little buzz!”
Think of a personal trainer as investing in therapy for your body. For me, Pilates is an alternative kind of therapy which helps me maintain my mental and physical well-being while keeping a sound mind and body. For me, Pilates is a way of life and can be a helpful with anything I do (even everyday tasks like driving my car and washing my face).
Good trainers practice what they preach and personally practice the techniques they are teaching and while gaining continuing education credits to learn and improve techniques. Pilates trainer Veronica Combs from Telos Fitness says she will go take classes for her own Pilates practice in addition to working herself out because, “You always need someone’s eyes on you!” My friend Pamela and I recently trained with Veronica and we look forward to going together again, sometimes you just need a friend’s push to make sure you get in your workout.
Just as children are more likely to read if they see you reading, the same is true for exercise, no matter the sport, an active body is a happy body! With children’s obesity on the rise, who wouldn’t want to be a better role-model for their child? Finding a way to exercise together is the ultimate!
Having a trainer as opposed to a book or DVD is far better because your trainer can show you how to correctly position yourself in each and every movement you make and fix you if you are doing something wrong. Interactive feedback is so important!
A personal instructor can physically help you achieve your goals and push you when you need a boost when doing difficult movements. Being committed means making an effort and an investment in your health; the best option is working with a personal instructor.
Patience and Persistence are vital qualities in the ultimate successful accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavor.” ~Joseph Pilates
Places I find inspiration:
http://www.pilatesmethodalliance.org/
http://www.telosfitnesscenter.com/
