Over 50s & Personal Trainers

Not just for movie stars

by Gareth Nock

Starting out - modified push up, coached by Gareth Nock

Over 50 and thinking about getting in shape, but wondering where to start? You could be forgiven for thinking that the only people who use a personal trainer are young mothers, sporty people or big muscle-bound men. Not so.

Baby boomers are hiring personal trainers in droves. This may be a response to research that shows that over 50s are not spending enough time ‘keeping fit’. For example, only an average of 30% of men and women over 50 partake in the recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day (walking, cycling, swimming). That’s less than one in three baby boomers.

Although I admit to being biased, I assure you that hiring a personal trainer will really help to get you on track with a new, healthier lifestyle and routine. Taking advantage of the skills of a certified personal trainer gets you to where you want to be faster – and that means getting the health advantages you crave, if only you knew how. I’ve seen the results for myself, many times over.

Measured results

Only measurable goals allow you to track your progress. Develop these goals in concert with your trainer, and he or she will motivate and coach you through the program, keep you safe and monitor your progress. How you choose your trainer is key – he or she must be qualified, have experience with over 50s, and have all the credentials you need to ensure safe, injury-free and health beneficial training.

As well as customizing a safe and effective training program for your body type and stage in life, taking into account any injuries or anomalies, a personal trainer will also help you to create the correct nutrition plan to support your daily exercise. A personal trainer will do a complete assessment including measurements, test for lean muscle mass, and evaluate your current and ongoing fitness levels and strength. You should demand a complete assessment before you embark on any fitness training program.

What to expect from training

Working with a personal trainer will bring to you many health benefits,  apart from the fact that you just feel a lot better knowing you are doing something positive for yourself. A personal trainer can anchor you to your commitments, and ensure that you can remain healthful and vibrant through the decades to come. From a customized training program, you can expect – demand, even – these positive impacts on your wellbeing:-

Keeping active will give you more energy and keep you feeling lively. Sitting around not doing much will leave you feeling tired and sluggish

As you get older your metabolism slows down. Exercise can offset this effect and help keep your weight at a stable level by keeping your lean (muscle) mass high.

Exercise can help you get a more restful and beneficial night’s sleep

Keeping active helps to protect your bones and joints from ageing and also helps to maintain mobility and balance.

Low impact exercise, like Pilates and Yoga, will strengthen your stabilizing muscles and help you stand tall, at the same time protecting the lower spine from pressure and pain.

Going it alone

Full, on-toes push-ups: through personal training now can do 100!

“Quite frankly, if I don’t have someone standing over me encouraging me to keep going, I give up at the first sign of hard work,” admitted 55-year old Margaret. “Having an appointment with a trainer twice a week is the only thing that keeps me motivated to put on my cross-trainers. In 10 weeks with Gareth, I lost 12lbs of middle-age spread (aka fat), and put on 5lbs of muscle.”

However, she was able to cut the ties after a year of excellent coaching. “Now that I feel this good, I’ll continue putting Gareth’s coaching into practice on my own, with the occasional tune-up with him on technique and goals. Having worked to get to where I am fitness-wise, there’s no way I’m going back to slothville!”

Since entering the fitness industry in 1997 Gareth’s experience and exceptional achievements have been recognized throughout the world of fitness. He has built a large clientele of personal training clients from all walks of life spanning age ranges from the twenties to eighties, including elite athletes, expectant mothers and people recovering from injury and illness. In recent years he has built an international reputation as one of the top presenters in the industry because of his skill as a coach in group settings as well as in one-on-one sessions. Gareth Nock is one of the principals of BN2Fitness.

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