Why train?

For many people, having a personal trainer or doing individual Pilates sessions seems like a waste of money.  After all, a gym membership or group class is much cheaper.  Walking and running are pretty much free.  Weights are not expensive, and once you buy them, you keep them forever.  So why do it?

• Expertise.  Trainers know how to structure workouts for safety.  We check form.  We tailor exercises to individual needs.

• Accountability.  We’re there so clients have to show up.  Most people, when they pay for something, figure they had better use it.

• Progress.  Trainers keep track of where clients start.  We know when to push a little farther.  We help set goals and plans to achieve them.

• Fun.  Some people truly love weight training.  The rest of us benefit from having someone there to keep us from focusing on how heavy those silly dumbbells are or how much our thighs are going to hurt tomorrow.

It is important to find a trainer who is a good fit.  That is one reason why I offer a free initial assessment and session—I want to make sure that my clients feel like they can work with me comfortably before they commit.  Want to try?

My great-grandma made this scary witch...

In general, I don’t like fear as a motivator.  I prefer positive, encouraging things.  However, since it is Halloween, here is a list of scary things that keep me exercising.

• Death.  That would be the big one.  Doing cardio helps prolong life by keeping my heart and lungs healthy.

• Depression.  Moving, especially moving outside, boosts mood.

• Dementia.  Exercise is good for the brain.  Since I intend to live a long time, I would like to do that living independently and with my faculties intact, thank you very much.

• Bears.  In the unlikely event that I ever encounter bears, it is my goal to make a valiant effort to run away.  Practice will help with that.  Please do not tell me that running away is not the right answer for evading bears.  I need faith, no matter how misguided.

Bad decisions, good stories

It is news to no one that we sometimes make bad decisions.  That’s just life.  We are not perfect and, if we were, we would have no stories to tell, which would be pretty darn awful.

Good stories come out of what we do after we make bad decisions.  When we realize that we are lost, or that we shouldn’t have said that thing, or had that third drink, or sat on the couch for an entire week and we decide to do something about it, we move into the protagonist space.  We have an obstacle and we get to overcome it.  Sure, the obstacle may not look like a dragon or a mountain.  Maybe our personal monster looks like a pair of too-tight jeans or a pile of empty soda cans.  No matter what it looks like, the way to win is to start working.

Step one might be as simple as standing up.  Maybe we make a call to a friend.  Maybe we go for a walk.  If we don’t know what step one is, we can ask.

I’m here for goal-setting and non-couch-sitting if anyone needs me!