Why You Need a Personal Trainer

There’s a reason why celebrities and other highly successful people use coaches and trainers:  IT WORKS. 

And that is why so many people are turning to personal trainers to help them move from mediocre to excellence in their pursuit of health, fitness and weight loss.

The reality

More than 91% of people who start an exercise program quit early—even before their new routine becomes a habit, and 61% will give up within the very first week!¹

Why?  Because changing your lifestyle is hard.  In spite of all the infomercials and ads claiming that you can lose weight and transform your body in thirty days (or six weeks at the longest), the truth is, getting fit requires a lifestyle makeover that takes

• Time
• Determination
• Support

If any of these components is missing, the odds of success plummet.

The fix

The good news is that one component virtually guarantees the continued presence of the other two, and that is support--and support is the heart of what a good personal trainer provides.

A personal trainer helps with the time factor in two ways:

1. Finding time in your schedule to actually work out
2. Sticking with your program long enough to reach your goals.

A personal trainers supports you looking at your schedule and find ways to make fitness fit.  A seasoned personal trainer has much wisdom in the area of time management and is a master at figuring out how to work exercise into even the busiest schedules. He can also design workouts that are both efficient and effective.  Finally, a personal trainer can also provide the motivation that you need to keep going, long after you would have stopped were you doing working out by yourself.

Determination is also an area that a personal trainer supports you in.  At the beginning of your new fitness program, you have excitement, novelty and the joy of discovery to keep you going.  But eventually, what used to be new and fun becomes old and boring.  If determination fades, you will find yourself wandering off track in search of the next exciting pursuit.

Your personal trainer will help you keep your determination.  He will remind you why you are doing what you are doing.  He will get into your life and help you move past obstacles that arise, and he will talk you out of excuse-making.  He will constantly hold before you the consequences of your choices.  He will keep you moving forward.

And finally, a personal trainer supports you as your source for practical, step-by-step instructions for building health.  Your personal trainer is an expert in the field of exercise science.  While under the tutelage of a personal trainer, you do not have to design your own program of fitness, constantly wondering whether you are doing the right exercises in the right way.  A personal trainer will create a customized blueprint that will help you achieve your goals.

A personal trainer is your insurance policy against being another number in the appalling fitness drop-out statistics.  Don’t try to go it alone; we all need help.

Position yourself for success by working with a personal trainer and watch fitness and robust health become part of your life. Check out Starport’s personal training options > click here.

Source: ¹ http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42936158/ns/today-today_health/t/tips-make-fitness-last-lifetime/#.T-hd6PXuBmo

Reality Check: Say No to Summer Weight Gain

So you spent the winter working hard.  You exercised consistently, you were careful to eat more healthy foods and you watched your portion sizes.  Why?  So you would look great at the lake and have plenty of energy to enjoy summer.  You greeted summer with a healthy, toned body.

But summer, in spite of all the fun and relaxation it brings, can be tricky and deal us a cruel blow when it comes to our fitness.

Have you noticed the scale creeping up a little over the last couple of months?  If so, you are not alone. Summer is a very easy time to overindulge and pick up those pounds that you shed during the winter months.

Is that what you want though?  Are you willing to undo all that you worked so hard to accomplish? 

Remember that bad habits creep in slowly.  Perhaps you are skipping your workouts a couple days each week, because ‘You have so much to do.’ Or maybe you have been indulging in unhealthy food or drinks a little more frequently when you are with friends.  It happens-little by little.  It happens one small choice at a time.  But those choices add up fast.

If you realize that you have been slipping up, it’s not too late to turn around and get back on track. Really!  There is still plenty of summer left for you to regain whatever ground you might have lost and get back to awesome.

Here are a few common reasons that people gain weight in the summer and how to remedy them.

1. Disrupted sleep cycle. Summer brings with it more daylight and longer days.  This extra sunshine can cause our circadian rhythms to change which causes us to sleep less.  But if we don’t get enough sleep, our bodies will respond by packing on a few extra pounds!  The solution?  Be diligent to get at least seven hours of sleep each night.
2. Baby, it’s hot out there! When it’s hot and humid, we tend to move around less.  Our energy is lower and besides, who wants to sweat even more, right?  But the less you move, the slower your metabolism is and the fewer calories you will burn.  Be intentional about keeping up with your exercise.  Find indoor exercise alternatives like boot camp classes or maybe even take up swimming.  Just keep moving.
3. On the road again. Summer meals travel and travel means healthy eating just got harder.  Eating on the road presents big challenges if you are trying to eat clean.  Before your summer trips, brainstorm some ways to reduce the amount of fast food that you will consume while you are away.  Consider packing a cooler with hummus, nuts, lean proteins sources like chicken, fresh fruit and raw veggies.
4. Caution: Cookouts!  Ahhh…summer cookouts, parties, family reunions.  All this spells danger because the food at these festivities is usually about as unhealthy as you can get!  Make sure you pass on the hotdogs, potato salad, oily salad dressings and rich cakes.  Look for grilled vegetables, fresh fruit and lean cuts of meat prepared without greasy marinades.

Don’t let the summer creep undo all the hard work you’ve done to get you where you are right now.  Decide to fight back.  Make up your mind to finish well this summer.  Your future self will thank you!