Exercise + Personal Training

In order to prepare for my dirty thirties, I have decided to ACTUALLY do all the things I say that I am going to do every New Years Eve. I have started learning Spanish, taking golf lessons (I can make ball contact — no pun intended), launched my own business (www.pinkcoralmia.com), learned to cook, and I’m halfway through a 30-day meditation challenge. My favorite thing that I have started doing (and taking seriously) is personal training. Miami is an odd place in terms of working out. Everyone looks like they just walked out of SHAPE magazine and each has their own workout routine. Whether it’s the outdoor gyms, free workout classes on the beach, or the personal trainer with more abs then you can count. If you actually decide to hire a personal trainer who promises to change your body, your lifestyle, your diet and most importantly make you ‘look better naked’ well, in my Miami experience, they always turn out to be just as flaky as my last boyfriend.

According to the professionals, a good personal trainer should be able to do the following for you:

• Customize a workout for your body and personal goals.
• Have a personality that you are comfortable around and can communicate well.
• Is professional and focused on you during training (i.e. not on the phone while you’re training).
•  Is patient, and moves you at your own pace.
• Consistent and available — it is very hard to get yourself into a routine if your trainer is only available here and there.

 

While searching for my ideal trainer, these are some of the things I decided are the most important for my workout goals:

☛ TOUGH. I am not a lazy person, but I’m a lazy worker-outer (that’s the correct term right?). I will cut corners whenever I can, even though I know I am doing it. I need someone who won’t be easy on me.

☛ CHALLENGING. If I’m going to get my ass up and be workout ready 3 times a week and actually let someone attempt to yell at me, it better be worth it. Although my puppy dog eyes usually work when I am trying to get out of something, I don’t want an easy way out when I’m working out.

☛ FEEL THE BURN. I work out on my own, and my own working out means I own A LOT of cute workout outfits and sometimes I’ll even go outside dressed in these. I want to feel and see the results of my body changing.

☛ OUTDOOR WORKOUTS. I did not move to Miami to wear pants, and I did not move to Miami to exercise indoors.

☛ And of course, CONSISTENCY (something Miami lacks all around and in every way)

Obviously, exercise is great for your body but did you know it also has an anti-aging effect at the cellular level? I had NO IDEA. Let’s break it down: 95% of your body’s energy comes from a powerhouse of cells known as mitochondria. Mitochondria breaks down nutrients and create your bodies energy. As we get older and our cells change, the mitochondria cells start to deteriorate and we begin to age and disease (which is how used to eat 10 cheeseburgers a day and maintain a size 2). As we age, our body loses muscle tissue which causes your metabolism to slow a little more every year. Even a moderate amount of exercise has been known to slow down the aging process. 15 minutes of exercise a day can lead to glowing skin, brighter eyes, and better muscle tone. Being physically active helps the inside functions of your body like it did when you were a teenager, increased mental health, decline in anxiety and depression.

…And 30 seems like the perfect age to start taking this seriously!

So why hire a personal trainer at all?

There are many ways to stay active on your own. Miami, for example, has multiple gyms (indoor and outdoor), the beach (natures gym), and more workout groups than days of the week. But if you are like me the biggest motivation for personal training is the accountability and motivation that goes along with it. Knowing I have someone waiting for me to workout will get me out of my apartment. Knowing that I have set workout days lets me plan my week around training (and the pain that seems to be inevitable with my trainer, apparently). It gives me something to look forward to (remember those cute workout outfits I mentioned), and it lets me realistically set physical goals for the day and mentally prepare myself.

The most common reasons people hire personal trainers are:

• Accountability and motivation
• Expertise
• Pushes you just enough
• Helps you identify and reach your goals
• Personalized workout for your body to reach the goals you set together
• Reduce chances of injury

I have an amazing trainer, and slowly have been noticing some results. So let’s see how it goes!

My “before” body shots are taken, my new running shoes are bought, and I’m ready to become the hard body I have always wanted to be (as long as I can still eat burgers).

I’m ready for session 2 … bring it on!

For more info on my trainer/training and hopeful progress, follow me on Instagram @JessBurns16