Mindset is something I love to talk about when it comes to women’s fitness. Most of the time when I first meet a client, they are struggling with the mindset. They want to do the exercise but they don’t know how to begin or don’t even think they are capable.

When we work together on the mindset, the changes really happen.
I was listening to a recent podcast, something I love to do, and I loved the concept of the Fixed and Growth Mindset. It’s a theory Carol Dweck came up with over 30 years ago.
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We’ll use exercise for an example and let’s say you have never exercised before. If you have a FIXED mindset, you’ll think that you’ll never be able to exercise the way you see others exercise and that you’re just not an active person. You decide it’s not for you and use it as an excuse not to start, even though you know it would be good for you. We’ve all done this with some area of our life.

Many of us like to skip this part of our training after an intense strength training session. This may be because you don't have the time or you may not even see the point in stretching. If I told you that it would you get you better results enhancing your performance and muscle growth, would you change your mind? If you've made the time to exercise then you must make the time to stretch! But why?

This discussion has been going on for many years. We live in a world overloaded with information on weight loss, new fad diets or a new exercise craze. It's no wonder we are all confused and many feel lost in a frustrating cycle of weight loss and weight gain.

Some have the opinion that we should be focusing on nutrition and the energy balance equation, creating a daily calorie deficit. This is very true and should be part of our thinking patterns when it comes to meal times every single day. The fad diets however can take this to the extreme and bring your body into starvation mode increasing weight loss in the future. It's taking one step forward and 10 steps back! These diets are not sustainable.

We must not forget the long term importance of consistent exercise for weight loss and long term health. Exercise is not just about burning off those extra calories to aid us in the calorie deficit each day, it is about making your body more efficient, a fat burning machine with the aid of weight training. The more lean muscle you have, the more fat you are burning off all the time!

So what's the secret and where should your focus be for real results that you will stick to?

So, you've finally decided to invest in a personal trainer as you are not getting the results you want by yourself or you are in need of some motivation and expertise.

A personal trainer can be money well spent to transform your health and fitness and to overcome emotional and physical barriers. Once you have found your personal trainer, it is vital that you make the most out of the time with them to ensure you are getting value for your money and seeing the changes within yourself each step of the way. You will need to learn to work as a team.

After working with a number of different clients I know there are certain keys ways in which you can ensure you get the most out of your mobile personal trainer and increase your fitness each week.

Many of us want to increase our fitness levels. You may have the motivation but do not know how to keep pushing your body to get results or you may need new inspiration to shock the body and get those results you having been working for, not realising your body has plateaued out.

Those of you who have worked with a personal trainer will have experienced how your body can be pushed in many different ways. Why are personal trainers so important in your fitness regime?

For many new mums, exercise takes a back seat for other more urgent concerns such as sleep and bonding with your newborn. However by taking a quick and efficient 10 minutes out of your day, you’ll find a renewed energy for yourself and your baby. 

After training many new mums, I have seen the many different barriers to exercise during this magical but extremely tiring time. Every new mum’s barriers are different, some of you are attached to the baby by breastfeeding and other mums are struggling to settle their newborn into a sleeping pattern. There are mums who have the support network and others who are isolated with little help.

Due to the barriers, exercise is not a pressing concern, however your body has gone through such major changes that it
is so important to work on certain key areas of your body such as your core strength to make you more functional, not to mention the endorphins released to make you feel a happier and healthier mum.

Do you find that you are putting the hours into your training but can’t understand why you are not seeing any results?

We all like to stick to what we know, that same spin or body pump class every week or your weekend run. We tend to favour the same exercise routines as they are comfortable and perhaps a little too easy. No one likes change but this is exactly what the body needs for results. 

Your muscles become aware of your daily exercise routine and works out shortcuts, using fewer calories. They get lazy as they are no longer being challenged.

This is a natural characteristic of our training cycles so that’s why we need to keep the body guessing through our exercise in different ways.

There's no need to spend a fortune on expensive gym equipment if you're working out at home. Just a few key essentials can provide a huge range of options when it comes to exercise variety and you'll even find you can get creative with household objects to achieve results.