University of Lincoln Personal Training Wellbeing Scheme

Hello. My name is James and I have just completed the 12-week Personal Training referral scheme with the University of Lincoln Sports Centre through the Wellbeing Department. The initiative is aimed at helping students who have previously struggled with mental health to help them stay physically and mentally active and here’s how I got on… 

Personality of Personal Trainer 

My personal trainer was a man called Tom and he was incredibly friendly. He understood that I had not been to a gym for quite a while and because of that, I needed someone to explain quite a lot of different things to me. He never made me feel bad for doing an exercise wrong and he was really encouraging which helped me want to try my hardest during the sessions. He was also really good with non-exercise-related things, talking to me about how my course was going and what I was hoping to do after I had finished in 3^rd year.  

Outside of the PT Sessions 

In addition to the personal training, I was given access to use the gym whenever I wanted during the 12 weeks. This really helped me develop my own approach to fitness and meant that the initiative wasn’t just restricted to personal training sessions. When I just went to workout, I felt like I was able to use my own thinking and build confidence by approaching other gym-goers to spot me during an exercise.  The Wellbeing Scheme also gave me access to a variety of different exercise classes which can really help build a community and help to get to know different people. 

Productivity 

During first and second year, I was very focused on just doing my assignments so through the PT Wellbeing Scheme, I’ve been able to feel incredibly productive in alternative ways. The initiative has made me want to wake up earlier in the morning and get out of bed so that I can smash the workout plan. It’s also meant that because I feel like I’ve already achieved something in the gym, convincing myself to finish an assignment that I might not want to complete is much easier. 

Healthier Habits Outside of The Gym

I started the Wellbeing Exercise Scheme in January/February and initially wanted to ease myself into it. This meant going once a week for the first month, then twice and then increasing the frequency of visits once I had settled into it. I found that this committed approach to the scheme was incredibly beneficial and it also made me realise how I can improve my health and wellbeing in other ways too. For instance, I now try to not stay up too late, eat the right sort of food and not waste too much time scrolling through my phone. All of these combined have really helped me settle into the workout routine and I’ve never felt better – both physically and mentally. 

I’d just like to finish this article by thanking the brilliant people at the Sports Centre. Specifically, I’d really like to thank my personal trainer Tom and Lee, the Wellbeing Manager who helps to organise the scheme. It’s been incredibly beneficial and I’d urge anyone who has had to get help from the Wellbeing Department to give it a go. For more information, please contact the Wellbeing Centre using this link; https://studentservices.lincoln.ac.uk/triage-form/