Discover the simple yet little known secrets of finding the RIGHT
Personal Trainer to complement your busy lifestyle
Finding a personal fitness trainer might appear to
be fairly easy. For instance you might decide to just walk into a gym and say
you want a personal trainer to help you with your fitness workouts. Most gyms
would be happy to provide you with a personal trainer for a fee with the added expense
of gym membership. The problem is that your busy life style does not always
permit gym visits and after the novelty of your new gym membership wears off
accommodating gym visits into you busy daily schedule might become increasingly
difficult. This is especially so if you come from a corporate background or run
your own business. Another option might be to do your search online. But do you
know what to look for? So think again! Because finding the right personal
trainer is harder than you think
and choosing the WRONG one can leave your fitness goals in a state of perpetual
oblivion. Consider the following little know details:
Background: Most personal trainers are qualified with degrees and diplomas in fitness, exercise and basic nutrition. While this is a given, you need to look for things other than just educational qualifications, these include fitness instructional experience, work/life experiences, exposure in organisations or institutions that suggest they have been exposed to the pressures of time and meeting deadlines. Such trainers will understand your need for flexibility and schedule your training sessions accordingly.
Approach taken: Good personal trainers start by making an assessment of your current health and fitness levels and help you set goals that are realistic and achievable around your current busy lifestyle. By making an assessment of your lifestyle, current fitness level and any injuries you may have had, he or she will be able to ascertain how hard to push you and when to ease off and encourage you. In other words they should tailor your program to suit your busy lifestyle. Furthermore when it comes to fitness training you need to be able to enjoy what you're doing otherwise you won’t continue with it. Good personal trainers will tell you that it is not the length of the training session that matters but what you do during that training session. More importantly, the intensity of your sessions needs to be progressively built up as you improve your current strength and fitness levels. This requires consistency with a planned workout regimen. So look for fitness trainers that offer an initial free consultation where they check your fitness levels and then design a training session to suite you. For the time poor this would mean shorter sessions with high intensity. Good fitness trainers would be flexible in their approach. For instance they would be able to train you at your home or meet you at the gym. Given these facts a personal trainer who gives you an hourly rate over the phone without asking you any questions should be avoided at all costs.
Personality: Is the trainer friendly and
approachable? Is there chemistry between you and the personal
trainer? Does he or she have the professional attitude suited to motivating
people? Do they appear rushed or do they
have the patience and time to spend with you when you require that extra ounce
of motivation after a hard day at the office. To assess
this give them a call before you meet them in person. How do they sound over
the phone are they hurried or do they show an interest in asking you about you
fitness goals. There could always be the occasion where you might call them at
an odd moment, but the good ones will always create the time for you by
scheduling another appointment at your convenience.
Physical Appearance: While you are not seeking a
“Mr Universe” a personal fitness trainer should look physically fit. That would
show you that he or she walks the talk and is someone you could look up to. So
after the phone call check this aspect out when you meet them in person.
Remember that at the end of the day it is not just
about getting fit, but more importantly it is about staying fit that matters. A good personal trainer will be your
mentor and guide you to cultivate a positive health and fitness mindset that
would stay with you for the rest of your life. He or she will empower you in a
way that will always push your limits and overtime, staying healthy and fit will
be a natural part of your busy lifestyle.
So use this information and take your time in
finding the right personal trainer, because your health and fitness is too
important to be left to chance.
This article was prepared on behalf of James Davies who is a professional fitness trainer. Having come from a corporate background James knows all about the pressures, stress and time constraints working full time can have on a person. With this in mind he works with people to help them achieve their health and fitness goals in a way that fits with their lifestyle. If you live in New Zealand and want personal fitness training you might want to give James a call on 09 578 0512 , mobile 021 257 6114 or visit his website at (http://www.imaginefitness.co.nz)
