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It's one thing to change your relationship
to food and fitness in the secluded, structured setting of
Green Mountain. It's another thing to incorporate those changes
into your daily life at home. Permanent change and long lasting
success come gradually and are most easily arrived at by working
specific behaviors into your daily life on a routine basis--like
eating breakfast when you didn't before or walking every morning
for half an hour, rain or shine, no matter what. Just these
two changes can have a major impact on your body, and perhaps
more importantly, on your mind and sense of well-being.
We think one of the best presents you can give yourself after
a visit to Green Mountain is several months of regular workouts
with a personal trainer. After all, if you thought enough
of yourself to take the time and spend the money to come to
Green Mountain, you are certainly worth a relatively small
additional investment.
Making the most of your investment requires that you have
a qualified trainer - look for credentials from organizations
such as American Council on Exercise (ACE), American College
of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and Aerobics and Fitness Association
of America (AAFA). Look, too, for a trainer who provides an
emotionally safe atmosphere, who is sensitive to women's issues
regarding body size, and who will guide you in performing
at a level that is right for you depending on your current
state of fitness and goals. If you already belong to a gym
or health club, it may be relatively easy to find a qualified
personal trainer. Or you can ask for referrals from a local
health club, friends, or even the yellow pages of the phonebook
and arrange for sessions either at home or in facilities arranged
by the trainer.
There are a million reasons (I can't afford it, I don't have
time, I should be able to do it myself) but, in reality, few
good excuses for not taking advantage of what can be a wonderful,
self liberating tool for permanent lifestyle change. Here
are just a few of the benefits you can realize.
Personal Trainers Provide Structure
The fact that you have made a regular appointment which costs
you money will decrease your drop-out and self-sabotage potential.
It's easy to go back on a commitment made only to yourself
because you forgot, have a business meeting, need to do a
favor for a friend, are too tired or just plain overslept.
It's harder to face a paid professional with these excuses--
and more expensive, too, as most trainers will make you pay
for missed appointments. What's more, keeping the appointment
on a regular basis does wonders for self esteem. And watching
your fitness and strength gradually increase is tremendously
empowering.
Personal Trainers Help Maximize Your
Efforts
Especially if you are new to weight training, the machines
at your gym or health club can be mystifying. Though most
facilities provide several introductory instruction sessions,
often these are not enough to ensure that you really know
how to use the machines to your best physical advantage. Your
personal trainer will not only show you step by step, over
and over, how to use the equipment so that it becomes second
nature to you, but will make sure you are using the right
muscle groups and doing the workout properly. In addition,
a good personal trainer can help you target the areas you
want to work on and provide the right combination of machines
and hand weights and the right combination of cardiovascular
activity and weight-bearing exercise for you.
Personal Trainers Produce Results
Showing up regularly for at least three months, even once
a week (but preferably two or three times a week), will give
you a concrete yardstick to measure your progress against.
You'll SEE the increased number of reps and greater weight
resistance as it happens because somebody else is there keeping
written records of your progress. It is important to have
clear goals for your efforts, such as building strength, improving
posture, decreasing body fat, or just staying fit, flexible
and healthy. Clear goals will help keep you focused and moving
steadily in the direction you desire.
Be aware of an undue focus on body weight and measurement,
however. Remember to be absolutely clear whether a focus on
these measurements distracts you or supports you in achieving
your goals.
Feeling the difference and seeing measurable changes to your
body does take time -- at least three months -- so you need
to commit to at least 90 days as a trial period. After that
you can decide whether to continue or not. Perhaps you will
find that once you are in the groove and know how to do your
own workout, you can do it yourself. But chances are that
the great muscle tone, increased strength and stamina and
the boost to your self esteem given by personal training sessions
is a gift you will want to continue giving to your new best
friend --YOU!
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