MYTH #1: Only beginners or the deconditioned need a personal trainer (c’mon, I know how to exercise!).
Gyms can be extremely intimidating. When you walk into a sea of cardio machines, weights, benches, and other miscellaneous equipment, do you really know where to go, what to do, and how to use it? Personal trainers can answer questions and show you how to use everything and what you should really focus on and what you shouldn’t.
Trainers will emphasize efficient workouts that work and won’t waste your time. Nothing pains a trainer more than watching someone on the elliptical reading a magazine for an hour and a half and hardly breaking a sweat. Those gym members may earn bragging rights but they’re not seeing results. So they quit going to the gym. A trainer will help keep you motivated through a structured and customized program. They will show you how to get the most effective workout in the shortest amount of time and meet your goals.
Accountability is important when establishing new habits and routines. How many people join a gym and don’t go? New Year’s resolutions typically start out strong but that initial “glow” and excitement inevitably fizzles out. The gyms are notorious for being over-crowded in January only to taper down in March or April. Would you be more likely to go if you knew that there was somebody who was waiting for you and counting on you to be there? Working out with a friend is great but a friend will be more likely to talk you into going to lunch instead of working out. A personal trainer won’t accept those excuses!
(2) Trainers are only for the rich and famous because they’re so expensive
Let’s think about the scenario where someone is a member but then never goes and doesn’t get around to cancelling the membership. Quite a waste of money, isn’t it? If this person were to not only go to the gym but hire a personal trainer to show them how to use the equipment, they would see great results, feel better, and be healthier than ever. Now’s that a great return on their investment, wouldn’t you say? For the ones who do go what happens if they get carried away and over train or use poor form and injure themselves? Now you are looking at doctor’s visits, physical therapy, possible surgery, missed work, lost productivity, not to mention the pain and inconvenience that an injury brings. And what is the price of not taking care of your heart? Heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure….those come at an even higher cost.
Good trainers will not make you become dependent on them to workout but will empower you with the information and skills you need to do this on your own. They will gladly design an individualized program just for you, whether you workout at home, or solely at the gym. So then you are not stuck with a trainer for the rest of your life. Some people only hire a trainer for a few sessions which is just enough to point them safely in the right direction.
Some trainers specialize in at-home training sessions. They can come to your home so you don’t have to join a gym. This will save you unnecessary gym membership fees. This is an excellent choice for people who are intimidated or very busy or have a varied schedule and have all some equipment at home; although you don’t need a lot of equipment and some trainers will bring their own equipment. Some offer group training classes – like boot camps – at other locations. This is a wonderful alternative to individual training as you have others there as well, but you still receive individual attention.
(3) Trainers are scary and put you through a brutal workout similar to Biggest Loser
First of all, let’s remember that Biggest Loser is a competition and is the textbook example of overtraining. They typically workout 5-6 hours a day, while being isolated from their jobs, their family, and any responsibilities other than for themselves. Hardly real life, is it? Past participants have admitted that after the show is over that doctors will encourage them to gain weight. And some have found that they have lost the weight so quickly, that is extra hard to maintain that weight loss after the show is over.
A trainer’s number one concern is for your health and safety. Good trainers will ask you to fill out a questionnaire that asks about your health history and current conditions. They will help to determine your starting point and your physical limitations, issues with hips or other joints, illnesses, and any medication you may be taking. They will also watch your form very closely to make sure you are not putting undue stress or strain on your joints that could cause injury.
You should be able to establish a good rapport and open communication with your trainer. Your trainer should be friendly, not abusive, and should not yell at you (unless that is what truly motivates you). The most important characteristic of a trainer is how you connect with them, not the degrees they have received or their physique. If you just don’t connect with a trainer, or he or she has trouble meeting your appointments or is always late, you have the right to find another trainer that you can work with.
Hopefully I have been able to dispel some myths behind the reasons not to hire a personal trainer. Trainers are not just for the beginners, or the rich, and they are not as scary as they are portrayed on TV. Look into hiring a personal trainer to enhance your lifestyle and you may find it’s the best investment you’ll ever make.
Angie is a personal trainer and health coach who is passionate about helping professional business women find a long-term healthy and balanced lifestyle through nutrition, fitness, and general health and wellness. She has produced a 4-minute online movie that outlines the struggles that women have in balancing work and family obligations and still make time for themselves. She is also creating a community website that will support hectic women in business find solutions to finding that one extra hour in the day. See her movie at [http://www.thestressmovie.com] and sign up for her complimentary weekly Work Hard Play Hard eZine at [http://www.fitbusinesswoman.com]
