personal trainers

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

If you've ever politely laughed at a terrible joke or told your brother-in-law that his botched haircut really "brings out his eyes," then you won't be surprised to learn that a new study from Florida State University confirms our aversion to offering up negative feedback. The problem? It can lead people to have undeserved overconfidence in their skill set — which is dangerous when it comes to your workouts.

"People who set overly optimistic fitness goals or exercise plans might invite injury," says Joyce Ehrlinger, PhD, the study's lead author and assistant professor of psychology at FSU. So you'd hope that if your goals are too ambitious — or not ambitious enough — that your workout buddy or your trainer would tell you, right? Not so, says Ehrlinger. "My research suggests that people aren't comfortable giving negative feedback and, instead, remain polite. As a result, we might not receive the negative feedback that we sometimes really need."

Why You Need a Workout Buddy

Having an inflated opinion of your fitness ability isn't only bound to be hazardous, but it's also likely to prevent you from seeing results you want. In order to make those gains in the gym, it might take a little tough love instead of meaningless cheers.

Jeff Halevy, behavioral health and fitness expert and CEO of Halevy Life in New York, shares three things your trainer isn't telling you but should:

Find out the secrets trainers keep from clients after the break!

Hiring a personal trainer isn't a situation that should be taken lightly. They're not cheap, and if your trainer doesn't know what's up, your time with them can potentially lead to injury. Ideally, you want to find a knowledgeable and committed trainer who can help you reach your goals. Here's what to look for when in the market for a trainer.

Accreditation and Education
Since there are a lot of shoddy personal trainer certification programs, make sure to look at any prospective trainer's credentials. First, find a trainer who has completed a personal training certification program from a NCAA-accredited organization: the American College of Sports Medicine, National Strength and Conditioning Association, American Council on Exercise, and National Academy of Sports Medicine are all respected within the industry. But don't stop at personal training certification; ask if they have any supplemental education in their field. If possible, find a trainer with a degree in an exercise science or physical education program. It's more than OK to ask to see their résumé.

Personality and Professionalism
Before getting yourself locked into a contract, notice what kind of professional mannerisms a trainer has. First and foremost, make sure that they listen to you carefully — the last thing you want is a trainer who doesn't care about your needs. Since every client is different, a good trainer will set up a program tailored to the individual needs of each client. Honesty and passion also go a long way in a good trainer. You want someone who can set up realistic goals with you and also be candid about how you are doing. Ultimately, the relationship you have with your trainer is a professional one, but finding someone that you mesh well with can be the difference between being able to do 10 push-ups or 20.

See what other traits a good personal trainer should possess after the break!

Trainers, fitness instructors, and health gurus bark some somewhat silly things in the name of motivation. They can't help it. They've been tasked with making us push a little harder or go little deeper, and that requires some pep talking. I've been on the other side of the class, but somehow I am still a little shocked by choice motivational messages. I've been keeping a mental list of the most peculiar or funny sayings over the last few months with the hope you all will revel in my LOLs and share some of the comical delights from your classes and sessions, too.

• Preached in an intense cardio conditioning class: "Squeeze those peaches ladies! Nobody likes a soggy peach!" Ummm, I don't technically know where the peach is located on the female anatomy, but the teacher was right, I am pretty sure no one likes them soggy.
• Uttered in a ballet bar class full of women: "Get your feet into a diamond shape. The harder you push in these diamond exercises, the more likely you are to get diamonds!" Errr, I don't know about you, but that one offended me.
• From a well-intentioned, totally serious trainer: "Don't you want your thighs to hurt all weekend long?!" Well, I guess . . .

Heard any doozies in your classes lately? Share them in comments!

Moms spend a lot of time in the car shuttling their kids around. Instead of sinking into the driver's seat, throw in a workout and improve your posture in the carpool lane! Our friends over at Equinox set me up with Amy Fiske, an NSCA-certified personal trainer, who is helping me get back in shape. Here is the routine she recommends:

When your car is parked, take a minute to do this workout. It may help relieve some tension in your spine!

Steering Wheel Shoulder Retraction (12 repetitions)
This exercise can relieve tension in the shoulders. Place your hands on the steering wheel and pull back through the shoulders as if you are cracking an egg between your shoulder blades. Hold for 10 seconds.

Seated Rotation (4 repetitions, right and left)
This exercise can release tension in the middle of the back. Sit up tall with your feet on the floor, directly below your knees. Place your left hand on the outside of your right thigh and reach back with your right hand. Sit tall as you turn (imagine a string pulling you up through the crown of your head). You can use your hands as levers to increase the stretch. Stretch to a comfortable position, hold for 10-15 seconds, and repeat on the other side.

Inner Thigh Squeeze (16 repetitions)
This exercise can encourage correct knee positioning and engage inner thigh muscles (abductors). Sit tall and place a tennis ball between your thighs and squeeze to engage the inner thighs. Hold for 10 seconds.

Hip Hike (8 repetitions, right and left)
This exercise can help strengthen the oblique abdominals and help stabilize the pelvis. Sit tall, draw the navel in, and extend through the spine. Focus on lifting one hip up toward the ribs, hold for 10 seconds and release. Repeat on the other side.

Check out the rest of our Back in Shape series and enter a Mountain Buggy Terrain stroller!

The morning school run is a mad dash for mama! Throwing a workout in the mix helps her burn calories and the kids get to class on time. Our friends over at Equinox set me up with Amy Fiske, an NSCA-certified personal trainer, who is helping me get back in shape. Here is the routine she recommends for the walk to school.

Warm up: Start with a slow walk and work into a brisk walk for a light workout (5 to 10 minutes).

Main: Walk briskly or jog for 1 to 2 minutes, 1 to 2 blocks (or judge by landmarks like 3 light posts). Then slow down for 1 to 2 minutes or 1 to 2 blocks. Then repeat the rotation. This part of the workout should be physically challenging and make it hard to hold a conversation.

Cool down: Wind down your jog or brisk walk into a slow walk for a light workout (5 to 10 minutes).

Once you feel comfortable, try increasing the workout's intensity by:

• Adding a sprint finish in the last leg to make it to school before the bell
• Wear your child’s backpack to add more weight and increase resistance
• On the way home, add in some hill work. Pick a challenging hill and walk briskly up it and then slowly walk down it. Then, repeat. You can start with one repetition and build up depending on your fitness level.

If you are postpartum get your doctor's clearance before exercising. If you are "out of shape", take things at your own pace and build up your endurance slowly. Rest when necessary so you don't feel winded. Make sure to warm up for at least 5 to 10 minutes before you physically challenge yourself. Your cardio session can be 15 to 30 minutes depending on your commute to school! If you are pushing a stroller, keep good posture by lifting the chest and not rounding the shoulders. Make sure you spend time stretching at the end of your workout to prevent muscle soreness and injury.

Check out the rest of our Back in Shape series and enter a Mountain Buggy Terrain stroller!

Motherhood is a balancing act so a BOSU balance trainer ($130) is an appropriate device for moms to use when they are fighting the postpartum pounds! Our friends over at Equinox set me up with Amy Fiske, an NSCA-certified personal trainer, who is helping me get back in shape. Here are some of the BOSU exercises she recommends.

BOSU Hip Raise
(Targets the glutes and hamstrings)
Lie face up with your knees bent and feet flat on the BOSU. Raise your hips up toward the ceiling by squeezing your glutes and pressing down through your heels. Try to imagine a straight line going from the top of your knees to your shoulders. Hold for a few seconds and then return to your starting position.

BOSU Plank
(This targets the core)
Lay flat on your stomach, position your elbows under the shoulders on top of the BOSU, then curl your toes under and push your body up by resting your weight on your elbows and tightening your torso. This can be done by pulling your navel in toward your spine so your hips don’t sag. Your body should be in a straight line from head to heels. The neck should be kept in-line with the rest of the spine. Keep breathing naturally throughout the exercise. Hold for about 30 seconds. Make the exercise less challenging by holding this position on your knees or by placing your forearms on an elevated surface. Make it more of a challenge by adding in a leg lift.

Keep reading for two more exercises.

Stretch it out! Before you burn the baby fat, you've got to prep by stretching your body. Our friends over at Equinox set me up with Amy Fiske, an NSCA-certified personal trainer, who is helping me get back in shape. She said, "Stretching is a vital part of an exercise program since it helps prevent injury and assists with increasing blood flow to the muscles, motor unit activation, muscle lengthening, and a person's range of motion." Here are six dynamic stretches she recommends and why. She said:

During postpartum training it is crucial to be conservative with your range for several months due to potential joint laxity, especially if a woman is breastfeeding. Dynamic stretches are done before a workout and are different from a post workout stretches because they are done more quickly and are held for a shorter time period. The dynamic warm up should take 5-10 minutes and moms should aim to do about 10 reps of each stretch holding each for no more than a few seconds.

Leg swings
(These target the hips.)
Hold onto a stable surface with one hand and pull the navel in towards the spine. Stand on one leg and swing the opposite leg forward and back continuously to comfortable range of motion. Keep the torso upright.

Walking High Kicks or Toy Soldiers
(These target the glutes, hamstrings and hips.)
These are similar to the leg swings, but this time you move forward. As you do so, bring one leg out in front and swing your arm to the opposite leg. Take a step forward as soon as the leg touches back down to the floor. Repeat the movement with the opposite side and then alternate.

To try the other four stretches, read more