Author: Riley Pearce
riley.pearce.fff@gmail.com
Director of Social Media
Virtual training is the new reality of the training experience. The question is, how do we make the most of the virtual training experience? You may not have the same equipment as the gym, nor will you have the same opportunities to communicate, or check-in with your trainer. For this, we have 3 tips to help you make the most of your virtual sessions.
Tip #1
Schedule More Than Just Sessions
When you schedule your training sessions, speak with your trainer about also scheduling in other important appointments. These can include:
- Check-in emails: Just a quick check-in that you will provide to your trainer to let them know how your training and nutrition is going.
- Weigh-In Updates: If weight gain/weight loss is your goal, then schedule when you will weigh-in, and be sure to tell your trainer so they can stay updated on your progress
- Groceries: If you have been working on your nutrition with your trainer, then schedule when you will go grocery shopping and let your trainer know. This way they can send you resources, like recipes and grocery lists to help you stay on track.
Tip #2
Provide regular feedback
In the old training environment, you’d be able to have full conversations with your trainer about life at home, work-life, and anything else that is going on in your life. Now that everything is online and at a distance, your trainers have less of an understanding of your current situation than ever.
Your trainer takes just about everything into account when making your programs and providing nutrition and healthy-habit-advice. So either during your Zoom sessions or at one of the aforementioned appointments, give your trainer feedback. Let them know things like:
- Sleep schedule
- Stress levels
- Nutrition “wins” and food struggles
- Daily physical activity opportunities, like a regular break at lunch, or getting off work early, etc.
- New information you have come across as it pertains to health and fitness.
- Feedback on how you feel right after, a few hours after, and a day after your last Zoom session.
The more feedback your trainer gets, the better the remote training environment will be. This is one of the many benefits of having a personal trainer is that you can have an experience that is tailored to you and your unique circumstances.
Related: Tess’s Stay Healthy At Home Tips
Tip #3
Take the Time to Be Curious
A lot of us are trying new things while being at home. Some of us are baking bread, while others are learning a whole new skill set via online courses. One of the best ways to make the most of your virtual training is to get curious about your health.
If you have a random question, search it. Read whatever articles come up, and then discuss it with your trainer. Educating yourself on the plethora of topics surrounding fitness and health can actually make the whole exercise and healthy eating experience a lot more enjoyable. You’ll understand the “lingo” and feel more confident in making healthy choices in your own life.
Your trainers are also doing this type of research. If you present them with a few articles you’ve read or videos you have watched, you’ll get 1 of 2 responses from your trainer.
- They’ll have read about it as well, and will have a professional understanding of the information. They could then steer you in the direction of more information related to that original topic, or incorporate it into your current program.
- They may not have heard anything about it yet but can research it and come back to you with their professional opinion on the topic.
Related: Maintain Accountability when the Routine Changes
To really make the most of your virtual training, remember to check-in often. Your trainer wants to know how you’re doing, and more importantly, how they can help. In order for your trainer to really help, be sure to provide them with as much feedback as possible. You may not think it has to do with health and fitness but include it anyway. And finally, get curious about your health wellbeing. When you reconnect with your trainer you’ll have plenty of questions and could even contribute to your program.
