General fitness training

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General fitness training works towards broad goals of overall health and well-being, rather than narrow goals of sport competition, larger muscles or concerns over appearance. A regular moderate workout regimen and healthy diet can improve general appearance markers of good health such as muscle tone, healthy skin, hair and nails, while preventing age or lifestyle-related reductions in health and the series of heart and organ failures that accompany inactivity and poor diet.

Diet itself helps to increase calorie burning by boosting metabolism, a process further enhanced while gaining more lean muscle. An aerobic exercise program can burn fat and increase the metabolic rate.

1 Weight Loss
2 Weight Gain / Body Building
3 Sports Specific Trainer
4 Injury Recovery
5 Pre/Post Natal Trainer
6 See also
7 Footnotes

[edit] Weight Loss

The number of people who are profoundly over-weight or obese is on the rise. This affects a large number of people in the US, UK and other first-world nations. Health risks arising from obesity include heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, gall bladder disease, and prostate, colon and breast cancer. Obese individuals often suffer both social isolation and institutional discrimination. The market is flooded with weight loss pills and products aimed at this population and while some provide moderate or negligible reductions in body weight, most do not.^[1]

The fight against fat is not an easy one, especially for chronically affected people. It is a long, tough battle. There is no question that the development of a new healthy eating and fitness lifestyle is immensely helpful in winning this fight. Personal Trainers interface with a client's physician and/or therapist to construct a program centred around restructuring lifestyle while helping to provide the necessary motivation for its success.

[edit] Weight Gain / Body Building

Each person seems to have a good idea of what kind of physique they want. A person can specify if they want to "tone" or to "build" muscle. Generally women want to "tone", while men want to "build". However, toning and building muscle are basically the same physiologic process.

In the context of the body's normal functioning, "muscle tone" simply means that the muscle fibres are being stimulated by the central nervous system. But in common use, the designation "toned" pertains to the appearance of a musculature that is hard, as opposed to flaccid, and noticeable, but not overly so. In this respect a toned body implies a lean body, one low in body fat and showing some muscle definition and shape. By "building" muscle it is usually meant, getting as much muscle as possible up to and including the bodybuilder's look.

[edit] Sports Specific Trainer

Sports Specific Trainers can help improve stamina and arm strength for tennis playing or improve strength and core stability providing better balance playing golf, or help improve performance whatever the sport.

Sports specific training is all about developing physical conditions to improve performance and skills at a particular sport.

[edit] Injury Recovery

Persons with injuries are often required to supply a written physician's clearance depending on the extent of the injury. Personal fitness trainers are not doctors and (in most cases) are not physical therapists. Certified personal fitness trainers can contribute significantly and uniquely to recovery and rehabilitation efforts. It is necessary the trainer coordinates training and nutritional programs with a doctor, physiatrist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, chiropractor, special nutritional counsellor, and/or alternative medicine healthcare provider(s).

[edit] Pre/Post Natal Trainer

During a pregnancy period a lot of stress is put on the muscle on the lower back due to the heavy weight being carried. Exercise and stretching can be extremely important to increase strength and reinforce the body structure for the extra weight.

During the second trimester (weeks 13-28) the unpleasant symptoms from the first trimester should have settled down and the mother will start to feel a renewed level of energy. The biggest change during this period will be the growth of the 'bump'. As the baby grows the mother should notice a change in her body position and posture. The extra weight occurs at the front of the body, the hip and back joints will take the strain. The posture will shift as the lower back muscles tighten and take an exaggerated curvature. The abdominal muscles will stretch and strain to adapt to the growing baby. During this time it will be extremely beneficial to perform exercises to help strengthen weakened abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, in order to reduce the strain on the lower back.