PTs

[Mum2Fergus]

Evening all...your thoughts please on personal trainers. I currently have approx 6st to lose to put me at a healthy BMI. I have found a local PT that will charge £30ph session...is a PT a good investment? Should I lose more weight before embarking on fitness regime...? Your thoughts please...

Mum2, do you think you could build regular exercise into your life without the help of a PT, even regular brisk walking will help if you can do it for say 40-60 minutes a day

If you have the cash I'd say go for it. It will kick off your fitness programme and keep you going to the gym regularly if you have a 'scheduled' time. Yes, you can do other stuff as well but I would do that in addition to a PT.

They are useful for two things: 1) to motivate you if you can't motivate yourself, and 2) to design routines that work for you.

I'm pretty good at self-motivation but like having the assistance of someone else to help me to develop my workout when I start finding the existing one is getting easy.

Some PTs are better than others. Some seem to give all their clients the same tired gym routine and stand over them looking bored while they do it. Others are great and work with you to reach your individual goals.

I see a PT once a week, £30 a go. I would say if you can afford it, then it's worth it... On top of the sessions, he designs workouts for me and advises me about how often to go, what to do on non-gym days, and gives me ideas/advice/suggestions about what to eat. And when I've had injuries he works the program around these so I'm not aggravating them & suggests ways to get over them quicker. Plus the fact of knowing I've got a session with him coming up, gets me motivated to go to the gym on other days and work hard, because I know it will be harder to do the session with him if I don't.

I'm a pt and have lost 4 stone over the last few years. Well, obviously it went the other way around...

Losing weight is way more about controlling your food intake than it is about exercise. Get that straightened out first, then get moving. Get yourself out walking to begin with.

A lot depends on your level of knowledge of exercise to begin with. If you're a total beginner to exercise, then a trainer will be worth their weight in gold, especially if they truly understand where you are and what your issues are.

A good trainer should give you the tools to leave them behind and be self sufficient in exercise (for the most part). If you need to book in two/three times a week just so that you 'll work out, that's different... Then it's a really expensive conscience (just as valid mind you)!

Good luck. Once you get the right mindset, you're halfway there !

Thanks all for your responses...I can afford 1 x 60min pw session...I find time is my issue. I work full time (35hrs over 4 days, off Monday) and have DS/DP to look after too. I figure on using PT on a Monday when I'm off then some evenings once DS is settled. Someone mentioned food intake...great point. I've been getting in top of that too (have lost 7lbs so far)...so everything still work in progress!

Well done so far! Ask about 45 min options too :)