Should I Get a Personal Trainer?

Personal Trainers: are they necessary?

It’s a common dilemma: should you exercise on your own or is it worth investing in a personal trainer? Different people will have different reasons to exercise. If you are looking to get specific results in a specified time, a personal trainer might be what you need to motivate you and get you on track e.g. if you have a certain amount of weight to lose before a wedding or if you’re training for a triathlon. Qualified trainers will also help those that have struggled to incorporate exercise into their daily lives. It’s a trainer’s job to help you find motivation and find the time that you’ve struggled with up until now. They are also trained to take into account any medical problems and/or special nutritional needs you may have. Getting into an exercise routine on your own whilst trying to balance health issues can be tricky and put people off, so why not leave it to a professional to work it all out for you?

The alternative is to do it yourself. Nowadays, there is handy technology out there to help you train on your own: mapmyrun.com or walkjogrun.net are good websites and mobile apps to help you track progress and build your own cardio goals. In terms of resistance training, it gets harder to form goals but common sense indicates if you are trying to get bigger then you should be keeping note of how much you are lifting and try to increase it methodically (see Resistance Training). Any regular gym will have instructors who can take you through a resistance program for free and are obliged to construct follow-up programs for you at regular intervals too.

If you are thinking of hiring a personal trainer make sure they are properly qualified and registered with a reputable body like the Register of Exercise Professionals. They should take you through your goals and any health issues BEFORE your first session. Good luck!

Tav’s Top Tips #4: Do You HATE Squats?

Ease into squats by stretching your hams

Legs are often the least favourite part of people’s resistance programs. For this reason, many people – mainly men – neglect lower body exercises. Here’s my tip: concentrate on increasing flexibility in your hamstrings. It’s very often tightness in this muscle area that is making the squat uncomfortable, and therefore putting you off doing them. Neglecting your lower body will only lead to muscle imbalances and give you chicken legs! So get stretching! Developmental stretches are best; ones that you hold for at least 15 seconds, and then try to stretch further and hold again for another 15 seconds.