Personal Training

Reasons to hire a personal trainer

By Kristin Seckinger, MS, CSCS

You need motivation and challenge. Motivation is a key tool every personal trainer has. It is very hard to get motivated and stay motivated to work out on your own. However, if you set an appointment with a personal trainer you are more likely going to show up which means you are going to get in a great effective workout. A lot of people who exercise on their own tend to slack off on workouts when not motivated by anyone. Hiring a personal trainer eliminates that problem. Just when you think you cannot do anymore, a trainer will give you that last push you need to get in that last repetition or that last 5 minutes of cardio when you thought it was impossible. Being challenged is another plus that comes with hiring a personal trainer. Some exercisers get stuck in doing the same routine and eventually hit a plateau. An experienced trainer will challenge you and change up your workouts so you overcome that plateau.

You don’t know where to start. With all the health and fitness information on the internet, television, and radio it is very easy to get overwhelmed and have no idea where to start. A good trainer will evaluate you and put you on a safe fitness plan that works for you and that will get you the results you want . Leave the amounts of cardio, sets, repetitions and weight to the trainer.

You can do it with a buddy and split the cost. Almost all fitness places have a group rate that is cheaper than one-on-one training. Besides it being more fun training with a buddy, research has shown that training with a buddy or group yields faster results than training alone. Here at Spine and Sport we offer buddy and group training at a discounted rate.

You’re bored with your workout. Even if you are an experienced trainer hiring a trainer is a great idea. Trainers have the knowledge and tools to bring a lot of variety in your workout to challenge your body in different ways. So if you already workout regularly just seeing a trainer once a week can help “rev up” your workouts and give you new ideas.

You have a specific illness, injury or condition. Research confirms that individuals with diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, asthma, etc. can benefit greatly from exercising. If you have a specific injury or condition, your trainer can communicate with your doctor and/or physical therapist to help make a safe workout program for you. This is seen a lot at Spine and Sport because the personal trainers and physical therapists work in the same setting.

You want to learn how to exercise correctly and how to on your own. A personal trainer’s job is to teach you how to exercise and how to do it correctly. Even if you work out on a daily basis if you use the improper exercise technique you will not see the results you want. With a trainers expertise you will learn how to correctly do a variety of exercises that target specific muscle groups that you can take home with you.

You’re getting older. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research has shown that strength training exercises are both safe for men and women of all ages, including those who are not in perfect health. Post-menopausal women can lose 1-2% of their bone mass annually. There are numerous benefits to strength training regularly, particularly as you get older. As mentioned earlier, strength training can be a very powerful tool in reducing signs and symptoms of numerous diseases and chronic conditions like arthritis, diabetes, and osteoporosis. It can also help restore balance restoration and reduce falls.