Personal Training and Weight Loss

Personal training is a great option for those who dread going about the weight loss process alone. Some of the benefits that the trainers offer are motivation when you are not at your best and help in keeping you on track to lose those unsightly inches around your waist. They are also there to insure that you are getting the most out of every workout.

Since many of you have never had a personal trainer, you may think that they are there to just help you to exercise better. In fact certified personal trainers do much more. The following are some of the evaluations that he or she might perform on you.

Some of the first things that he or she will do for you is to analyze your present fitness level with a series of simple tests and questions. This information helps to establish a health history that will be used to assess your risk factors before starting an exercise program.

If need be, the trainer may recommend a medical exam.

This may happen, for example if you have a history of heart disease or other cardiovascular problems, if you are taking prescription drugs, or if you have been injured recently.

Once the preliminary assessment has taken place and the trainer has determined that you’re fit enough to start a program, you will then get into more of the specifics about the goals and objectives that you would like to obtain. But before a specific program is prescribed, they may also perform more assessments such as body mass index, the determination of body fat or some of the following.

To determine your level of cardio fitness, the trainer may have you perform some physical exertion tests. By determining this, he or she can better understand your cardio endurance and capacity level. Typically the exercise will involve running or walking.

Since you will eventually perform a range of different exercises, your going to need to be flexible. As such the trainer may perform a flexibility assessment on you. After a proper warmup, a common test that is performed is a sit-and-reach.

This test not only helps him or her to asses the flexibility of your hamstrings and hip, but also your lower back. This is important because of the significant number of people who complain of lower back problems.

Another assessment that the trainer may make has to do with your body alignment, that is your posture. Posture problems can play a central role in joint and muscle problems. Determining and correcting your posture can help to alleviate nagging aches and pains that you may have. And it is more than just knowing how to stand correctly. Proper posture should also be followed when you walk, sit, and also when you perform exercises.

After making these assessments, the trainer can then design a specific program for you that will help you to achieve your goals, whether it be for weight loss or other health related benefits.

One last thing. To find a personal trainer, check with your gym. However, if you don’t like the gym scene, try a home personal trainer.

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