As the kids head off to school and the Fall schedule begins, it’s a perfect time to evaluate your fitness goals.  With today’s busy lifestyles, you may find that you can make the most of your fitness time with a personal trainer.

Once exclusively in the realm of celebrities or professional athletes, personal training has spread throughout the country and can now bring you the benefits formerly reserved for the social elite at an affordable price. On average, an hour of personal training costs around $50.  In many clubs, the option of training in small groups is also available, which can provide similar results at an even smaller per hour cost.

While many people have heard of personal training, most do not realize the benefits that working with a trainer can bring to your workout.

• Motivation – Why pay for a trainer when you can just go work out for free?  For many, being accountable to someone provides needed motivation to get themselves to the gym.  Additionally, your trainer will motivate you within your workout to push harder and go further than you ever thought you could.

• Focusing on Your Goals – A personal trainer will assess your current physical condition, talk with you about the results you want to achieve, put a personalized workout plan together, and work as a partner to help you reach those goals.

• Making the Most of Your Time – If you have spent endless hours on the treadmill and find that you’re not getting the results you want, adding a personal trainer can be the key.  Your trainer will ensure that you are doing the right exercises and show you how to maximize your workout time to achieve results.

• Learning the Correct Technique and Form – Many people set their workout routines simply by watching others at the gym, but you risk injury by starting a workout regimen with no real knowledge of what will work best for you. Your trainer will make sure you are doing the right exercises the right way to prevent injury and maximize results.

For people of all ages, body types and levels of fitness, working with a trainer can provide benefits including:

• Weight loss
• Body shaping/toning
• Cardiovascular fitness
• Increasing strength, energy and endurance
• Improving coordination and balance

To find a trainer and get started, contact your gym and ask about personal training sessions.  Make sure they are certified by a reputable organization such as the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise.  Observe the trainer working with other clients before you sign up with them to be sure their style is a good fit for you.

So, whether you want to firm your tummy, sculpt your arms, increase your cardio fitness, or develop a plan for overall weight loss, working with a personal trainer can be your secret weapon!

Carrie Corbett

Marketing and Membership Sales Coordinator

Germantown Athletic Club