The year's most cruel, anticipated, and dreaded season is now in full swing: the fated time for beach-tripping. Many of us who feasted this winter are wishing we had started pumping iron six months ago so we could feel a bit more comfortable in this summer's swim wear. If only we could go back now...but since we cannot turn back the clock, we can certainly pay someone to tell us how to work out 24/7, right? Ummm. No.
Though exercise is a central part of a healthy lifestyle (along with diet), paying someone with a sculpted bod to tell you how to move your not-so-sculpted-self around enough to send their nonexistent children to Yale and back is just silly. Why do you need someone to watch you? If you've got any sense at all, you'll be self-conscious and will be made feeling incompetent by even the most sensitive and understanding trainer. Maybe it's just me, but with this ripped lady standing over my shoulder, I'd about wet myself with shame over my body fat percentage. A spotter is great, sure, but one you pay to stand there and make sure you don't strangle yourself on the bench press? Find a friend, already. Don't pay anyone to sit there and watch you sweat. You couldn't pay them enough.
If you're looking to lose some weight, tone up, or just maintain your already-rockin' self, a consultation with a personal trainer is a fabulous idea: get an idea of what kinds of work-outs you should be doing and find a gym (or the equipment) to do it yourself, on your own time. While the structured schedule of a daily or weekly appointment with a personal trainer can help you adhere to your goals (meaning that this person knows when you've quit and will call and guilt you out of bed and onto a treadmill), the self-motivation necessary to force yourself into exercising is a great skill to cultivate.
If you can convince yourself to go work out when your legs ached at work all day and your pecs tug when you lifted that gallon of milk this morning, think of the other temporary Hells you can now navigate, thanks to your newfound strength. Maybe, in a few months, after you've tried meditative breathing, you can calmly make a trip to the DMV or drive past a day care center without shuddering.
Again, Madame Riche you have saved me a bundle! I will be dismissing my personal trainer at once! After all, why should I pay someone to make me feel fat? That's what my friends are for.
ReplyDeleteReally? Maybe you should pay your friends more, they'll usually insult you less that. And with your non-union personal trainer fired, you even have the money to do so!
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