Why Work With a Personal Trainer When You Can Do it All by Yourself?

Do you have the motivation, dedication and discipline to get the most from your exercise? These days, we are forever hearing about the importance and benefits of exercise, so surely these three things are easy to achieve?

I once thought I knew all there was to know about personal training. In my opinion, all fitness instructors wore lycra and shouted at their clients to, "Move it or else!" It is only now that I view this industry through very different eyes.

How many years or months have you been exercising, doing the same routine and getting the same results, i.e. that extra layer of body fat just doesn't seem to be shifting and your body shape never seems to change no matter how hard you exercise? Wouldn't it be great to be the owner of a chain of commercial gyms with members habitually paying their monthly membership regardless of whether or not they use the facilities? It's the thought that count at least!

We might work towards our goals by different training methods, but we generally all want the same thing - to feel great and have our health. There are several factors involved in achieving what you really want:

Motivation - how often have you used the excuse that you don't have time to exercise? You don't schedule the session into your diary and then wonder why you haven't found the time. One of the major benefits of working with a personal trainer is that your session will take place on a given day at a specific time. All you have to do is turn up!

Dedication - we are constantly bombarded by the media about the latest fad diet, the latest piece of equipment that guarantees results in 10 minutes and we wonder why we quickly lose interest when these guarantees don't materialise? Do we ever stop and fully research what we are reading or do we take it that if it is being mass-marketed, it must be worthwhile? In order to achieve results, we must be dedicated and not expect a 'quick-fix'.

In order to make something a routine, we have to do that something between 16 and 20 times. Anything less than that and we struggle to make it part of our routine.

Take personal training sessions for example. In today's financially-driven society, you could feel that it is difficult to justify paying to work with a personal trainer. Or, perhaps you feel that the one-off session is enough to set you up with everything that you need to achieve your goals?

The rules of exercise are these:

You should train between 3 and 5 times each week, at the right intensity, including both cardiovascular and strength training. Your nutrition also plays a vital role any training programme. Unfortunately, the myth of being able to eat anything you like just because you are exercising is not true. If your diet consists of junk, processed and sugary foods you will inhibit the breakdown of fat.

Can you write your training programme and perform all of the exercises in optimal posture?
Do you know how to progress the programme and go through the stages of periodisation?
Does your nutrition provide your body with all of the nutrients that it needs for health?

Remember, in order to make something routine, you have to do that something 16 to 20 times. Will you achieve this PLUS stick to the rules of exercise AND eat healthy foods without any guidance along the way? Hopefully by now you can start to see the value in personal training. It should not be deemed as a luxury, for some, it should be an absolute necessity!

Jacqui O'Shea manages the Surrey-based team of Total Personal Training, a group of Weight Management and Fat Loss Personal Trainers, with experience collectively spanning several decades. Offering nurturing, one-to-one support, TPT Personal Trainers put a friendly face on fitness and weight management. Our job as Weight Management and Fat Loss Personal Trainers is to understand each person's limitations and potential and work with them to achieve the best results possible. We're realistic, but we're also optimistic, and we believe what sets us apart from other personal trainers is a nurturing and encouraging approach that respects our clients' individual comfort zones. We want you to feel good about choosing us. Visit our website at http://www.londonweightmanagementtrainers.com We live and breathe ways to improve health, fitness and nutrition on a daily basis, so it seems right to share our knowledge and ideas with others. You'll find all sorts of tips on better living on our Total Personal Training Blog at http://www.londonpersonaltrainerblog.com