Personal Trainers Are Expensive – But Worth It

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Personal Trainers Are Expensive – But Worth It

Hiring personal trainers was once the preserve of the rich and famous, but more and more people are opting to take advantage of their services as a way to stay motivated and to hasten their progress towards their fitness goals. Those goals could be weight loss or improving performance in a sport. Either way, they are something that will be achieved more quickly with the guidance of an expert. Even now, personal trainers are expensive compared to just going to the gym and working out by yourself. The one on one advice and guidance that you will get, however, makes it well worth it.

Make the Best Use of Your Time 

Time is money, and this is something that applies even to those who are not self-employed. Do you really want to spend endless hours in the gym if you aren’t getting results? That time in the gym could be time spent on other hobbies, learning new skills, or enjoying quality time with your children or spouse. Indeed, most people who start exercise regimens end up quitting after a few months, because they feel like they’re just spinning their wheels and not seeing the progress on the scale or in the form of lower weight or more visible muscles. It’s hard to stay motivated when you’re doing the same thing every day and not seeing results. Sometimes you need a specific program of exercises to follow to get to the next level.
Yes, it’s true that personal trainers are expensive. However, a block booking of one to one sessions will work wonders and will arm you with the skills that you need to exercise by yourself. Many people hire someone to provide them with a bespoke program, and then follow it for several months. When they feel like they need to change up what they’re doing, they call the same person in again. That person knows your strengths and weaknesses, understands your goals, and knows where you are coming from. This means that they have the basis to work from to help you get fitter and stronger.

Avoiding Injury 

Some lifts and some sports are renowned for injury. Squatting correctly can fix a lot of problems, but doing it badly can damage your knees. Deadlifts are amazing for building core strength, but get sloppy with your form and they can harm your back. Runners may suffer from shin splints and other injuries, and even judoka can get overuse injuries if they don’t train smart. That’s why it is so important to have someone who knows how to do the movements well teach you how to do them. Whether you’re doing something low impact such as stretching or you are engaging in a combat sport or an intense program such as CrossFit, injuries will happen if you do not do them right.
So, before you try to go it alone because personal trainers are expensive, think about how much physiotherapy costs. Think about how much it would cost if you to take time off work because of an overuse injury or a pulled muscle. Exercise is supposed to get you fit and protect your body from disease, not leave you incapacitated. That can only happen if you train in a sensible way.

Train for a Healthy Life 

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t exercise by yourself if that’s all that you can do.
For some, personal trainers are expensive enough that they simply cannot justify the cost. There are things that you can do that are lower impact or that cost less. Walking is a good starting point for those who have never exercised before at all, and they can work their way up to Couch to 5K runs or park runs. Fitness classes such as Zumba or spin sessions are ideal for those who need a bit of motivation. CrossFit, when practiced at a good gym, is also an amazing form of exercise with a strong motivational component that can encourage people to push themselves.
If you’re trying to lose weight, then you don’t have to spend endless hours on a spin bike or a treadmill. Most weight loss happens because of your food choices, and simply cutting out sugary drinks and choosing smaller portions can help you to lose a lot of weight without having to turn into a complete gym obsessive. As you achieve your initial goals you may find that you feel more comfortable in your body and that it gets easier to exercise. You may enjoy activities that were once arduous, and feel more flexible, agile and stronger.

Get the Whole Family Involved 

There are some activities that you can do as a family – and sharing the healthy lifestyle like that is an amazing way to get fit. Outdoor bootcamps are often child-friendly, and have the kind of atmosphere that is supportive of beginners and competitive for those who are more advanced. They give a full body workout that will help you to gain explosive power and to get faster, stronger and more confident.
Fitness based boxing classes often have a similar spin to them. They take movements that combat athletes do, but then tone them down into something that puts less stress on the body. Hitting pads is very satisfying, and is far harder work than it looks. You will gain cardiovascular fitness,  and if you aren’t already strong you will get stronger in the arms. Even holding pads for someone else to hit is far more challenging than it looks!
Ideally, people should do both strength work and cardio work. Aiming for 3 sessions per week total, or more if they can manage it. Goals such as hitting ten thousand steps per day are respectable if you are someone who works in an office and you don’t tend to do much specific exercise, but once you get active and feel the rush of endorphins it’s likely that you will want to do a little more. Why not take the kids out to kick a ball around, or go cycling outside (that’s far more challenging, and also far more entertaining, than a stationary bike!).
 

Choosing a Good Trainer 

If you do decide to pay the hourly rate for someone to help you get fit, then you should ask to see their certifications. The people who are working at the bigger chain gyms will likely have a good certification such as one from NASM, but there are a lot of independents who are either just “people who are fit themselves” or who studied a simple online course and are trying to make money from people who don’t know any better. Certifications such as ACTION that is earned online are not respected by all gyms, and it’s better to look for ACE or NASM as a sign of expertise.
Remember that you are paying someone to teach you something that requires a lot of knowledge, and they are there to make sure that you do it safely. Bad form or pushing yourself too hard too soon could lead to injury. Don’t take chances with your health and wellbeing. Make sure that you get off to the best possible start.
Ask for referrals, and ask to talk to people who have worked with your specialist. Look for before and after photos (you want someone who can achieve results, not just keep an already fit person motivated), and pick someone whose personality you like too because you will be seeing a lot of whoever it is you work with.

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