Personal Training
Your body is amazing! Given the right support, it is capable of amazing things! When stressed appropriately (eustress), it can become stronger and more able to adapt to the continually changing challenges of everyday life (distress). Studies show that the more physically active you are, the happier you are.
The components of fitness are:
Another primary objective for people seeking personal training is to change their body composition. Body composition refers to the relative amounts of fat mass and lean body (muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, organs, etc.) mass. There are many different methods to measure body composition, with trade-offs between convenience, cost and accuracy.
A note on BMI:
BMI or Body Mass Index is one method of describing body composition as it relates to obesity. The formula to calculate BMI is: take your weight (in pounds), divide that by your height (in inches) squared and multiply the result by 703. (The multiplier of 703 is simply a conversion factor from the metric system.)
The components of fitness are:
- Muscular strength - the maximum amount of force that can be produced in a single effort.
- Muscular endurance - the ability to maintain sub-maximal effort over a period of time.
- Speed - how fast the body or part of the body can move from A to B.
- Power - the maximum amount of controlled effort that can be generated in the shortest amount of time.
- Flexibility - the ability to move one or more joints through their normal range of motion.
- Balance - the ability to maintain either static or dynamic posture.
- Agility - the ability to start, stop and change direction in a short amount of time.
- Reaction time - the time between observing a stimulus and responding to it.
Another primary objective for people seeking personal training is to change their body composition. Body composition refers to the relative amounts of fat mass and lean body (muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, organs, etc.) mass. There are many different methods to measure body composition, with trade-offs between convenience, cost and accuracy.
A note on BMI:
BMI or Body Mass Index is one method of describing body composition as it relates to obesity. The formula to calculate BMI is: take your weight (in pounds), divide that by your height (in inches) squared and multiply the result by 703. (The multiplier of 703 is simply a conversion factor from the metric system.)
In general, a BMI under 18.5 indicates a person is underweight. 18.5 to 25 is normal. 25 to 30 is considered overweight and above 30 is obese. Some sources also break out different grades of obesity above a BMI of 30.
The problem with relying solely on BMI data is that only height & weight are considered. So a person who works out a lot and has a greater than average muscle mass for their height will weigh more. This will produce a high BMI score and someone just looking at the numbers will conclude that the person is overweight or obese.
Another scenario is that an overweight person who begins working out may lose fat and gain muscle over time. Their body composition will be changing for the better but their weight (and therefore, their BMI) will not change appreciably.
Therefore if BMI scores are going to be assessed, other data should be used to correlate the results.
The problem with relying solely on BMI data is that only height & weight are considered. So a person who works out a lot and has a greater than average muscle mass for their height will weigh more. This will produce a high BMI score and someone just looking at the numbers will conclude that the person is overweight or obese.
Another scenario is that an overweight person who begins working out may lose fat and gain muscle over time. Their body composition will be changing for the better but their weight (and therefore, their BMI) will not change appreciably.
Therefore if BMI scores are going to be assessed, other data should be used to correlate the results.
"There are proven, effective interventions for helping people lose weight and sustain their weight loss. For maximum impact, interventions need to go beyond addressing eating habits and physical activity, and include the emotional and social aspects of well-being. Helping people approach change with optimism, resilience and with an awareness of their personal passions are proven techniques for long-lasting behavior change."
~ Janet Calhoun, Senior Vice President of Strategy, Innovations and Solutions, Healthways