By Lisa Hampton
It’s a new year and gyms everywhere are packed with new members trying to make good on their New Year's Resolution to get back in shape. In fact, research shows that 95% of New Year's Resolutions are fitness related, but after just 3 months, only 10% of people think their resolution will be achieved. There are many reasons people fail to reach their fitness goals; unclear goals, lack of planning, unrealistic expectations, accountability, and more. In this article I will be talking about some of those limiting factors and how the personal trainers at Life Adapted Fitness can help.
First, I’d like to bust the myth that all gyms and trainers are really more concerned about taking your money than helping you with your health and fitness. At Life Adapted Fitness, our culture is centered around making fitness an accessible, safe, fun experience that fits your lifestyle. The trainers at our gym are passionate about fitness and prioritize helping people over selling training packages. You can always feel comfortable approaching the trainers at Life Adapted and be confident in our knowledge and experience without worrying about pushy sales techniques. As a member, you automatically get free personal training benefits like body composition testing and in-person coaching sessions. Beyond your member benefits, we offer a wide variety of training packages designed to fit almost every goal, lifestyle, and budget.
Are You Trying Do-It-Yourself With Your Health?
You’ve taken the first step in your fitness journey and invested your money in a gym where there’s loads of equipment that you’re unfamiliar with and possibly intimidated by. There’s also limitless choices of classes, online programs and workouts, books, magazines, diet plans, meal services, etc. Navigating all the health and fitness paths can be overwhelming. How will you choose the right one that will lead you to the best results in the shortest amount of time? A trainer can take a load off of your shoulders, all you have to do is show up and trust the process. If you think that hiring a personal trainer is too expensive for your budget, consider that an initial investment in a consultation or a few sessions will actually save you time and money in the long run by helping you reach your goals safely, effectively, and efficiently.
What Is Your Goal and Do You Have a Plan To Reach It?
Most New Year's Resolutions and other goals in general fail due to lack of clarity and planning. We tend to get caught up in the outcome, rather than the process, then our minds get overwhelmed and become mentally paralyzed which can often stop us before we take the first step. Trainers are experts at helping people identify their personal goals, assessing where they are now and mapping out a plan to get them to where they want to be. Trainers also continually reevaluate your training plan to correspond with any personal life changes you will most likely experience. A personal trainer works with these changes and updates your fitness program according to your goals and needs of the moment.
What Are Your Expectations?
A lot of people say they “want to get in shape” but have no idea what that really means for them as individuals. You may be inspired by a fitness model or other social media fitness influencer, but if you have a lot of extra body weight or haven’t been conditioned properly you can’t do the same workout that ripped person posted or recommended. In fact, it’s very likely you’ll get injured or discouraged and stop working out altogether. A personal trainer will develop a realistic training plan only after they give you a proper physical evaluation to assess your mobility, flexibility, balance, strength, and cardiovascular fitness.
How Motivated Are You?
No matter what the goal is, people often want to see results with the least amount of effort possible; unfortunately, that is not how physical fitness works. Fitness requires discipline, dedication, and time which most people do not have a lot of, that is where a personal trainer steps in. While there are all kinds of apps, computer programs, and support groups that will help you track your progress and provide suggestions, none of them will be with you at your scheduled time and motivate you to do the work. Your phone will not tell you what a great job you are doing or watch your body movement to make sure it’s safe and effective. A trainer actually cares about your progress, your safety and your success.
Do You Have Time?
Time is not something you have, time is something you take. After going to work, running errands, picking up the kids, cooking meals, and cleaning up, it seems as if each day goes by with barely a minute to spare. A trainer can fit right in your schedule, for example every Tuesday at 4:30PM. This way, you end up planning your daily tasks around that scheduled workout, rather than trying to do the opposite. Even if you don’t see yourself being able to sustain having a personal trainer every Tuesday at 4:30 for an extended period of time, you can utilize a specific amount of sessions to help you develop the habit of coming to the gym. When fitness becomes a habit for you then you’ll truly be making a lifestyle change and see long lasting results. I’ll be talking more about habit forming in the next article.
Can You Reach Your Goals Without A Trainer?
Of course you can, you’re capable of doing much more than you possibly imagined. But, you can also get to your goals quicker, safer and more effectively when you hire an expert to help. The personal trainers at Life Adapted Fitness have dedicated their lives to fitness. We have multiple certifications in fitness and nutrition and we care about you as a person. Our personal training physical evaluation is free, and members can use their 25-minute coaching sessions for any questions or concerns concerning health and fitness. We are here to work with you in developing a program that fits your goals, your abilities, and your schedule.
I am Lisa Hampton, a certified nutritionist and personal trainer at Life Adapted Fitness in Brookside. Thank you for reading my article, stay tuned for more articles on nutrition and fitness. If you are looking for personalized help with your weight loss diet or nutrition in general, you’ll find me in the gym and I’m always happy to help.
You can reach me at: Lisa@lafkc.com