What you should know about your trainer and what your trainer should know about you…

I’ve gotten a lot of emails recently regarding the article linked to my website regarding how to pick a personal trainer. The reason I posted this article is because I wanted my potential clients to know what a qualified personal trainer is. First, there is the certification. Is your trainer certified? Who are they certified with? Is it up to date? Here is a link with personal training certification programs that are accredited through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies: http://www.noca.org/GeneralInformation/JoinNOCA/tabid/65/Default.aspx.

This is a third party certification agency that examines the organizations that certify personal trainers. You should ask your trainer what agency they are certified through and then verify it.

Once you’ve established that they are indeed certified then you should ask if they have taken continuing education credits because new research comes out regularly. Most certification agencies require their trainers to take a certain amount of cec’s in order to continue their current certification. Also ask if your trainer has taken any college education classes in the field of exercise science, health and fitness or something in a related area. It is not required by trainers and it doesn’t necessarily mean the ones with the college education are better than the ones without. It really depends on what the trainer has educated themselves with and are they applying that to the clients. Your trainer should create a customized training program and this should change regularly as you become competent on what you have learned. A trainer should never have their clients in severe pain the day after a session. If you do have this severe pain then you should talk to your trainer about cutting back on the weight or amount of exercise. If your trainer says that you are fine and continues to have you wake up in severe pain each time then it’s time to find a new trainer. If you experience any pain during a workout you should tell your trainer and try a different exericise and if the pain persists then maybe you should make a trip to the doctor to make sure you are ok to keep training.

Something clients should focus on during a consultation is whether or not you think you will get along with this trainer. This is very important because it is your money and you shouldn’t dread your workouts because you don’t like your trainer. If you don’t notice this until after you start training with them then talk to your trainer and let them know if you don’t agree with something like the way they talk to you or if they are yelling at you. Again, it’s your money and you should feel confident with your trainer.

Now trainers, same thing goes…ask your client what their goals are and then ask them if they are willing to do what it takes to get there. You will most likely only spend 1-3 hours with them per week so the rest of the week they need to be disciplined as well. You don’t want to train someone who won’t succeed. You may need the money but it could hurt your clientelle if you are training people who are not getting results. Other potential clients aren’t going to know it was the client who continued to eat too many calories and not work out when you are not there. Also, trainers don’t be offended if your client interviews you and asks a lot of questions about you. That usually means this client is serious about their work out and they will succeed with your training. Also, you should see if you think you will get along with your client. If the client is clashing with your personality then it might be best to not pursue this because if they decided later down the line that they don’t like you then they can give you a bad reputation. This is a two way relationship and both parties need to be satisfied. But don’t just take my word for it, do your own research. Both the client and trainer needs to take care of their health/reputation.

So that’s what I wanted to say on this topic. Here is the link to the MSN article I found on chosing your trainer. Good Luck! :)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3076604/

Kristina Crossway

KrisCross Training

NASM Certified Personal Trainer

Weight Loss Could Literally Save Your Life!

CNN Reports Cancer is linked to Obesity

Ok, I just had to add this article. New research has shown a link between obesity and cancer. Specifically, the report says that 49 percent of endometrial cancers are caused by excess body fat. That number is followed by 35 percent of esophageal cancer cases; 28 percent of pancreatic cancer cases; 24 percent of kidney cancer cases; 21 percent of gallbladder cancer cases; 17 percent of breast cancer cases; and 9 percent of colorectal cancer cases. Wow, I had no idea!

For some reason diabetes and heart disease aren't enough to scare most people into losing weight but maybe cancer can. I'd hate to say that I'm excited about this new research report, because I'm not exactly, but I am excited about the potential of people living healthier lives because of this report. Cancer seems to scare people more so than other weight related diseases. I guess it's because when you hear the word cancer people immediately think: chemotherapy, losing hair, being violently ill, all before getting better if that is even a possibility. I guess when people think of diabetes they think of insulin shots that don't seem so bad and for some reason don't think of the possibility of losing your feet. When it comes to heart disease I guess people think of having a pace maker or taking medications and not needing a heart transplant. Also if you did need a heart transplant the chances aren't very good for an obese person getting a heart. But the big "C" really scares people. If that is what it takes for people to be scared into losing weight well then please get scared. Many obese people don't even realize they are obese, they just think they are overweight and that they can lose it eventually.

A friend of mine was looking at some pictures of herself her mom had taken at a gathering earlier in the week and while we were looking at them she noticed one of her laying down on the couch after the gathering and there was a big ring of fat surrounding her face almost looking as if her face was being swallowed up. She asked me if she really looked that big, the dreaded question you don't want to answer...So I asked her if I looked bigger in the picture than what I really am and she sadly said no. She knew she had gained some wait but really didn't think it was that much or that she was obese until she saw that one picture. That is all it took and the next day she asked me to help her with an exercise program. So far she has lost an average of 2-3 pounds per week.

There are people that really and truly try to lose weight over and over again and fail. But then one day, something finally clicks with them, whether it is a picture, an article they are reading or a conversation with an old friend and they are hit with a few eye opening realizations. While they thought they were happy with the way they were, they really weren't. Some people realize this when they try playing a sport they hadn't played in awhile and realize they can't do it now. Some realize it when they finally get to baby-sit their grandchild they've waited for so long and they just can't keep up. Some realize it when they see a picture of themselves in a very unflattering way and then there are others who will realize it when they are told they are at risk of dying. Finding that realization can be such a memorable moment and those people who go on to lose the weight will always remember that moment.

When will you have your moment? I hope your moment can be after reading this article because I would hate for your health to be in jeopardy in the near future. Taking the first step can be hard but so worth it. It may take more than joining a gym and cutting back on some calories. For many people it is an emotional attachment, I know for me it was (and still is; I just learn to resist it most of the time). It may take a commitment of hiring a personal trainer to help hold you accountable and/or joining a support group to hear that other people struggle too and to share tips with others and get advice from a professional. Many people don't realize that their overeating or unwillingness to exercise is due to some emotional connection either from when they were a child, teenager or college.

In my family we were taught to eat when we have something to celebrate. When anybody was sad we would bake cookies, brownies or cake. I think we had food with almost any emotion we had. Even though I managed to learn to eat healthy and attempted to teach my kids to eat healthy I didn't realize that I was actually passing this eating with emotions on to my kids. Of course when anyone in the family did something good we went out to eat. But then if anyone had a rough day or was sad b/c a fish died or they were in a fight with a friend, there I was baking cookies to make them feel better. It dawned on me last year when my 14 year old daughter was sad b/c this boy she liked actually liked someone else and she came to talk to me and before I could say anything she said "Can we make some cookies?” There was my moment...the moment I realized I was teaching my kids the same thing my parents taught me. After all these years of school, training classes, working in the medical field, helping any and all of my friends to lose weight, exercise and eat right, I was teaching my own kids to have an unhealthy relationship with food. How do you undo that? Especially when I still want to eat brownies when I don't feel good.

Well, I’m working on it, lol...but I've thought of some ways to help brake the habits without them knowing and honestly without them knowing they have the habits to begin with. From now on when someone is feeling sad then we will go out and do something fun like bowling, skating, hiking or something active the kids like. When they do something good then we celebrate by going to Six Flags or Stone Mountain. I guess I'll have to keep cake for their birthdays and we can go out to eat just for fun without a feeling associated with it. I teach them how to make healthy options out at restaurants but we just don't want to associate feelings with along with it.

So to sum all of that up...GO see your doctor about all the risks that are associated with being overweight, GO look at some recent pictures (or if you were like me when I was overweight I didn't have pictures taken of me, so go get some taken) and then take a long hard look at yourself. Do you really think you are happy? Do you feel happy about the way you look? Then GO do something about it. Save your life! I think you're important enough to save. :) Good Luck!