Your Expectations for Exercise Are Stressing You Out

A personal trainer on the key ingredient to an effective workout

Suzie Leigh
Elemental

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Photo: Alora Griffiths/Unsplash

Over the years, each one of my personal training clients has come to me for the same reason. Though all have had vastly different experiences with fitness and, at first glance, their stories sound wildly different, they’re actually quite similar.

Trevor was an athlete in high school, but a marriage, promotion, and two kids happened, and all of a sudden, he hadn’t worked out in 10 years.

Claire had never worked out, and it took her six months to contact me because she imagined she had to be “in shape” before she could ask a professional for help. She was afraid that she’d never be able to keep up with what I programmed for her unless she got a head start.

Vince had maintained a successful workout routine on his own, but despite five-mile runs every morning, an hour’s worth of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) every evening, and a very strict diet, he was becoming weak, disinterested, and exhausted.

Polly had successfully lost a massive amount of weight, just by running and taking Zumba classes. But as time went on, she had to do more and more to keep the weight off, and she felt increasingly sick, tired, and achy.

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