“Group training can cost as little as $15 an hour. Women especially enjoy combining


fitness with socializing. Working together and growing together, they feed off and rely on each other to show up.”


~ Kristin McGee


on balance and making sure I didn’t feel nervous.” McGee was able to help Duke prevent fitness loss,


which can happen to anyone that goes four weeks without exercising, reports Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal. Maintaining regular exercise can also deter de- pression, confirmed by a study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine. Three years after the injury, Duke can now hold a downward dog yoga pose and do a headstand. “I’m also run- ning again,” Duke adds. “I’m signed up for a half marathon.” Richard Cotton, a personal trainer in Indianapolis, Indiana,


and the American College of Sports Medicine’s national direc- tor of certification, agrees that a good long-term trainer often serves as a fitness, nutrition and even life coach. “You can’t metaphorically cut off people’s heads and only train their bod- ies. Then you are just a technician,” he observes. Building a true foundation for health requires under- standing the importance of each building block, not just working with a trainer for a few sessions and afterwards going blindly through the motions, attests Sandra Blackie, a former professional bodybuilder, certified nutritionist and current personal trainer in San Diego, California. “I want to educate my clients.”


During extended peri-


ods, good trainers also revise routines at least once every four weeks to prevent adapta- tion, another problem that can hinder reaching fitness goals. “Without trainers, people of- ten get stuck in a rut and lose motivation,” remarks Blackie, who also adapts exercises ac- cording to bodily changes due to aging or other conditions. Long-term relationships


also allow trainers to focus on the individual’s bottom- line goals, Cotton notes. For instance, “I want to lose 10 pounds,” might really mean,


“I want the energy to play with my kids,” or “I want to feel more alert at work.” “Achievable goals evolve from values,” Cotton explains.


“It’s not about getting in super great shape for six months and then stopping. It’s about creating a foundation for life.”


Freelance journalist Debra Melani writes about health care and fitness from Lyons, CO. Connect at Debra Melani.com or DMelani@msn.com.


natural awakenings September 2013 23


Traits to Look for in a Trainer


by Cecily Casey


Engage a personal trainer based on his/her positive re- sponses to the following qualifiers.


4 Starts by discussing short- and long-term goals 4 Customizes a program for individual needs 4 Reviews one’s health history in detail 4 Conducts a posture analysis 4 Screens each client for quality of movement 4 Asks the client to track his or her food intake 4 Provides helpful cues for improvement during sessions 4 Critiques movement from various angles


4 Is able to ramp up or ease off exercise challenges as needed 4 Never uses the phrase, “No pain, no gain”


4 Keeps current with educational certifications, workshops and seminars


Cecily Casey is co-owner of RealFit Gym, in Highland Park, IL, where she is a practicing American College of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer.


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