Personal Training Success Story..
My Personal Trainer changed my life!
In June 2001 I celebrated my fortieth birthday. Unfortunately photographs of the celebrations revealed that far from being fabulous and forty, I was in fact forty and fat.
My weight had been gradually creeping up since 1995 but there had been a particularly dramatic increase the last two years. The weight gain was due to several factors. I gave up smoking in 1995; I had given up my busy job as a nurse/health visitor two years later; I had become increasingly inactive; two years of drug treatment for chronic anxiety and depression had left me with the side effect of chronic hunger. My weight had risen from about 10 stone in 1995 to 13 stone 10lbs in June 2001. None of my clothes fitted and although I wouldn’t admit it, I was at least a size 20 on top and at least a size 18 on the bottom. I am 5ft 5.
My self-confidence was at an all time low. I refused invitations to dinners and parties because I felt fat and ugly and none of my clothes fitted. I had lost my enthusiasm for nice clothes as nothing nice fitted. I had spent the last 2 years in unflattering baggy tracksuit pants and tops. I had constant aches and pains in particular in my hip, neck, shoulders and lower back. I used to enjoy hill walking but now I was getting breathless going up stairs! Even walking my 3 boisterous dogs was an effort. I had recently read a book on fitness and done a very basic fitness assessment on myself. It scared me. I was unfit and unhealthy and I had to do something about it. A personal trainer seemed to be the answer.
I found Tim’s name in the yellow pages, which was a gamble, but I was desperate. I spoke to him on the telephone before we met and he put my mind at rest. He sounded very confident, enthusiastic and professional. I did not really know what to expect, however Tim reassured me and outlined what he could offer. This included a personal fitness assessment, an exercise plan and nutritional advice.
Tim paid his first visit to my home at the end of November 2001. We spent our first meeting discussing my lifestyle, my previous level of fitness and exercise, how I felt about myself, and what I hoped to achieve in the months ahead. This was a great way to break the ice and concentrate my mind...I really hadn’t realised how low my self-esteem had become. Tim also took time to show me a file containing his professional qualifications and insurance. This further encouraged my confidence in his abilities and his professionalism. At this meeting Tim carried out the first fitness assessment. This included my body measurements, body fat percentage, peak flow, blood pressure, resting heart rate, BMI as well as an assessment of my flexibility. He explained that this would be the benchmark by which to measure my progress over the coming months and that they would be measured approximately every 12 weeks. I found this particularly useful as I felt I would be able to see real progress in the weeks to come.
Finally I received the dreaded exercise plan! Although I had not really known what to expect, I had thought I would be thrown into to a whirl of visiting the gym and weight training which would have been very scary and difficult to maintain. However it was not to be as Tim outlined a simple house based, circuit training regime. I had no excuse; I didn’t even have to leave the house to exercise!! Tim went through each step of the plan with me, which included aerobic work (using my stairs and an exercise bike), resistance work (I had a set of weights and Tim gave me a resistance band) and stretching. I was advised on the frequency and intensity of the exercise I should be doing and Tim also outlined the importance of monitoring my heart rate and keeping at a level that would burn fat efficiently. This was a real revelation to me and now never do exercise without my heart rate monitor!
At first we decided that initially Tim should come to the house weekly. This was real value for money! For two hours a week I had his complete attention which was invaluable. Each week he monitored my progress and technique, motivated me and answered my multitude of questions. He was always extremely encouraging and positive about what I was trying to achieve. He never made me feel foolish and always made me feel as though I would achieve my goals. He gave me really useful advice on diet, eating for exercise and encouraged me to keep a food diary. He also advised on how to manage my aches and pains and how to avoid injury. When I started exercising I suffered initially from a recurrent stiff neck and shoulder that was frustrating. However, as a gym manager Tim had access to a physiotherapist from whom he was able to get advice. Tim is also a qualified in sports massage, which he used to great effect.
Once I had mastered the house circuit Tim kept my interest by giving me new exercises and stretches to do. I began to notice that I had more energy and that my clothes were beginning to fit. Motivated by this I was soon venturing to the gym on my own and Tim and I began to spend our time together either at the gym or outside. The gym sessions were fantastic because he was able to motivate me to exercise to a higher level than I would have been able to do my self. I began to fast walk and run on a treadmill, row and cycle. He also taught me how to use free and static weights (something I had never understood) and the importance of using weights to build strength, stabilize joints and improve my cardiovascular performance. Our outside sessions were spent fast walking and running. They were hard but Tim kept my interest up by making the exercises fun and different every time. Before I knew it I was going to the gym 3 times a week, attending a yoga class once a week as well as swimming, walking and horse riding...all for pleasure!!
It is a year since I started training with Tim. I still go to the gym 3 times a week and do a mixture of cardiovascular exercises, static weights and stretching routines. I also work out with free weights at home. I have taken up golf and have continued walking, swimming and horse riding. In a year my self-confidence and self- esteem have rocketed. I have seen my body size shrink almost before my eyes. The 3 monthly assessments of my body fat and body measurements have been my great motivator. I have lost nearly 10% of my body fat and have come down 2 dress sizes on my top and bottom. My body shape has completely changed and all my clothes now fit. I have thrown away my baggy tracksuit and renewed my interest in fashionable clothes. I have much more energy; I walk faster and can run up stairs and hills without much effort. I know my body really well and I know which parts I need to work on. My aches and pains have disappeared and I feel much stronger and more flexible
The biggest effect exercise has had has been on my mental health. Having suffered from chronic anxiety and depression on and off for most of my life, I was resigned to the fact that I would have to take drugs for the rest of my life to manage the debilitating symptoms of this illness. However I soon discovered that regular exercise lifted my mood and that I was feeling much calmer and sleeping better. My resting heart rate slowed, my breathing deepened and slowed and my panic attacks diminished in frequency. My husband has noticed a huge change in my mood and I now no longer need to take tablets to control the symptoms of anxiety. I have found that I can manage the physical and mental symptoms associated with chronic anxiety and panic attacks simply by stepping on to a treadmill for 20 minutes.
Incorporating exercise into my life has had a hugely beneficial effect on my life. I have achieved most of the goals I set with Tim a year ago. I now only see Tim every 12 weeks or so in order that he can measure my body fat % and give me encouragement and advice. I still have some way to go. My goals have now changed and are much more specific; I want to get fitter, leaner and run a lot more, possibly even complete a marathon one day. Above all I am thoroughly motivated to continue and keeping fit has become part of my life. I reckon that’s money well spent.
Thanks Tim!
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