When you imagine a personal trainer, what do you visualise? Someone who is toned, glamorous, overly assertive bordering on aggressive? Someone who has it all sussed and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of all things fitness and exercise related?
I was lucky enough to have an amazing personal trainer for a short while. Having always judged myself in the harshest possible way, I was terrified that I would let him down- like the person who hires a cleaner but does not want them to find the house messy, I decided that I needed to show just how fit I was and ultimately dissolved into tears when I failed to complete a sprint on the rowing machine. The poor guy looked mortified and simply asked me why I was upset. When I explained that I could have done better, he simply asked ” better than what?”
My sessions became as much a chance to chat abut life and feelings as anything and reset my mind to exercise in a positive way. Exercise became my friend, after many years of it being yet another thing to beat myself up about. My love of boxing and fartlek training was born from this brief relationship. Chris is now a very successful PT in Bristol. I miss him.
So when I decided to study to become a PT, I knew that my strengths would lie in my own life experiences with exercise, years of disordered eating, marriage breakups, single parenthood, teaching in a variety of schools and being a woman. I come with baggage, I am beginning to know my worth. I am not a clean eating health freak, I drink wine, I watch rubbish TV and I have developed a midlife fixation on Taylor Swift. I have imposter syndrome most of the time and I can care way way way too much about everyone and everything. However, I am beginning to see that I am pretty good at forming positive relationships with people wanting to try some exercise and develop confidence in themselves again. The joy I get from watching people come through the door each week with more confidence, with more of a smile and a happiness to see other that they me the week before is the best feeling.
There is a trend now for experiences rather than commodities and services. What makes my personal training and small group work an experience? I believe that anything physical is an experience. It is something that is never the same feeling twice. it varies with your mood, the day, life in general and can be coloured and enhanced by sensitive and empathic input. Personal training is a fluid journey with no end goal. Sure, we might set a goal- lose weight, tone up our arms etc etc etc but I can guarantee that those goals will soon be surpassed by emotional and physical gains you never knew you could have. What you are doing is building a new relationship with yourself, exploring just how phenomenal your body and mind is and what it can do- falling in love- or at least like, with it a bit more. Setting aside the time to do this is an experience in itself. It is you saying that you are worth it- not that you need to change/ lose weight/ run a marathon. Sometimes we need help to become intrinsically motivated. Having someone there rooting for you, curious to help you find your exercise of choice for the moment that fits into where you are is what makes it a journey and an experience.
So- would you like a New year experience? I’m taking bookings now and the first one is half price. You might quite enjoy it.
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