The Christmas and New Year period promises a few things. Family time, lots of nice food and wine, and a tighter waistband come January! It’s almost impossible to avoid some weight gain as we let our guard down, enjoy the festivities, and over indulge. Though there is nothing wrong with this, it is often met in the advent of a new year with resolutions to regain all self-control, cut back and indulge in healthy habits (not mince pies). To this end, many people join a gym and sign up with a personal trainer in their bid to become healthier, fitter and stronger. The one-to-one tailored sessions promise fast and successful results for people of all fitness and economic levels, helping to make lifestyle changes for those who couldn’t achieve by themselves. Here are some of the main reasons we believe people choose to hire a Personal Trainer, how they can improve your attitude to exercise and enhance the results:

1. Attention to your unique health concerns and fitness goals 

What works for one person may not work for another. Everyone is different when it comes to exercise and a PT will develop a tailored program for you based on you. If you’re a beginner, they can instruct you in specific exercises; if you’re a pro, they can develop programs that will push you and test your weaknesses; if you’ve got specific health concerns like back pain, they can teach you how to avoid pain and further damage when exercising.

2. Learn new things

If gyms are a new world for you, then your first few trips may prove to be a daunting experience. As technology advances, there are more and more obscure looking machines that do a wealth of different things and initial guidance is invaluable. Many gyms offer a free session at sign-up so make the most of this!

3. Exercise effectively

It is important to learn how to exercise properly and efficiently in order to achieve results. It is easy to waste time if you are using the wrong techniques and you may also hurt yourself. Personal Trainers are better than a mirror – they can watch you while you work-out, making sure your form is correct and making tweaks.

4. Reach and maintain a healthy weight

If you’ve been exercising consistently for weeks or months and are falling short of your goals, hiring a PT might be a good choice. They will be able to assess your current status, get a feel for where you want to be, and then look at your current program and eating habits to see where changes could be made. Reaching a target weight is one thing, but maintaining it is quite another so it is all about helping you to stay motivated.

5. Lifestyle change

Sticking to all those resolutions made in the spirit of New Year is one of the biggest challenges. Good intentions are great but learning to stick to them is even better. Personal Trainers, along with providing motivation, can be influential in changing how you prioritise health and activity. In order to turn intentions into realities, you might need help overcoming bad habits and developing a more positive approach to exercise.

6. Training for a sport or event

Whether it’s a triathlon, a marathon, an iron man or even a golf tournament, an experienced Personal Trainer will be able to help you figure out how to excel in your chosen sport or event, without taking away from your other training. If you’re looking to improve your marathon time for exmaple, a PT will know that this requires lots of core workouts as well as just running!

7. Motivate me

PTs come with built-in motivation. Its part and parcel of their job and they’re normally very good at it. When you have an appointment with a Personal Trainer, you have little choice but to turn up and work hard. You are investing time and money into your exercise program so you need to sweat in order to reap the rewards. Just knowing that your trainer is also investing time in you tends to make you work harder…you’re less likely to skip workouts because you don’t want to let yourself or your PT down.

8. Boredom

If you have plateaued in your fitness regime, gone into autopilot going through the same motions, and are simply bored, then hiring a PT is for you. Their vast knowledge of different training strategies can provide the stimulation you need, whether that’s a fresh approach to circuit training, a new lifting regime, or a go at TABATA.

9. Objective eye

Personal Trainers are able to tell you what to expect with each workout, and which areas you need to work on if you want them to. Tailored sessions can target these areas and as you get fitter and stronger, the focusmay shift.

10. Injury Rehab

If your injury prevents you from participating in your favourite activities or sport, an experienced Personal Trainer can ensure that your road to recovery is a smooth one. They can recommend exercises that will target specific muscle groups to ameliorate current injury as well as reducing the risk of future injury by emphasising overall muscular balance.