When you hear people talk about getting a personal trainer you may think “Must be nice to be able to afford that…” or other such statements. I know I used to think the same thing. I never thought I would, or COULD, get a personal trainer.
So what’s changed?
For starters, I figured out a way to budget one in. Yes, I had to plan out a way to afford one. It was a matter of paying off some other debts first, then perhaps an increase in income (which I also found a way to do).
You may be asking, “Why would you go through all that for an extravagance like this”? That is a good question. The answer is, it wasn’t an easy decision to come to. Which means I did not take it lightly.
What it came down to for me were my fitness goals for 2012 along with a trail of “do it yourself” fitness programs, etc. that I never did much with.
In the past 2 years, I have come to discover and enjoy more physical activity – specifically running. So much so that I have made it a goal to run in a marathon by the end of this year. But I also had this goal LAST year. Although I DID achieve success in running a half marathon, I did quite a few things wrong that caused me some injury.
I tried a few different things in order to prepare myself and help reduce my body fat, strengthen my core, lose weight and increase my speed and stamina. What I discovered about myself is that I am full of good intentions. But I fall short of both motivation and execution.
For example, I bought a few things to work out at home – kettle bells, resistance bands, stability ball, small set of dumbbells, stationary bike and an actual road bike. Every time I bought something, I was full of motivation. Which would typically last a week or two 🙂
Now, I still ride my bicycle and once in a while use the stationary bike, but the kettle bells, resistance bands, stability ball, etc are all collecting dust. Let’s face it – MOST of us do this same thing – we think we’ll DO IT this time.
The one thing we lack is the motivation or drive to get up and do it. Or perhaps, you get bored, or you really don’t know what to do with this stuff. For me, all of the above.
So this year, when I set my marathon goal I set another to join the local gym and get a trainer who can best help me prepare, teach me what I need to do and also motivate me. Act as my accountability partner, so to speak.
Today was my first day with my trainer. She is a runner, which is why the gym assigned her to be my trainer. She understands what my goals are and can get me on the right path. We talked a lot about the type of exercises that would benefit me and move me towards my goals. My first day was tiring 🙂 but it felt great.
Now that I have made this leap, I know that having someone knowledgeable to teach me, train me, and motivate me will have me running in a marathon this year – and will help me prepare for both of the half marathons I am registered for this spring.
So what are your goals? How can having a trainer benefit you? What can you do to make it affordable for your budget? There is a way if you really want it. There are things you can “give up” or put aside to do this. My package is for 6 months – not forever. Only you can decide if this route is the right one for you. It is for me.
