The Power of Bringing in an Expert

Exercise has always been a part of my DNA — but it took Chelsea Christmas, owner of At Her Core Fitness, to make each movement truly effective.

While doing upright rows at the gym last week, Chelsea lightly touched a part of my back to remind me to squeeze my shoulders throughout the movement. With that singular touch, the exercise I had been doing for years finally had the impact it was supposed to have.

My father was a runner back in the 1960s, when gray sweatshirts and flat Converse shoes were the standard attire. I picked up his running tradition at the age of 15 and added my own high-top white Reeboks, hot pink leotards, and Jazzercise classes to my many miles of running.There were decades of workout classes, subscriptions to every health magazine, exercise videos (first on VCR tapes, then DVDs, and finally streamed into my living room), machines that were actually regularly used (i.e. the mountain climber, stationary bicycles, and pilates machines, along with weights, ropes, and mats), and and a commitment to health — but even with all of that, I never experienced the balance, strength, or joy from moving my body like I do when working with my highly skilled personal trainer, Chelsea.

To be very honest, I used to question people who paid for a personal trainer. “How hard can it be? Put on a pair of sneakers and run or jump, just move,” I would say to myself. Well, I “just moved” myself into two major surgeries and years of physical rehab. 

When I was done with rehabilitation, I finally decided to invest in a trainer. But, like a string of bad relationships, I never found one that truly understood what I wanted or what I needed, nor did I meet a trainer who was willing to work within my boundaries and then, hopefully, gradually begin to break them down. In my experience, many trainers try to mold their clients into their own image, without ever listening, watching, or truly understanding their clients. They define success by a number on a scale. Like standardized test scores, they evaluate their own success and their clients’ successes by that single number.

The reality is that no matter how much I had studied fitness, participated in fitness activities, and thought of myself as someone who understood what it took to be physically fit — I didn't and I paid the price. How much stronger could I be now and how much pain could I have avoided if I had sought out an expert — like Chelsea Christmas — to work with me sooner? 

You may have spent many years in a classroom as a student. You may even think you understand what is necessary to be an effective teacher. But, ask yourself: What could an educational expert give me that would allow me to raise myself and my students to the next level of understanding?

So, I ask you: Should I be your Chelsea Christmas? How can I help?