Do you need professional help to get fit? In this Health Smarts video, fitness expert Mike Clark, DPT, explains how a personal trainer can help you shape up, from designing a safe exercise program to meet your goals to keeping you motivated.
I am Dr. Mike Clark. If you are looking to shape up, working with a personal trainer can really help you. Here are three ways a fitness professional can help you reach your goals. First, there is education. Personal fitness trainers are very well versed in the science of human movement, as well as exercise techniques, program design, behaviour modification, and nutrition.
After a thorough assessment, a trainer can use this expertise to design an exercise program specific to your health and fitness goals. Second, is motivation. A professional trainer can help you clarify your health and fitness goals, and provide you with the necessary support that you need to stay motivated and on track with your program.
Finally, accountability. It's your trainer's job to hold you accountable and to help you set those goals. This is a especially helpful early on in your program, when your workouts and healthy eating habits are still new. A personal trainer can help you stay consistent so that you can see results sooner. For more ways to shape up, watch and share all our health tips.
Mike Clark, DPT is CEO of the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He is a noted lecturer, author and is entering his 11th season as physical therapist for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.
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