Why you should have a Personal Trainer to practise Yoga
You know the story: you get a thought in your head about achieving something fitness or exercise related (sometimes after a public holiday). You perhaps join a gym and train alone or attend some classes. You do this for a little while (sometimes we can last a few weeks, sometimes longer; sometimes we will give up after a few sessions as it’s just not what we expected it to be). You feel deflated and go off the wagon for a bit. You get your act together and repeat the cycle until the inevitable may happen again.
Habits flow in and out all of the time, we start something, we quit, we start it again or try something different to attempt to get to the same outcome. How can we ensure that we stay on track in order to achieve our goals and succeed in what we initially set out to do?
What is the role of a Personal Trainer?
Gone are the days when Personal Trainers were only for the rich and famous. With an individual's goals becoming more varied and the want to do well in life increasing, the guidance and support of a trainer can enable results to be achieved and learning to take place, keeping the client on track over the long term. Strong backgrounds of education and training, coupled with good communication skills can ensure that the client is set up from the beginning to stay on track and avoid relapse!
Can’t I just go to a class to achieve my goals?
Classes can be fantastic for not only the workout, but for the social element that they can offer. Being around others all exercising together can bring a massive sense of camaraderie and support, something that can be very beneficial when you are just starting out on your fitness journey. Group exercise, however, does have its downsides. It is much harder to specifically cater to all participants when everyone in the class has different abilities, fitness levels and goals/ reasons for attending the class.
In order to achieve your goal, the programme that you follow must be specifically designed around you; your ability and your fitness level, taking into account your start and end point.
Yoga has always been carried out in a class format within Yoga studios, why would I do it as 1-2-1 practise instead?
Technique has always been high up on my list of priorities when working with participants; you know the saying about how long it takes to unlearn something that was initially learnt incorrectly. Performing exercises inline with the participants' musculo-skeletal structure (remember, we don’t all have the same bodies) not only allows the body to perform at an optimal level, but massively reduces the risk of injury! A coach definitely doesn't want to be associated with injuring their clients!
Using yoga to be able to improve posture and body awareness needs to be taught with the client in mind. Remembering that everyone is different means that the techniques and structure of the session taught will differ from client to client, something that can’t happen easily in a class or Yoga studio.
Mindset in Yoga and the Ego
When I first started attending Yoga classes, I was governed by my ego and what others in the class thought of me (read my blog on Ego if you like!) Trying to get into poses that my body was not ready for was high up on my list. Additionally, there were poses that I couldn’t perform and that would then make me feel stupid compared to others, deflating me and having an impact on my mental state.
Having 1-2-1 sessions of Yoga, especially in the comfort of your own home, allows you to discard all of the emotions and feelings that you may experience going to a class for the first time. Being able to learn the moves in your own time, to your own ability and having sessions planned directly around what you want to get out of them makes you feel valued and worthy of taking up the practice. It also gives you the opportunity for time to yourself and to look after what is important. This is particularly relevant if you are around others all of the time and always put others first in your life (which most of us do to be honest!)
Summary
1-2-1 training allows for the client to be treated as an individual. The sessions can be designed specifically around their goals and abilities, both physically and mentally. As a result, the client can fulfil what they set out to achieve, whilst boosting their confidence and motivation.
If you want to know more about 1-2-1 Yoga with me, please feel free to connect.
