Part of my brilliant master plan to get Delaney’s health back on track involves a dirty word: exercise. She is not happy about it. She loves softball, but any other form of exertion is anathema. Spring softball is over, so I’m determined to find another way to get her moving over the summer.
We’re currently exploring the idea of a personal trainer–someone to teach her how to lift weights. I know; that makes it sound like she’s a spoiled princess. Really, she’s not. But I worked with a trainer for a while (back when I was Ironman training), so she got it into her head that having a “coach” hover over you and help you exercise was a reasonable thing. It seems excessive to me (she’s a kid, for Pete’s sake!), but Lee said, very sensibly, that if she tried it for a couple of months, and got the hang of it, then perhaps she could continue working out at home, without the benefit of a private trainer.
Fine.
So we went to a personal training center near our house–it’s like a gym, but designed exclusively for one-on-one training. One client, one coach, and an amazing collection of state-of-the-art equipment. I felt sort of silly taking a 13-year-old to a place like that, but you know what? It turns out, according to Deborah (Delaney’s trainer), something like 30 percent of their clients are teenagers. That kind of blew my mind, but I’ll save my what-are-we-doing-to-our-kids rant for another day.
Anyway, the age range of the clientele notwithstanding, I’ve decided (over many years, not just last week with Delaney) that personal trainers, long used by athletes, are even more important for non-athletic types who just need to get and stay healthy.
Here’s why YOU should hire a personal trainer (and yes, I mean YOU):
1) You’re more likely to actually show up and exercise if you’re paying for it. Plain and simple.
2) You’re less likely to injure yourself (and by “injure” I mean use muscles incorrectly, not drop a dumbbell on your toe) if someone knowledgeable is teaching you proper form and technique.
3) I find that when I lift weights by myself, I don’t work as hard as I should. It’s easy to cruise along from week to week, doing the same old routine, without working any harder. If you don’t work the muscles harder (ie, gradually but constantly increase the weight), they won’t get stronger.
4) And for those of us who are a little more–ahem–high maintenance, a personal trainer allows us to really get in touch with our inner spoiled princess. Don’t feel like counting reps? The trainer does that. Can’t remember which muscle group you worked last time? The trainer remembers. Too hard to lift that leg up for a stretch? Just lie back and let your trainer stretch it for you . . .
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I wish I could afford a trainer.
I know what you mean, Bobbi. Sometimes it seems like a reasonable expense to us, but sometimes it seems like an unattainable luxury. There are lots of other ways to go about it, though, for a motivated adult (13 year-olds are a different story). You could make a workout commitment with a friend, and swear to keep each other on track. You could get a weight-training book from the library and follow all the instructions very carefully (there are even books designed to help you work out without a lot of equipment). If your library has videos, you could try some weight training DVDs at home. Be creative–in this economy, you’re definitely not the only one watching pennies.
As a former personal trainer I must say I agree with this post 100%!!
True, trainers aren’t free, but being sure you are getting the most effective and efficient (safe) workout is got to be worth something don’t ya think?!?
Hi Kirstin–
Yes, I do think personal trainers are worth every penny. I just know that in this economy . . . not everyone has enough pennies.
Thanks for reading!
Lisa