Beyonce and J-Lo Have One-So Does 50 Cent: Do You?

The title of this article is not meant to mislead you, but rather get your attention. Why do I need to get your attention? Okay, if I entitled this article, “Top 10 Reasons why you need to hire a Personal Trainer” would you have been very interested in reading it? Of course not! Well, at least the majority would not be. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that the first thing that you would think is: “I can train myself and save the money. I don’t need to read that article.”

I hope that you haven’t left me yet. If you’re still here, that’s good! I want to make you a promise. I promise you that by the end of this article you will have a much greater appreciation for personal training and you will, at very least, consider the high cost of neglecting your health. I‘m not guaranteeing that by the end of this article you will be running out the door and looking for a trainer. However, I do believe that by the time you finish reading this you will want to make a change in your life and that change may include hiring a professional trainer to help you.

Beyonce and J-Lo both work with personal trainers all of the time. Hip-Hop artist 50 Cent also consistently works with a trainer. Is it because they have money to burn, they can afford it and it’s simply another luxury for them? I don’t think so. Yes, it’s true that they can afford it. However, they have plenty of other things that they can spend their money on and I’m sure that they do. Yet, I’m also sure that it must mean more to them than just being a luxury. They hire trainers because it is something that is important to them. They value their bodies, their appearance and their health.

Let me make myself clear before you jump on me. I’m not stating that they may not have any bad habits. I’ve heard 50’s lyrics and I know he likes the bubbly and funny cigarettes. I’m not here saying that any of them are perfect examples of health and fitness. However, having listened to them on more than one occasion, I can tell you that they truly do put a high value on taking care of their bodies. Do you put a high value on your body? We’ve all heard the adage: “At least you have your health. Be thankful for that.” Do you really have your health? Is taking care of the one and only body that you have really something you value?

Let’s first clarify the term “value.” Just because you say you value something that doesn’t necessarily mean that you do. If I told you I loved you and valued our relationship more than anything, yet I never called you or talked to you ever, would our relationship really be something I valued? If you say that you value the relationship you have with your children, yet you never spend any time at all with them, do you really value the relationship? Ask your children what they think.

We need to understand that there is a difference between preferred values and actual values. Preferred values are things that you may intellectually believe to be important, but your actions don’t reflect that belief. Actual values are values that reflect your everyday life and your actions. I say I value my children and I show that I do because I spend quality time with them. I listen to them. I talk with them. I nurture the relationship because it’s important to me and I value it.

It should be the goal of our lives to see to it that our preferred values become our actual values. Would you like to know what you value most in your life? Here’s a little test: Look at your checkbook. We all tend to spend our money on those things that are most important to us. What do you spend the majority of your money on? You only have one body and you should not see spending money on it as an expense, but rather an investment. The rewards will impact every single area of your life. Do you know that studies have shown that exercise can be directly related to your level of intelligence?

A recent study done by Dr. Kisou Kubota of Nihon Fukushi University in Handa, Japan has found that individuals consistently scored higher on intellectual tests after embarking on a running program. Dr. Kubota has been diligently studying the connection between exercise and brain function. He said, “the improvements, however, went down when the joggers stopped their training, which suggests that ongoing exercise is required to maintain the benefit.”

In another study performed by Duke University in North Carolina, seniors who embarked on a 4-month exercise program showed significant improvement in memory, mental skills, and other cognitive functions. These are just two examples of which there are many others that clearly point to the enormous benefits of exercise.

Now let’s move on to discussing, specifically, what a personal trainer can do for you. Here are the top ten reasons why I believe you should hire a personal trainer:

1. Performance of important Health and Fitness Evaluations

Many people think that they’re healthy because they can walk up a flight of stairs without desperately gasping for air. There’s a lot more to it than that. Cardiorespiratory diseases and blood sugar abnormalities are often inherited. A good, qualified trainer can help you to identify these serious health risk factors and recommend the appropriate lifestyle changes that can help to offset the specific disorders that may have been inherited. Also, an experienced trainer can give you a measured report on your overall health and fitness level through body composition measurements, muscle strength tests, flexibility tests and much more.

2. Safety and Longevity

It’s very easy to get hurt while trying to perform certain exercises. It’s also very easy to perform the right exercises the wrong way. Your trainer can be there to guide and teach you all of the proper ways to train, how to use the exercise equipment and how to utilize it beneficially through proper technique. Training smart and safely can protect you from injuries that can hinder your long term fitness lifestyle.

3. Motivation and Inspiration

We all get discouraged from time to time. We all grow tired and weary of the diets, discipline, and hard work associated with a strenuous training regimen. It can be even more difficult when people around you are negative or fail to lend the support or encouragement that you may need. A qualified trainer is one who comes alongside you to motivate, inspire and encourage you when you need it and even when you don’t. Not only does a skilled trainer serve as a fitness/nutrition coach, but also a life coach.

4. Goal-Specific Training

Whether you want speed, strength, fat-loss and/or muscle gain--whatever the goal--your trainer can help you get there in less time with an effective program tailored to your fitness objectives.

5. Individualization and Ongoing Assessment.

No two people are the same. What works for one person may not work for another. Differences in size, body-type, metabolism and hormonal responses must all be weighed in relation to your personal goals, and a trainer can do so with ongoing assessments to ensure your success.

6. Injury Recovery and Prevention

Injury recovery can be faster and smoother with a trainer there to recommend the appropriate exercises not only to facilitate the healing process, but also to help build overall muscle stability and balance which will prevent future injury.

7. Accelerate Faster Results

From cutting edge callisthenic techniques to advanced sports nutritional guidance, a qualified trainer can deliver results to you at a faster rate than if you were to try to do it on your own. Also, examining past programs/diets and establishing future goals will enable your trainer to regulate a program that will keep you enthusiastic, challenged and growing.

8. Knowledge and Self-Sufficiency

With all of the diets, infomercials, and fitness gurus out there it’s easy to get sidetracked and led astray. Knowledge is power. Your trainer will empower you with the knowledge you need to make the right decisions about food, nutrition, supplementation, and exercise protocol. Most of all, your trainer will help you to know “your” body and how it responds best.

9. Accountability and Consistency

Have you ever called off a workout and then drove through McDonald’s instead? How many times have you arrived home from work, turned on the TV and then decided to cancel the workout? It happens to all of us, but there are ways to overcome those moments of weakness. Consistency comes through accountability. A trainer will hold you accountable to meet for exercise sessions, stick to your diet and chart your progress. It’s a lot easier to stick to your plans when you know you have someone else counting on you.

10. Goal Planning & Dream Shaping

We all have dreams and aspirations of what we want our ultimate body to look like. Some want to be lean and tight, while others want to be hard and muscular. Some want all of these things. An experienced personal trainer can help you to envision the body of your dreams and then help you to draw a step by step plan on how to achieve it.

Do you value your body? Would you consider yourself healthy? Is your health something you value? Are you modeling a healthy lifestyle for your children, family and friends? A recent report by the American Public Health Association showed that over 23% of the U.S. population is now considered obese, more than twice the level in 1990.

We can spend a lot of money on things that mean nothing. We think nothing of spending hundreds at a ballgame or theatre. We will spend hundreds and thousands of dollars a year to buy the latest fashions by the biggest designers. In the end, what will it matter if the body we clothe is unhealthy.

When you’re feeling sick you visit a doctor. When your car breaks down you see the mechanic. When you get a toothache you call on the dentist. If you want to get into the best shape of your life and transform yourself from the inside out, hire a certified personal trainer. It’s an investment, not an expense.