It’s no secret to any of my friends and family that going to the gym is a part of my daily routine. In fact, if I’m not at home with my nose buried in a book or studying, I’m most likely at the gym. It wasn’t always my favorite place in the world, though. I was a dancer for at least ten years, so when it came to doing anything that involved my upper body, I felt silly. Even stepping foot near a rack of dumbbells made me feel like a fish out of water, but my usual cardio routine wasn’t hacking it anymore.
So, after lots of conversations with both my sister and my mom, I decided it would be a good idea to fully invest in getting a personal trainer. My mom had been seeing one for years, and I have always been so proud of how strong of a woman she is mentally, but now physically too. After some trial runs with her trainer and some time to get comfortable with working out in a gym, my sister and I joined forces and decided to see a trainer of our own last July.
Best. Decision. Ever.
Now, I know a lot of people have anxiety when it comes to working out. I know I still get weirded out by the guys in the rec who make funny noises when they’re clearly trying to lift more than they’re capable of. A part of me was so sick of alternating between the treadmill and the elliptical. My noodle arms needed to be toned, and yet I didn’t know the first thing about including new moves into my routine, besides a few basic ones I’d see in YouTube videos. I was nervous during my first few sessions. However, having my sister there doing everything with me helped, as well as the fact that I instantly clicked with one of the personal trainers at my gym back home, Colleen. I was really pleased to know that she used to be a gymnast, so she understood what I was talking about when I detailed the workouts we did in dance classes.
She made sure that I was doing exercises correctly, so that way I wasn’t unintentionally hurting myself. She showed me how to adjust different machines and how heavy the weights I was using should be, and introduced me to new exercises that weren’t just the ones I had been accustomed to in my high school gym classes. However, instead of dreading trying something new, I actually found myself looking forward to training sessions and discovering what cool new thing I could do with my body.
Working with a trainer definitely built my confidence up, especially since she taught me so much about what kinds of exercises work for my body and my goals. Not only that, I was (and still am) impressing myself by my improvement over a few months. Now, I can actually do things like bench a 45 pound bar without feeling like my arms were going to give out (at least, not at first).
I get individual attention to help me figure out a work-out routine that helps me instead of just aimlessly following the next fitness influencer that pops up on my social media feeds. She also challenges me to push myself and step out of my comfort zone, something I wouldn’t normally do by myself. I am essentially forced to not cower in the corner because I feel uncomfortable and unsure. Instead, I’m now confident every time I step in the gym, even if I’m the only girl surrounded by a bunch of dudes benching way more than me.
Going to the gym is not for everyone. Heck, working-out in the traditional sense isn’t for everyone. Same thing goes with a personal trainer: it doesn’t always fit everyone’s budgets and comfort levels. However, if one of your goals this year is getting on that fitness grind, I fully suggest entertaining the idea of getting a personal trainer. I know I’m glad that I did.