It pays to get a good personal trainer and here is the reason why. When most people think about performance they often associate it with the performance of their car – how many miles can it cover before having to fill up the tank?

When it is performing well, your car is more enjoyable to drive, is fuel-efficient and runs smoothly.

Over time though, the performance of your car gradually begins to decline and its manufacturer may remind you to schedule a service to do some other essential maintenance. If you don’t your car will eventually breakdown.

That’s why your mechanic will always recommend scheduling a service for your vehicle after you pass a certain number of kilometres. At this point your mechanic will carry out a full inspection and make whatever necessary adjustments in order to get back to smooth running.

Performance
Just like your car, you also have an optimal level of performance. After long periods of sustained pressure, your body and brain can become lethargic and less responsive to the demands you place upon it. Here is where it really pays to get a good personal trainer.

It needs the right fuel for perfect performance and if these needs are not met it increases the probability that you will break down at the side of the road. So when your body is breaking down, do you seek the guidance of an expert?

Do you get regular check-ups with your doctor or get a full NCT to check for cardiovascular blood profiles, smear tests, breast checks or prostate health? Do you ask your doctor for an assessment of your vitamin D levels, red blood cell magnesium and zinc stores?

Do you seek out an experienced personal trainer or coach to assess your body fat percentage, hip to waist measurements, flexibility levels? If you’re like most people, you either ignore getting any assessment of your health or you become your own mechanic.

Competency
I know if I looked under the bonnet of my car, besides maybe checking for water and oil, I am well out of my circle of competency. What about you and your health?

Are you as competent as your doctor or an experienced personal trainer or coach?

Studies continue to show that when you train by yourself without any coaching supervision you are probably not training hard enough. Research highlights that working out with a trainer leads to lifting heavier loads, earning greater gains and being more satisfied with your training programme and physique.

For female athletes, studies have found that they would choose a weight that was 50pc less than what they were capable of lifting. And this doesn’t just apply to novices but experienced trainers too.

Even having someone just watching you training led to an increase in effort and results.

So it pays to get a good personal trainer. When you have a good health mechanic who can design a tailored programme for you based on the miles on your clock, offering support and technical instruction, your results can rise significantly.

Impact
The impact of supervised exercise for reducing weight in obese adults has also been shown. One research project focused on two separate groups. One group met a trainer twice a week for four months. The second group received basic advice to increase physical activity, with access to a fully equipped gym.

The group who were supervised lost 362pc more fat over the period compared to the second group. This is not an isolated study – the supervision of a good coach, training partner or team can dramatically help your results.

If you are serious about changing your body, get it serviced regularly. Hire a coach or train with a friend. Treat your body as well as your car and you won’t find yourself broken down at the side of the road.