Fitness writer Julia Buckley reveals how she went from PE-phobic to gym-aholic and is now training to qualify as a Personal Trainer with Lifetime Health and Fitness.
“OK everyone,” the invigilator looks at his watch, “you can open your exam papers… Now.” I turn the first sheet to reveal a list of questions on how our bodies’ muscles, skeleton, cardio vascular and energy systems allow us to move.
I was rubbish at exams at school. I was one of those kids who just didn’t see the point in school. PE was my worst class. It’s a cliché, I know, but I really was the kid who always got picked last for team games. I felt I had no talent for sports and all that running around seemed like a waste of time and energy that could be better spent reading magazines, eyeing up boys, or, better still, eyeing up boys in magazines.
Inside the Workout
But fast forward a decade (or so) to the exam room at Lifetime Health and Fitness’s training centre and I’m happily tackling my ‘Exercise and Fitness Level 2’ theory paper. Questions which would previously have triggered a compulsion to slip a copy of ‘Just 17’ magazine from my bag to read under table, such as, Concentric contraction of the hamstrings causes which joint action? and What is the only direct source of energy that can be used by the body? now flick the lights on in my brain and get me answering away with relish. I’ve only been studying for this first module of Lifetime’s Diploma in Personal Training for a week, and already I feel I have much better appreciation of how the body’s systems work together when we’re working out.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Related articles:
What’s it like to run an adventure race?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Business and Pleasure
Nowadays I love exercise. I’m a veteran of almost every gym studio class, I’ve run four marathons and countless shorter races and I’m currently training for a 200 mile trail run in the Italian Alps. It’s not just my hobby either, I’m a fitness journalist and editor of a website for recreational runners: www.therunningbug.com So maybe all that magazine reading did prove useful!
Like a lot of people, I got into exercise when, in my early twenties, I found myself gaining weight. The discovery that fitness could be enjoyable came as an amazing revelation and my passion for exercise has been growing ever since. Recently I decided to take the plunge and start studying towards one of the UK’s most respected fitness qualifications.
Training that Works for Me
From Nutrition and Weight Management, to Business Skills, to Ante- and Post-Natal Fitness, Lifetime’s Diploma in Personal Training covers everything you need to get started as a PT. As well as the broadness and depth of knowledge and expertise the course equips you with, what really appealed to me about it was the flexibility. The course consists of 10 modules, several are home-study and all of them are offered several times a year, so you can book dates that suit you. Lifetime have centres across the UK and four in London, where I live, so I’ve been able to pick and choose when to take my modules to fit in with my busy work schedule.
Passing on the Passion
I remember well what it was like to be the overweight person bungling into the gym feeling fat, totally out of shape and bewildered by the array of machines and classes. But I now know what an amazing difference fitness can make, not just to your looks, health, and confidence, but how it improves your whole life. Since I’ve been a fitness journalist I’ve loved sharing my passion through my writing and I can’t wait to begin working with people more directly to help them achieve their goals as Personal Trainer.
Are You With Me?
Thinking of transforming your love of exercise into a career? I’d definitely urge you to join me in taking a course like Lifetime’s Diploma in Personal Training. I’m finding it fascinating, fun and it’s flexible enough not to infringe on my other commitments.
Last week I was pleased to discover that I passed my first exam (a further departure from the old me!). Now I can’t wait to get started on my next module.
For more information on Lifetime’s Diploma in Personal Training and their other courses visit: www.lifetimehf.co.uk
Julia Buckley, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
Image credit: Anton Taylor
