Coordinator works out with Schaumburg parks personal trainers

Schaumburg Park District fitness programs feature eight certified personal trainers who offer private and semiprivate sessions at the Community Recreation Center, 505 N. Springinsguth Road, Meineke Recreation Center, 220 E. Weathersfield Way and Schaumburg Tennis Plus, 1416 N. Payne Road.

Going to a personal training session can be very intimidating. District trainers are friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming, and are there to help achieve goals and get fit, not intimidate.

I chose to work out with a district trainer and tell this story to inform those who didn't know personal trainers were available and to encourage those who were considering signing up for sessions with a trainer. I was partnered with, Colette, a great trainer who just earned her personal training certificate. Colette taught fitness classes at the District since 2009 and decided to become a personal trainer. I was her first client, so the pressure was on.

A few days before the session, I informed Colette I am training for the Chicago Half Marathon Series and will be competing in four half marathons throughout this year. She understood I typically cut back on some of my weight work during the heavy-running season, and she took it upon herself to develop a plan for me to use muscles I don't use as much while running. The SPD trainers take the time to develop individualized plans for clients to help them achieve an end goal. They don't follow a cookie-cutter workout and apply it to all clients. They recognize everyone is unique and has different goals and abilities.

"The initial meeting of a client and personal trainer is very important," said trainer Colette Madsen. "Not only do you complete the fitness evaluation and learn about equipment, but we discuss goals and abilities and really get to know each other."

The day of the session came and as I walked in to the CRC I felt the butterflies. I've competed at many levels of different sports, but something about that first personal training session is intimidating.

Colette performs the exercises with me to ensure I have the correct form. We were laughing and getting the workout underway. We started by warming up with balance and ab exercises, then moved to exercises including a side shuffle with a resistance band around my legs and a one-legged, arm pointing maneuver I can't even name but completely threw me off balance. As the session went on, I felt new body parts getting sore that I didn't know existed. At the completion of the session, Colette guided me through a cool-down stretch that would hit all of the body parts we just worked.

Throughout the entire workout, Colette made it a point to teach exercises and ensure I had the correct form and moves. She also talked me through each exercise and explained why we were doing it and where I would feel the stretch.

Overall, my experience with Colette was fantastic, and I enjoyed the opportunity to be trained by her. The Schaumburg Park District trainers are the real deal and will provide the necessary guidance, tools and motivation to achieve clients' goals.

For information on personal training at the Schaumburg Park District, call (847) 490-2505 or visit www.parkfun.com.

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