The business of fitness

Although she has always been an avid cyclist and racquetball player, Mary Katherine Talbut of Jackson is one of a growing number of people in the Southeast Missouri area who are taking advantage of the business of personal trainers to get themselves into better shape. Personal training sessions have steadily gained in popularity at fitness centers in the area, tailoring their programs to meet the needs of their clients.

Talbut was riding her bicycle on Aug. 28 when an accidental collision with a neighborhood dog left her with cracked ribs and a collapsed lung. Talbut, 46, was used to being able to recover from injuries in less than a week, but this accident was different. She had bursitis and vertigo, and was stiff and sore constantly.

About six weeks later, Talbut said, she was not only discouraged at her lack of a quick recovery from the accident, but also shocked by the results of her employee wellness screening at Southeast Missouri State University, particularly her lack of flexibility. "It was positively traumatizing," she said.

So she asked Chris Kanneberg, a friend and personal trainer at Main Street Fitness in Jackson, to work with her one-on-one in a Pilates program to help improve her flexibility. Talbut signed up for 12 sessions through Main Street's Tri-Fit personal training program, with Kanneberg as her trainer.

One of the advantages to personal training sessions is the ability to develop a plan tailored to an individual's needs and goals, Kanneberg said. Pilates, she thought, would be perfect for Talbut's goal of becoming more flexible.

"Pilates isn't physically hard," Talbut said. "But the slow breathing and forcing me to think about my abs and movements is. I can really feel that my core has gotten stronger."

Main Street's Tri-Fit program has been in place since January 2003, said Clay Pope, personal trainer and fitness staff member at Main Street. He said the program averages between 15 and 18 clients now, with some coming once a week and others coming five times a week. "In the next two weeks, we expect a lot more," he said. "People are going to make those resolutions."

Kanneberg said the program is beneficial because a lot of people lack motivation to exercise on their own. "With joining a gym, people come for awhile, but then it begins to be hit or miss," she said. "With a trainer, you're responsible for hitting those goals. Sometimes that's all it takes for people to be motivated and continue on."

Saint Francis Medical Center opened the doors to its new fitness center in October, and continued the personal training program that had been in place at Universal Health and Fitness since 1997. Sandie Howells, personal trainer and fitness staff member at Fitness Plus, said one of the main reasons people sign up for personal training sessions is it gives them motivation to work out.

"Everyone wants to exercise and be in good shape, but it's so easy to not go exercise," she said. "Knowing you have this appointment that you've paid for is a great incentive."

Trevor Sumner of Cape Girardeau decided to sign up for the personal trainer program at Fitness Plus after he realized his fitness level wasn't what it used to be. Sumner, 27, said he was very active in college, playing sports and working out regularly. But the reduction in his own fitness level wasn't the only reason for signing up with sessions with Howells.

"My dad was recently diagnosed with diabetes, too, and I realized I had to start thinking long-term, healthwise," he said.

Howell's typical session with Sumner is 10 minutes of warm-ups and stretching, followed by 25 minutes on different weight machines and 25 minutes on a cardio machine such as an elliptical rider or a treadmill. Howells trains alongside Sumner, striding beside him on another elliptical and demonstrating proper breathing and counting repetitions on a weight machine.

Sumner said he chose to invest in personal training session because he knew that if he had to exercise on his own, he wouldn't follow through. "With an appointment, I have to meet someone," he said. "It's more initiative to go to the gym, because I can't say, 'I don't want to work out today.'"

Sumner said he has already noticed changes in his endurance and flexibility through the six sessions he has had with Howells. "I hope that now I won't get winded if I hit a double playing softball," he said. "I might even make it to third base."

At Healthpoint Plaza in Cape Girardeau, fitness manager Amy Sutherlin said she has seen a steady increase in the personal training program since the facility opened Sept. 13. She attributes the increase to word of mouth and the professional, certified trainers available at the fitness center.

"People are seeing other people's bodies change and getting stronger and more fit," Sutherlin said. "That motivates others to realize that this personal training thing is worth the investment. It really is an investment in your health. We just have a top-notch staff. They are really professional people who know what they're doing and will really go out of their way to help."

Another advantage, Sutherlin said, is the knowledge a trainer can provide about using weights and machines properly. Beginning exercisers in particular, she said, benefit from such expertise. "It helps them get started on the right track and use good form and techniques," she said. "These things will stay with them for the rest of their lives."

Howells said the trainers benefit as much as the clients do from the work that is done. She has been working with a client for eight months who had been sick and gotten very heavy, Howells said. Before the illness, the woman was very active, Howells said, but they had been starting training from 'ground zero.'

"She went home to visit for the holidays, and came back to me and said, 'I have a surprise for you,'" Howells said. "She had run a 5K over the holiday. She said she got to the end, and six months ago she would never have been able to do that. I was just so excited and thrilled to help her make that happen. Her ultimate goal is to compete in a triathlon, and this was a step toward that."

At the end of Talbut's 10 sessions with Kanneberg, Kanneberg reassessed Talbut's flexibility and body composition, the two main things Talbut had been concerned about.

"Look at this," Kanneberg told Talbut as she showed her the report. "Your increase in muscle has been tremendous."

Kanneberg said Talbut had gained seven inches in flexibility, and three pounds of lean muscle.

"I'm really pleased. This has been such an improvement," Talbut said. "It was worth every penny."