Do You Really Need a Personal Trainer?

Fitness advice floods the internet, exercise DVD infomercials are plentiful, and there seems to be a monthly membership gym on every corner. With all these options available, why in the world would anyone need or pay for a personal trainer? Is it really necessary?

If you’re like most people, you’ve tried either one or all of these options and they yielded little to no results – but it wasn’t for lack of trying! You either pieced together your own fitness regimen from different sources, followed the DVD program perfectly, or went to the gym religiously, but still came up short. Why? Well, there are three things a personal trainer does that will help you meet your fitness goals, which are very challenging to do alone. These three techniques are the golden nuggets that make a personal trainer well worth your time and money.

A personal trainer will:

1. Motivate and guide you
2. Hold you accountable
3. Provide nutrition guidance

Let’s explore how each of these offerings will benefit your fitness.

Motivation and Guidance

The decision to start exercising sometimes starts strong, but then quickly fizzles. Like many things in life, it’s tough to go it alone, especially if you’re not sure where to begin. A good personal trainer will assess your health and fitness history, design a custom fitness plan based on your goals, and help you start out strong. Once you get going, you will find that a personal trainer will push you harder that you will ever push yourself, and have you testing and pushing your limits beyond what you ever thought you were capable of doing. A good personal trainer will also ensure proper training of all muscle groups, adjusting as necessary for any health limitations or injuries. A seasoned trainer will also keep you motivated by changing your workout routines and introducing new techniques to keep workouts fun and interesting.

Accountability

Why do we typically fall out of an exercise routine? It’s a simple decision to start exercising, but to stay the course is a challenge. When left to our own devices, we often default to ‘easy’ mode, and exercise is not easy. A committed personal trainer will make sure you stick with the program, encouraging you to work out the proper number of times per week for your fitness goal. They can also help you identify self-sabotaging behaviors such as rationalizing missed workouts, not performing to your capability, or defeatist ideas and negative self-talk. At the same time, a wise personal trainer will encourage you when you feel like giving up, instill the confidence needed to help keep you focused, and celebrate successes with you along the way.

Nutrition Guidance

A veteran personal trainer also knows that healthy eating is essential to fitness and weight loss and maintenance. As such, a good personal trainer will assist with a proper nutrition plan to maximize your workouts, help with recovery after a session, and assist with weight loss goals. Personal trainers should also be knowledgeable about vitamins and supplements, and if they are right for you. They will also be the first to remind you that fad diets never work, and are a waste of your time and money.

Despite these many advantages, some may still struggle with the investment of a personal trainer. I encourage potential clients to think about “The 3 L’s” – lifestyle, long-term, and loved ones. Deciding to work with a personal trainer is a lifestyle change and commitment. It is a decision to take a positive action in your life to benefit your health, well-being, and overall outlook and attitude. Working with a personal trainer has a long-term benefit too. I encourage people to think of it as an investment in their future self and future health, which is money spent wisely in the here and now versus later in life on medical bills, medicine and long-term care facilities. This naturally brings to mind loved ones. When you invest in your health now, you ensure your well-being down the road so that you can really ‘be there’ for your loved ones in the future, to enjoy time together as well as a good quality of life. In addition, your decision and commitment goes a long way to ensure that you will be healthy and self-sufficient later in life, and not reliant on others for your long-term care or needs associated with failing health.

Is a personal trainer really necessary? If you are serious about taking care of your health and well-being, and acting in the best interest of your loved ones, the answer is self-evident.