If you’re having trouble sticking to a workout routine, finding excitement levels for exercise fading fast or failing to meet weight-loss goals, you might find luck hiring someone who’d keep you motivated by the hour.
The Field House has three certified personal trainers willing to help students with their fitness needs and goals to get in shape.
Darren Walker, a senior in exercise and sport science who has been working as a trainer at the Field House for a couple of months, said he helps an average of six clients a week.
His wife, Kim Walker, a U alumna and trainer for more than a year, said that most of her clients seek her expertise before losing weight.
“I think weight loss is the No. 1 goal people have when they come to me, although staying healthy is up there,” Kim Walker said. “People (don’t) just want to lose a couple of pounds, but they want to learn how to keep a healthy lifestyle.”
Reaching those weight-loss goals takes more than one session.
Clients are required to come for a fitness assessment: a one-hour, $22 class that gives a trainer an idea of people’s fitness levels by measuring their body composition, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance.
The initial session helps a trainer adjust one’s workout routine to his or her specific goals, said Angie Becker, U alumna in the exercise and sport science.
“From there, a trainer will set up a more specialized program and stay with you through it,” Becker said.
The number of training sessions a client enrolls in after the initial assessment varies according to each client, Becker said. Some stay for two extra lessons, and others stay until “their goals are met.”
Sessions after the initial assessment cost $25 for one to three sessions, or $22 for four or more sessions.
Although the price might seem steep, the cost for each session is less than what a personal trainer would cost in bigger chain gyms, Kim Walker said.
“We know what it’s like to be a student with financial needs and schooling situation,” Darren Walker said. “We think this is affordable for both students and faculty.”
Once a routine is set, clients have a better chance of sticking to their fitness goals after repeating it during several sessions, said Shannon Mulder, director of the exercise and sport science program.
“Sometimes all it takes is for someone to write the work out for you,” Mulder said. “For others, knowing that they are paying money for each session will make them more likely to be accountable for their workout.”
Students and faculty interested in attaining a personal trainer can visit the Field House and sign up at the front desk. Then a personal trainer will be assigned for the initial consultation and following training sessions.
Payment for each session must be made prior to each work out.
“I love helping people achieve their fitness goals and help them stay focused until they reach them,” Kim Walker said. “My husband and I are very passionate about health and want to help people develop that love for themselves.”