Maggie Rappaport

Interests: What makes a good personal trainer? Education? Experience? Patience? Friendly and motivating personality? Great communication skills? These days it takes ALL of these traits to make a successful personal trainer. A truly great trainer is one that will make sure you perform your exercises correctly, provide you with the encouragement you need, will motivate you to give it your all when you feel like quitting, all the while keeping your goals and limitations in mind. I have the ability to work with the specific needs of my diverse client base. The most important aspect of any fitness program is the client's willingness to participate. The most well-thought-out plan is destined for failure if the participant does not have the proper motivation to complete it. When someone asks "What is the best exercise for...?" The answer is "the one that you will actually DO." You will be motivated and I will keep you accountable and on-track. My other two most important roles: to be a good listener and an even better teacher. I ask lots of questions to help me understand what you've been through and what you would like to accomplish. This is very important in terms of setting goals. I assess your learning style and make sure you understand WHY a particular exercise is beneficial. I find out what you already know and build your knowledge base from there. Variety is the spice of life. If we continue to do the same workout day after day, it becomes ineffective (even though you WILL see some initial improvement). It's basic stimulus-response: if you provide the same stimulus the response is weakened. I use a variety of techniques and equipment, including interval training, circuit training, and tweaking the amount of resistance vs. the number of reps to keep the challenges coming. I believe that life should be lived in balance. Along with proper nutrition and the supervision of skilled health care providers, exercise helps cope with the stress in our lives. An exercise program itself needs to be balanced, focusing on cardiovascular fitness, muscle and bone strength, flexibility, core strength, as well as agility, balance, and coordination (the ABC's of fitness). Additionally, spiritual and mental health are best maintained when physical fitness is also valued and pursued.