4 reasons why hiring a Personal Trainer can help you lead a healthier, happier life

As the warmer weather returns, many people are getting back to the gym to shed the winter weight for that summer body and improve their health – we explore how a Personal Trainer can help.

“It’s encouraging to see people prioritise their health again. This is especially important because of the significant impact that lifestyle diseases can have on many South Africans,” says Leandre Kark, Head of Brand Marketing at Virgin Active South Africa.

“It’s a well-known fact that South Africans have some of the highest rates of non-communicable diseases (NCD) like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer; all of which have an adverse impact on quality of life and life expectancy. Lifestyle factors such as diet, physical inactivity and alcohol abuse contribute to the prevalence of NCDs among South Africans.”

As such, exercise and good nutrition are essential to off-set the impact of NCDs. While the benefits of a healthy lifestyle are clear, it’s not always clear where to start or how to achieve a healthy balance.

Hiring a Personal Trainer can be helpful for various reasons, primarily because they can provide personalised expertise, motivation and accountability to help their clients achieve their goals.

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1. A personal trainer is qualified to guide you

While there’s no shortage of resources on apps or the internet, Personal Trainers are certified professionals with knowledge of exercise physiology, nutrition and fitness principles. They can create a customised workout plan tailored to specific goals, fitness levels and medical considerations.

“The expertise offered by qualified Personal Trainers ensures that you’re performing exercises correctly and safely, minimising the risk of injury and maximising the effectiveness of your workouts.

“This can also make a significant difference to how confident you feel in the gym, because you have an experienced partner to help and guide you,” adds Kark.

2. Goal Achievement: Setting and working towards realistic milestones

Personal Trainers can help you set realistic and achievable fitness goals. They break down long-term objectives into manageable milestones, providing you with a clear path to success. Having someone to help you track your progress and adjust your program as needed, makes the effort of working towards the goal feel more manageable and achievable.

3. Motivation and accountability

Working towards long-term lifestyle change takes time, which can lead to complacency or even boredom, especially if you don’t experience immediate results.

Working with a Personal Trainer and knowing that there is a scheduled training session to show up for can serve as a powerful incentive to stay committed to your journey.

Personal Trainers also hold you accountable for your workouts and nutrition choices, making it a little harder to skip a session or eat unhealthy foods.

4. An exercise approach tailored to what works for you

When embarking on a fitness and wellness journey, it’s important to understand what advantages and limitations you might have. Everyone is different and it’s important to take a tailored approach to ensure you are not overextending yourself or setting yourself up for failure.

Taking incremental steps is the key to achieving a goal, and working with a trainer who understands your lifestyle can be highly effective in enabling consistent progress.

“Personal Trainers design exercise routines that cater to your individual needs and preferences. They also take any medical conditions or previous injuries into consideration. Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, improve flexibility or simply be healthier, they can create a plan that aligns with your objectives. This personalised approach ensures that you remain engaged, enjoy your workouts and stay the course to a healthier, happier you.” concludes Kark.

Author: Pedro van Gaalen

When he’s not writing about sport or health and fitness, Pedro is probably out training for his next marathon or ultra-marathon. He’s worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms expert. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.