«Three hours a week are enough to improve health and physical tone»

Edelmiro Mateo Nóvoa (Mexico City, 1976) has been working as a personal trainer for more than six years, an activity that is emerging in the physical education environment, due to the needs of users who require specific advice.

The man from Carballiñés evaluates that this approach to healthy lifestyle habits is given by different motivations: «Many people want to improve their appearance from an aesthetic point of view., but they also seek physical and mental well-being. “It is a trend that has increased since the pandemic, in order to avoid cardiovascular problems and also avoid a sedentary lifestyle.”

Edelmiro’s method starts with an individual interview: «It is about knowing the user’s reality well and what they are looking for. We make a profile about their physical condition, if they have suffered from any type of illness and how they could get used to certain exercises. Also if they have not trained for a long time and have been able to agree on a series of achievable objectives.

This type of personalized attention allows us to establish an ideal program for each person, although Mateo Nóvoa establishes that satisfactory performance can be obtained with a work ethic that can be perfectly combined with work or study schedules: «One hour, three days a week. week is enough to improve health and physical tone, as long as it is a well-planned job. If there are four or five sessions, the better, but what it is about is creating a habit and organizing the training they are going to do well.

The coach, who also dedicates time to his duties as a monitor at the Trabazos gym, analyzed the reality of the population of Ourense: «Ours is a highly sought after profession and also in our city and province, people are betting more on healthy habits. Doctors are also recommending exercise to combat certain pathologies. In any case, it is important to adapt to the needs of each person, both in terms of hours and rates, because in Ourense you cannot charge what the inhabitants of Madrid, Barcelona or even Vigo pay.

On the other hand, Edelmiro also details the relevance of studying a plan appropriate to each individual, for which he considers it essential to have the knowledge of a well-trained instructor: «In the times in which we live, you open Google and find tables and advice all kinds to create your own routines, but that is not effective. The advice of a professional is crucial, because it is not about performing a series of exercises occasionally. The training plan must be accompanied by nutritional recommendations. All taking into account the objectives of each person, whether they are aimed at losing weight, toning up or a combination of both goals.

As for the profile of his current clients, Mateo assures that it is quite variable, taking into account the number of hours necessary and the intensity. With more than twenty users, the organization of his work is millimetrically detailed: «I am adapting the agenda, because some do not need many hours and I am fitting them in. I have young athletes who try to complete their training on city teams and parents who want me to help their children acquire habits that improve their physical condition. In some cases, I also do specific work such as strengthening the legs or other parts of the body, which is good for their development.

«The aesthetic aspect is also a motivation for training»

After planning different processes with his users, Edelmiro Mateo emphasizes the fact that the reasons that drive them are diverse: «They range from sports to preparing for physical exams, but lately the aesthetic aspect is also a motivation for training. It is also good to feel good about yourself and that includes everything from losing weight to being able to enjoy a toned body.

And along those lines, the personal trainer does not forget that it also helps to increase self-esteem by prolonging over time an exercise and comprehensive preparation routine that, in addition to physical work, is coordinated with taking care of your diet and other premises. : «It is important to create good lifestyle habits, because in this way the body generates the so-called endorphins, which create a feeling of well-being».

Consistency and commitment do the rest in a time when it doesn’t hurt to combat a sedentary lifestyle and stress.