Do I need the help of a Personal Trainer? For how long?
This question can also be phrased as, “Do I need the help of a teacher?” and the answer to that questions is YES, every time. But the second question is where we can dive a bit deeper. “How long will I need a personal trainer?”
Well, this is the 4th question that we are tackling here this year and like all of the other ones, there are some questions that you need to ask yourself to find the right answer. Fitness, health and wellness are so individualized that the best way to get the most accurate answers to someone is to have them answer a few related questions to get them to understand where they fall on the line of how much help is required.
There are a few things I need each client to understand as I train them and try to prepare them for this lifelong shift of putting health at the top of their priority list.
· How to exercise safely and effectively
· The basics of nutrition and macronutrients
· Why exercise and nutrition need to be a top priority in life
Once a client understands how to exercise, build their own routine, learn to adjust that routine for injury or life circumstance, how to eat in accordance to their goals, and can see the carry-over into other aspects of their life, there is nothing more for me to teach them.
“But how long does that take?” Well, here is our favorite answer, it depends. How fast do you learn? How often are you practicing? Have you overcome the mental barriers needed to shift exercise towards the top of your priority list? These timelines of understanding are different for everyone. Some people only need about 6 months to figure it all out and build the passion for their own wellness and health. But that is rarely the case. Most people it is over a year in the making.
I know what you’re thinking, “6 months to a year?” That seems like a long time! Well, put it in comparison to a new job. How long until a person is fully up to speed in a new position at work?
Entry Level job – 1-3 months
Mid-Level Professional – 3-6 months
High Skilled position – 12+ months.
These are averages but they are accurate from my experience. We can expect 40 hours a week here for a typical work week at each level of these jobs. Entry level is between 160-480 hours until the training period is over. Training/exercising 3x a week, which is about what most people can expect, is 3-4 hours of total work. If you stick to 3, 1-hour sessions each week for a YEAR, that is 156 hours. Not even enough to be competent at an entry level job.
Put your expectations of exercise into perspective. Exercising and eating in a healthy way are skills to be learned and cultivated over time. The road to a successful healthy life is a long process, and having a teacher/trainer to help guide you can make that training period the most effective.
