Every New Year's Day, scores of people set their minds on achieving certain fitness goals, trying anything from learning how to skate to being able to deadlift 200 pounds. Some just wish for better health overall. However, by March, the number of those actively attending the gym typically dwindles.
This phenomenon may be due to a lack of structure or a lack of tangible goals. Newcomers might feel a sense of trepidation, walking into the gym for the first time and looking at one of the machines with its inscrutable wheels, handles and weights. A personal trainer, who has in-depth experience in fitness, could assist with some of these hesitations.
“I always recommend personal training if you’re a beginner,” Rose Minton, a graduate student studying physical therapy, said. “Fitness is very hard to get the form correct. It's nice to have a trainer to try to help teach you, somebody who's watching you and somebody who's helping you, just to get into it and learn the correct form.”
Personal training is not only for beginners, it is for anyone and everyone. Minton has worked at Ohio University Well-Being and Recreation and at WellWorks, a fitness center dedicated to providing fitness resources to Athens residents and OU staff. At Well-Being and Recreation, the personal trainers typically work with students, but the program is open to non-students as well.
Both provide different payment plans. Well-Being and Recreation have payment packages depending on the number of people and sessions. A three-session package runs for $80. For someone who would want to dedicate time for the whole semester, it is a flat rate of $500. With WellWorks, it’s based on time: $20 for 30 minutes or $30 for 60 minutes.
Riley Wolf, a sophomore studying philosophy, goes to Ping Recreation Center regularly and believes there are many benefits to being active. Wolf’s knowledge of different exercises and muscle groups came from various sources, from social media to friends.
“I think fitness is an aspect of people's lives that people undervalue because it's obviously good for your physical body … but I think the mental benefits of working out outweigh any sort of physical benefits you could have,” Wolf said. “No matter what you're doing, if you're pushing yourself hard enough, or even if you're not if you're just having a relaxed day of cardio … your body is going to be chemically producing things to make you happier and feel better.”
Jacob Hittle, WellWorks fitness program coordinator, expanded on how personal trainers can provide clear structures to help people reach their fitness goals. Students studying in the exercise and fitness industry can work with WellWorks to gain more real-world knowledge.
“This is an awesome place for students to do that, because you take all the concepts and application, all the things that you learn in the classroom,” Hittle said. “That’s why WellWorks is so unique and so cool because I have PT students and athletic training students (who) can get firsthand experience even before they graduate.”
Hittle believes personal training can be “incredibly beneficial” for someone aspiring to a wellness journey because of the integrated relationship building. It is a way for trainers to meet somebody where they are in that journey, whether they are just starting or a top athlete. For Hittle, finding the right trainer is having someone to “walk alongside you no matter what level.”
Minton has a history of working within the fitness industry and provides another look into the functionality of personal training. It is a way for her to “build the relationship and see accomplishments” with her clients.
“We always try to make it functional based on your goals,” Minton said. “When you have a first assessment with a trainer, we discuss goals. Whether it's, ‘I want to run a half marathon by the end of the semester or I want to be able to do this,’ we tailor the workout program to whatever your life goals are.”
