Economy makes training hard, yet possible

Is the economy putting a squeeze on my workouts, asked Bethany in this Friday post. Not exactly. I mean, not much has changed with the way I exercise. Fortunately, my schedule still affords me the time to work out. And I still run outside and on my treadmill. I still ride my bike on occasion. I still do a little strength training in my garage. Push-ups don't cost anything. Either do planks, crunches, squats, lunges, and dips. But in a way, the economy is making me pinch my pennies. If it weren't, I might be working out with a trainer.

How nice it would be to work out with a trainer. I know this because I've had a trainer before. And I just met with another one the other day at my gym -- I've had a gym membership for almost one year now and had never taken advantage of my two free training sessions. Now, I've got one under my belt and another on the books.

I've got some advice for you: If you can squeeze in a session or two with a trainer, do it. Even if there's no hope of a long-term relationship between you and your own personal expert -- it's not in the cards for me either -- I assure you that just a touch of instruction will do you well. It did me. I learned a few new moves, gained a lot more motivation, worked harder than I normally do and when I walk away from my guy Adam after session #2, I'll have a written prescription for physical fitness -- he's going to write up a customized plan for me to follow for the next four to six weeks, then he recommends I consult some fitness books and other resources so I can mix things up. Now that, I can afford. Think about it -- it might be in your budget too. So might these gallery finds.