People rarely give full regard to the importance of the many role played by their fitness instructors. There’s so much more to them than simply pushing you harder and helping you to achieve your fitness goals. They can be your best friend, dietitian, unofficial therapist or even the jockey that keeps you ahead of the track. With so many important roles to play in the lives of their clients, it’s any wonder that there aren’t more professional personal trainers around.
So, to help you fully appreciate how much of a difference a personal trainer can make in your life, here are a few reasons why we ought to see more of them around.
Fitness instructors help you understand your body
You may have been wearing your skin your entire life. However, there is still a lot about your own body that you may still not be familiar with. A personal trainer can put you in touch with your body, helping you understand weight distribution, optimal movement as well as your body’s capacity for fitness. This is where good fitness instructors excel at helping you realise your body’s potential.
They get you to perfect your form
With extensive training, experience and practice, personal trainers are able to assist you with perfecting your form during your exercise routines. This will not only limit the possibility of you being injured during training owing to you approaching an exercise incorrectly it will also ensure that you get the best results from each workout. Correct form will get you better results with no wasted effort. It is often impossible to refine your own workout techniques without the assistance of a personal trainer who has an eye for form.
They can assist you with special needs
In cases where people need assistance with rehabilitation after injuries or operations, it is best to undertake restorative exercises under the supervision of someone who can provide you with routines that encourage mobility or get you past mental (exercise) blocks. A personal trainer understands that everyone’s body is different. He or she knows which approach to take to get you the best results according to your needs.
(Talking about disabilities and special needs, Trifocus Fitness Academy’s Personal Training Certification contains specialised modules on how to train people with special needs as well as how to integrate people with disabilities into physical activities. To find out more and to register, follow this link.)
They can help you set realistic goals
One of the most difficult parts about getting into shape is setting attainable goals. People often push themselves too hard which can put them off, or see little to no results as the result of an underwhelming workout schedule. Personal development training coach, Sid Savara, tells us more:
“We’ve all been told that we should set goals, and we assume that we can – but most of us have never been taught how to set goals effectively so they are realistic and achievable.
“One of the most sobering goal setting statistics I learned in my research on setting New Year’s resolutions was that 25% of resolutions were broken in the first week. And the odds didn’t get much better for the first couple months – among gym goers, 80% drop out within eight weeks.”
“I think a large part of this is due to not having realistic goals – without something to shoot towards, it’s easy to get discouraged and give up. It’s hard enough to make changes in our life and accomplish what we desire – if your goal is unrealistic, or not well defined, then you’re starting out with an immediate handicap.”
A fitness instructor can gauge your abilities to help you set realistic long-term and short-term fitness goals. They should also be good at challenging you to stick to them. In addition, they should hold you accountable when you don’t.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy to become one of South Africa’s best fitness instructors
As you can see, there is so much more to being a fitness instructor than meets the eye. The great thing is that it is a largely rewarding career path. If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a professional personal trainer or fitness instructor, contact Trifocus Fitness Academy for details on our fitness courses.