FIND YOUR PERFECT PERSONAL TRAINER!
In the past 3 months I've had three people tell me that they were not satisfied with their personal trainers and exercise programs.
The first one told me that her personal trainer made her body appear bulky and thick. She was NOT happy. The second one told me that she joined a program in an exercise facility that gave her a personal trainer for two weeks and then the trainer left them to their own devices. No follow up, no support, no nothing! On top of that she was not satisfied with the results on her body. She said her top didn't match her bottom anymore and that she had a lot of stiffness and pain. The third one told me that that she had bought a program that came with about 12 DVDs and that she couldn't understand much of what is going on because it all looked too frantic. She's been working out with this program despite the fact that she can't seem to get any results because the program is too robust and she can't keep up. Mind you, she never really worked out much to begin with.
Finding a personal trainer can be difficult so let me break it down for you with a few tips you can follow and some information you need to know before and during your search.
1. Before you go out looking for a personal trainer be honest with yourself about your fitness level and exercise status. If you know you've never worked out ever in your life be honest about it. If you only work out once or twice every two months then admit that. This way the trainer knows where to start with you.
2. Decide what is most important to you. Do you want to lose weight? Do you just want to tone up? Do you want to gain weight? (Yes, some people actually do want that. Not me but some people do!) Do you want to build muscle? Do you want to have gentle muscle definition or do you want to be cut to shreds? Somewhere in between? Be specific about what you want.
3. A personal should be familiar with body types and should be able to assess yours within a few minutes of looking at your body.
4. A personal trainer should want to know about your health history before they start working with you.
5. A personal trainer should look the part. I mean think about it! Why would you want to work out with someone who doesn't look the part? If they don't look fit, how can you expect them to get YOU there? It also takes away from their authenticity and gives the impression of not really caring about their craft. Sort of like....Not practicing what they preach! Keep in mind that the visual is the first impression!
6. A personal trainer should be knowledgeable and confident. The trainer should be able to ease any anxieties you may have about your body and exercise by offering you proven solutions to your needs. The truth is many people especially women are nervous about exercising in front of a personal trainer. The trainer should be able to ease that nervousness in a positive and inspiring way to make the potential client feel comfortable and gain trust. If you meet a potential personal trainer and the trainer comes across as intimidating or critical, it's time to go.
7. A personal trainer should be able to design a fitness program that fits your individual needs. If you get a one size fits all program don't be surprised if it doesn't work for you. The truth is all programs can be tweaked to fit the needs of an individual client. The trainer has to know how to make adjustments to a program for you. When I met my husband, he was a personal trainer. I told him about my exercise regimen and how I wasn't satisfied with the results in certain areas of my body. He looked at my program, assessed my body and made a few adjustments to my program and guess what? I got the results I wanted. That's what a personal trainer should be able to do.
8. A personal trainer should offer support and even some nutritional advice. Your personal trainer should be in contact with you to ensure that you are following your program and keep you accountable. You should not be ignored just because you don't work out with the trainer every day.
If you have never worked out before, training DVDs may not always work for you. However, if that's the route you choose to take there are a few things you should look for. You need to be sure that the programs have allowances and modifications for beginners. If none of those options are available don't waste your money. Stay away from the fad programs. Those are great if you just want to switch up to have some fun but if you're serious about becoming fit then those programs don't work because there is no consistency and they are short lived.
Now I'm going to let you in on a little secret. All three of those women I spoke to were all going through menopause. And I know from experience that once we reach a certain age and are in menopause we need a little more than just our usual workout programs. We need stretching. We need relaxation. We need stress relief. We need flexibility training. We need mind/body control. This is something a menopausal woman should seriously think about.
We can still do our other programs. I still lift weights occasionally and I always make sure I get my cardio in almost every day! But I also make sure I practice pilates because that is the one exercise that has given me relief from the menopausal stiffness I had.
When I designed my programs I had menopausal women in mind. They will work for everyone but they are especially beneficial for menopausal women. And all of them can be modified for my clients individual needs.
If you've been going through changes with your personal trainer, or your exercise facility programs are not quite giving you the results you want, or those DVD programs with the confusing content has left you cold, you might need to move on. To Deeva Pilates & Wellness. Let the Wellness Deeva show you how you can get the body you want while getting relief from bothersome menopausal symptoms.
Click below to sign up for a FREE 30 minute Fitness/Wellness Outcome session with me! Be sure to put "Outcome Session" in the Subject line.
Until Next Time....Stay Blessed.....And Stay WELL!
