I recently had a chance to speak with some people at a networking event about what I do as a personal trainer. Most understand that I help customize a workout routine to help achieve a person’s goals — whether it’s weight loss, muscle build, core strengthening, cardio improvement or combinations of everything. Yet, in the age of YouTube and downloadable apps, there are hundreds (perhaps thousands) of outlets to get workout routines or exercises to try. So, why makes a personal trainer special or even necessary?
At the very core, it’s about accountability. As human beings, many of us, maybe even the overwhelming majority, will find ways to avoid doing things we find difficult, painful or arduous. We will binge watch a television show for hours rather than find time for a 30-minute walk. I once had a science teacher who explained the concept of enthalpy and entropy could be illustrated in the life of a teenager. According to science, all things seek to use the least energy while seeking the highest amount of disorder. Look at your teenager’s bedroom and you see that principle in action!
But, we are all built that way. We want to exude the least amount of effort necessary to keep the chaos around us at an acceptable level. It’s why we sometimes let the lawn go a few more days before cutting. When the clutter (chaos) of how the lawn looks starts to get on our nerves, we decide to spend just enough energy necessary to fix it.
Health and fitness falls directly in line with this phenomenon. We will do the least amount necessary to sustain what we think is an acceptable level of disorder within our own bodies. We decide it’s easier to buy the next size up in clothing, put on a baggier sweater or shirt and keep cruising along without addressing the actual issue. At some point, we all know we need to do a little more to keep ourselves healthy, but the effort necessary quickly fades after we get the burst of inspiration to do something.
Having someone like me is how you combat the normal urge to return to a state of least energy and highest chaos. I will keep you accountable! I will push you to stick to your routine, to keep your appointments and to make health and fitness a priority. For some, it takes just a few months to gain the confidence and form the habits needed to sustain a new lifestyle and then I move on to the next person. For others, it may take a little longer. The goal is for me to be part of your daily routine just long enough for you to not need me any longer. The goal of a personal trainer is not to make you dependent on me, but to get you to a point where you can become accountable to yourself.
If you would like to learn more about what I do and how I can help you with your own health and fitness goals, just contact me to setup a free initial consultation. I got into this line of work because I needed to help myself and now I want to help others. Let me be the person who will help you.
I can promise you this, it is a lot easier to get fit when you have someone in your corner.
SJD Health and Fitness 