There are so many reasons why personal trainers are essential to achieving fitness goals, whether they be weight loss-based, sports-driven or for athletic purposes. Here, we’ve put together the most critical reasons why you should have a personal trainer, as well as the benefits that you are likely to achieve by working with one.
They have the power to educate
One of the primary reasons that someone should have a personal trainer is that they can educate you on all aspects of health, fitness and exercise. Knowledge is power and when it comes to your fitness goals, having a proper understanding of what is required for you to reach those goals is incredibly empowering.
Your personal trainer will be able to help you become further educated on how your nutrition plays a role in your fitness journey, what exercises target which muscles, the correct exercise form and so much more. Being able to turn to a fitness professional for any questions you have rather than turning to Google will result in detailed, educated and personalized answers that will help you succeed.
They help perfect your form
Having an educated personal trainer beside you to demonstrate the correct posture and technique is invaluable. A personal trainer will ensure clients are performing exercises correctly and efficiently, in order to maximise results.
Good form when performing exercises is also essential in reducing the risk of injury. Many people every year are seriously injured by performing exercises they have not received training for, and this can impact their health and fitness for a long time. Having someone trained in how to execute certain tasks will greatly reduce the level of risk and increase the effectiveness of your fitness routine.
While some people may only require minor tweaks on certain exercises that they didn’t realize they were performing incorrectly, some folks may need to start from scratch; learning the basics and developing the knowledge and self-awareness to consider their form. Either way, your personal trainer will be able to identify what you need and will lead the way.
They cater to your personal requirements
Everybody is different, and that means everyone’s abilities and requirements are different when it comes to exercise. This could be anything from trying to bounce back after an old injury, to having a phobia that may impact on where or how you workout.
For example, if you have an old knee injury that required surgery, but since then you haven’t done anything to rebuild the muscles or improve mobility, then you are going to need different exercises and goals than an athlete who is training to run a marathon. This is where a personal trainer’s experience can make a huge difference to your training program.
Personal Trainers help you set long-term realistic goals
Many people who start training, expect to achieve their goals straight away, whether that’s weight loss, improved core strength or greater strength overall, for example. But these things take time; If your goals aren’t realistic, it’s easy to get discouraged when you’ve not achieved them right away.
Personal trainers will not only help you set realistic goals that you will be able to achieve (if you put in the effort, of course) but they will also be able to keep you on track to hit those goals. For example, if your goal is to achieve a ‘bikini body’ for summer, it’s not just about doing 100 crunches a day for a month to work your abs.
It’s about altering your diet to eat the correct foods, mixing cardio and weights to work the right muscles, and setting a timeframe in which this can be achieved.
They can support your plans to get fit for short-term goal or activity
As well as helping their clients set realistic goals, personal trainers are the perfect tool to help you achieve a specific goal. This is ideal for those who are training for a specific event or need to achieve a certain level of fitness before they are able to do something they really want.
For example, if you have a bucket list with ‘Skydiving’ on it but are over the maximum weight, then hiring a personal trainer to assist with helping you lose weight is a great start to achieving this goal. Or if your goal is to be able to run a marathon in six months, then hiring a personal trainer to put you on the right track could be all you need to complete a marathon.
They keep you accountable to your new fitness routine
How many times have you gone to bed and said to yourself, ‘Tomorrow I’m going to wake up, go to the gym, and do an hour workout before I get ready for work’, and then awaken, only to decide to sleep for another hour instead of exercising?
This is where a personal trainer is critical to ensuring that you commit and stick to your fitness goals. If you’ve made an appointment to meet your trainer for a session, then you are far more likely to follow through.
They show you how to minimize time wasted and maximize results
Personal trainers know that there are usually two kinds of people that go to the gym:
1. Those who wander in, spend 10 minutes on one machine and then drift slowly over to another, before half-heartedly trying bicep curls for five reps and then walking out.
2. Those who have a plan in mind, and hit the machines with a purpose. They generally have a set amount of reps they do in sets of two or three, and they’ll know exactly what they’re doing on each machine.
If you’re anything like person number 1 (which most of us are when starting our fitness journey!), your personal trainer will be able to help you transition towards becoming person 2, with a plan in place for each session so no time is wasted.
If you’re more like person 2, your personal trainer will be able to identify what changes need to be made to take your training to the next level and ensure you are challenging yourself to make the most out of each session.
Regardless of the time you have available to train or the level you are training at, a personal trainer will be able to provide you with the right tools and planning to help you maximize your results every single time.
They can bolster a PT plan with nutritional guidance
When completing their Certificate III in Fitness, every student is required to complete a module on nutrition and how it can affect fitness. Personal trainers who complete their Certificate IV in Fitness have to then complete additional work on nutrition, and a number of personal trainers also take on further education by completing a separate Nutrition Coach Course.
By choosing a personal trainer who has undergone specific nutrition education, you know that they will be providing the right nutritional advice to achieve your goals.
They can make your mental health a priority
It has long been known that physical exercise can help with mental health challenges such as depression and that it is a recommended part of treatment by many medical health professionals.
Many Australians have to deal with these kinds of challenges at various points in life and for some, having a routine and working towards things that they can control (such as their fitness levels) can be extremely beneficial for their mental state. Your personal trainer can keep you motivated through tougher times, choose the right exercises to positively impact how your workout makes you feel and be an extra person within your support network to lean on.
They renew your confidence as a part of your support network
Personal trainers are there to help with your fitness goals, but they’re also there to help improve your overall wellbeing. They care about how stressed you are because that will impact the kind of food you are eating and as a result, your performance in the gym. They care if you are feeling down, as this may affect your motivation levels throughout your workout.
Because of this, your relationship with your personal trainer is one that leaves you feeling supported and able to voice your concerns and struggles with your overall well-being, knowing that just like your friends and family, your PT has your back.
They keep you on track to start and keep healthy habits
It can take weeks to form good habits, and even longer to break bad ones… and trying to do it on your own is hard work. A PT will help you with this by setting your daily or weekly goals to help break those bad habits and form new ones that support your goals.
Implementing a daily step goal for you to hit, daily water consumption goal or a week without heavily processed foods are ways that they might get you thinking about your current daily habits and the ones that you want to create.
They offer consistency and customization with a specialized fitness plan
There are always going to be some exercises that you enjoy more than others, beyond simple capability. For example, just because you can physically do burpees doesn’t mean that you always want to, but you might really like doing squat jumps and sit-ups instead.
A personal trainer will be able to tailor your training plan to suit you and what you enjoy, as well as encourage you to do the exercises that are best to achieve your goals.
As well as this, there are always going to be some days when the last thing you feel like doing is a hard workout, and so having a personal trainer means that they can tailor your exercise for that day to both accommodate your mood while still making the session helpful.
They accommodate to your schedule
Regardless of whether the only time you have available to train is at a ridiculously early hour before work, or on your lunch break, or mid-afternoon before the kids come home from school – a personal trainer is one of the most versatile professions in terms of hours.
They understand that different people have different availabilities, and so they will tailor appointment times to suit you.
They offer flexibility on where you want to train
Not everyone enjoys the atmosphere of a crowded gym, or having to wait for the machine you want to use to become available. The benefit of having a personal trainer is that you aren’t limited to working out where equipment is available – not only will your PT have some equipment that they can bring with them, but you can also choose the location in which you exercise.
Whether it’s in the comfort of your own home or in your neighbourhood park, with a personal trainer you have the flexibility to workout wherever suits you best.
They challenge you in a way that a friend or family member might not
Are you getting bored with your fitness routine? Have you found yourself in a bit of a plateau? A personal trainer is just what you need to take you to the next level and continuously challenge your abilities.
Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh set of eyes on your training regime to know where you can improve, what you can change and how much harder you have to push yourself. When you’re just about to give up on the last few reps, having your PT by your side challenging you to keep going and keep pushing will be a game-changer for your fitness.
