The benefits of exercise are waiting and are too great to be ignored, but the struggle to actually do exercise is REAL.
I am a personal trainer in Schaumburg. Being a personal trainer does not mean that I love to workout. Being a personal trainer means that I love learning about the opportunities that exercise can provide when applied appropriately to the body. I love learning and exploring this opportunity of exercise so much that I made it a profession.
Recap:
- Julie as a personal trainer ≠ intense lover and worshipper of exercise.
- Julie as a personal trainer = fascination with the human body and the opportunities provided by exercise.
Being a personal trainer means that I am also human. Humans don’t always stick to their plan for exercise….. Me, personal trainer me, was one of those humans.
The best part of this? I used to save a lot of time by NOT working out (or at least not working out as much as I “planned”). The downfall of this? I never reached my exercise goals.
I would make up a ton of ideas of why it would be a better idea to not work out or to cut my workouts short. I had a business to run, I needed to cook dinner, there are just a few emails I needed to send out, sleeping in would be nice, perhaps I wasn’t feeling well, I hadn’t eaten much that day, I didn’t feel like getting sweaty and then having to shower…. Shall I continue?
I hope you can relate. This is normal human thinking, in my experience. There are a million things pulling us in a billion directions…ALL…THE…TIME.
I always thought that it would be beneficial for me to have someone like a trainer or to join group class (yes, I am very social), but every time I would go, I didn’t enjoy the training style. Let’s face it, after hours (and still hours every day) of studying the body and the muscle system, I have some opinions on how it should and shouldn’t be worked.
What was hard is that I was battling the same issues that I help my clients with each and every day. Please refer to 3 paragraphs ago when I explained all my reasons why wouldn’t stick to my workout plan if you have forgotten.
Finally, I realized what I needed. I needed to work out with someone that has very similar body and muscle education as I did!
The first thing I tried was working out with, of course, Charlie! We used to go to the gym together. This faded quickly on my half because, if you know me, I like to talk, and if you know Charlie, he does not. Serious deal breaker right there!
Then, a couple of years later, we got a new trainer that began working at MAS, Courtney! After many months, Courtney and I started training together and I have never stayed as consistent with my works as I am with a her — a training partner that I actually enjoy being with, talks at my speed, and seeks further understanding of the body on a regular basis.
Not only do I stay consistent with my exercise, I LOOK FORWARD to my exercise time. This is completely a win-win experience. It is a great mental break to stay focused on something other than work, but I am also getting all the benefits of exercise that I never got to experience before. Exercise provides many benefits, but you MUST actually do the exercise to reap them! Check out these topics if you are interested in reading more about the benefits of exercise:
- Five Principles To Help You Exercise For Life
- Fitness – We Have Been Taught To Focus On The Wrong Thing
- Women, Weights, and Wellbeing
As a personal trainer, I often feel that our not-normal-human-traits are highlighted by the general population. But, personal trainers are humans, too. If you are struggling to figure out a workout plan, a workout partner, or a workout schedule that works for you, I encourage you to keep looking! The benefits of exercise are waiting and are too great to be ignored.
– Julie
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