What Older Adults Should Expect from a Personal Trainer
After hitting the gym 2-3 times a week over the last 8 years and working with several different personal trainers, I feel stronger than when I started my 60's and have maintained a stable weight of 170. I still can't say that I enjoy exercise, I hate running, despise cardio machines and without my trainer and group class appointments I tend to lapse back into bad habits of not exercising.
Now that I'm nearing the big 70, I credit exercise for getting me through my 60's and I am committed to getting even stronger for my 70's. I'm still struggling with laziness, bad eating habits, drinking too much wine and the usual aches and pains of aging that are great excuses not to workout. For me, having a trainer with a regular schedule helps me to overcome all those excuses and is a great investment in my health.
I am now an experienced consumer of personal trading having invested literally thousands of dollars over the last decade with numerous trainers at two different gyms. My first trainer at 24 hr. Fitness, Johnny Gillespie, guided me through endurance, conditioning and strength workouts with the great wisdom of a 28-year old who enjoys the intricacies of the health and fitness world. Johnny was amazing and I still miss his guidance but I moved to a new gym closer to home for the feeling of community and energy that I felt there. My last three years at Fitness Quest 10 have been great because of the many fine trainers I have worked with who share their knowledge at small group classes and personal 1-1 sessions.
As an experienced "fitness' consumer", I want to share what I see as the three big benefits that us over 60 boomers can get from a personal training, benefits that won't come from self-directed exercise programs. And after that I'll share the four things that every fitness consumer should expect to receive from their relationship with a personal trainer.
Personal Training: The Top 3 Benefits For Older Adults
1. Muscle Awareness- Proprioception.
Here is a new word for us boomers, "proprioception". It means to have an awareness of ones own body position. I translate that to be muscle awareness. The most important lessons I learn from my trainer is to become more aware of the specific muscles I use in daily life and learning how to focus on specific muscles during exercise to realize fitness gains.
Thanks to my trainers, I have discovered muscles that I didn't know I had. With every exercise, I like it when my trainer says: "where do you feel that?" Based on my answer, my trainer can help me adjust my form to be sure I am working the right muscle or muscle group.
For example, doing kettle bell swings and deadlifts with no mental focus on your glutes will probably cause you to use your lower back muscles instead. With my weak lower back and lack of flexibility that was my big challenge, using my glutes to stand up with the weight and not using my lower back. With help from my trainer and giving more focus on the muscles I am using, I can now deadlift using the glutes, where more strength will help with everyday movements.
For bench presses, my current trainer Jeffery King has taught me that the move is more than arms and shoulders, you also need to engage your back muscles which is a hard trick to learn. Here is me at my "One Rep Max" of 135 lbs. bench press.
2. Functional Strength.
The second benefit of personal training is to help you focus on functional strength or your "core" For those of us over 60, we all want to maintain the strength we need for everyday activities, for simply walking, stairs or just standing at a party for an hour without back fatigue. We also want to be able to sit and stand without effort, to carry groceries or do fun activities like hiking, golfing, biking and playing with grandchildren.
The best way to maintain functional strength is to build your core muscles. Here is a good definition I found for the core:
"Your core is a complex series of muscles, extending far beyond your abs, including everything besides your arms and legs. It is incorporated in almost every movement of the human body."
My trainers have helped me to focus on the "posterior chain" of muscles that are critical for good posture and movement. Most of us boomers have the tendency to be "forward" or internally rotated. Strengthening the weaknesses of the posterior chain, your back, glutes, hamstrings, calfs, will help achieve structural balance to improve strength, flexibility and posture.
So how can a personal trainer help? By always including some new exercise challenges to build the core and the posterior chain. That keeps me focused on getting stronger and better. Like with these wall walk-ups!
3. Flexibility.
The third and maybe the most important benefit of personal training for Boomers is improving flexibility.
For most of my 69 years, I was never concerned about flexibility, I never stretched or even gave it any thought. But as I hit 60, I became more aware of how stiff I was in everyday movements, bending, sitting and reaching. And the first thing my very first trainer did was evaluate my flexibility, which sucked.
No way could I bend over and touch my toes, no way could I extend my arms straight up over my head, and no way could I squat down and sit without support from my arms. So stretching is a key part of the exercise routine I go through before workouts, with my trainer and after workouts. I should do stretches everyday but I have still failed to build that habit.
But now after working at it on and off for the last 8 years, I can touch my toes with a slight knee bend, my shoulders allow me raise my arms straight up and I can do squats with an OK form. But I still suffer from occasional muscle pulls, I have strained my achilles, my adductor, my elbow and my shoulder all from flexibility problems. But with my trainers help, I keep working through the strains and keep working on better flexibility.
I have really found that Facial Stretch Therapy (FST) is a great add-on to training. My last trainer at FQ10, Kody Olinger was a certified FST therapist who sold me on the benefits of FST. What I have learned that stretching is essential, it helps keep me moving and it keeps away my hip pain that comes from not moving enough.
I've also tried Functional Range Conditioning sessions with trainer Jesse Dietrick. FRC is and exercise system focused on mobility development, joint strength and body control, three areas that every older adult needs to work on. Check out both FST and FRC to work on better mobility and flexibility.
Four Things The Older Adult Fitness Consumer Should Expect From Their Personal Trainer.
Personal 1-1 training is not cheap but I believe it is the best investment you can make with your retirement dollars. It doesn't have a capital gain or interest rate return but it will have a longevity and life enjoyment return that makes it worth every dollar invested. As a consumer, since you are typically paying $70-$90 per 1 hour session, you have a right to expect your trainer to add value and deliver a good service.
Here are the four things that I expect from a quality personal trainer:
1. Get to know my body situation. Your trainer should start every session by asking you how you feel, any aches or pains. And over time, your trainer should have an understanding of your individual limitations and health challenges and adapt a workout program accordingly.
2. Help Me Set Goals. Having a goal to work toward adds motivation, accountability and makes the process more fun. Your trainer should be helping you set realistic and fun goals to strive toward.
3. Create A Program and Track My Progress. I expect my trainer to come to each session with a a daily program that is part of a larger plan for me to reach my goals. In my case building strength.
4. Bring Variety and Fun to Each Session. I love a trainer who is always giving me new exercises and variety. I don't want to always repeat the same exercises and I'm looking for progress and change which adds to the fun of each session.
Get a "Trainer" Not a Workout Coach.
With COVID19 pandemic, I have moved my workouts into my garage with limited equipment but I'm still at it. I am lucky to have Jeff come to my house for 1-1 sessions that are keeping me focused on building and keeping my strength.
In conclusion, I urge my fellow Boomers to remember that the word "train" is in the term personal trainer for a reason. I expect my trainer to be more than a workout coach who gives me workouts and encouragement. I want someone who can "train" me in exercise science. Why am I doing these exercises? What is the correct form for the best results? If I hurt, what can I do do correct it?
To achieve these three benefits above and to make sure you get your money's worth from personal training, find a trainer that is educated about exercise science, muscles and technique. Fortunately, my current trainer is an educator who can teach me how strength exercises will make me stronger and healthier for my 70's and beyond!
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