​Embarking on a new fitness journey is an exciting time. You’re motivated, ready to make changes, and eager to see results. But without the right guidance, that enthusiasm can quickly fade, leading to frustration, injury, or even giving up entirely. That’s where a personal trainer comes in. Here are two compelling reasons why hiring a personal trainer at the start of your journey can make all the difference in achieving your fitness goals.

1. Avoiding the Pitfalls of Poor Form and Technique​
When you’re new to fitness, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information available online. Videos, articles, and social media posts offer countless exercise routines and tips. While this abundance of resources can be helpful, it also poses a significant risk: improper form and technique.
Poor form not only reduces the effectiveness of your workouts but also increases the risk of injury. For example, something as simple as a poorly executed squat or deadlift can lead to serious back or knee injuries, sidelining you from your fitness journey for weeks or even months. This is where a personal trainer is invaluable.
At Alison Roessler Fitness and Truve in Oakland, experienced personal trainers provide hands-on instruction to ensure that you’re performing each exercise correctly. They tailor your workouts to your specific needs and fitness level, focusing on proper form from day one. By working with a personal trainer, you’ll build a solid foundation that will help you progress safely and effectively, reducing the likelihood of injury and maximizing your results.

2. Customized Fitness Plans Aligned with Your GoalsOne of the biggest challenges for beginners is knowing where to start. Should you focus on cardio, strength training, flexibility, or a combination of all three? How many days a week should you work out? What exercises will best help you achieve your specific goals, whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, or overall health improvement?
A personal trainer takes the guesswork out of the equation. At Alison Roessler Fitness, trainers work closely with you to understand your unique fitness goals and craft a personalized plan to help you achieve them. Whether you’re training at Truve or another Oakland fitness center, having a customized workout plan ensures that you’re not wasting time on exercises that aren’t aligned with your objectives.
Without a tailored approach, you risk plateauing or even regressing in your fitness journey. This can be incredibly demotivating and may lead you to abandon your efforts altogether. By hiring a personal trainer, you gain a coach, a mentor, and a cheerleader who will keep you accountable and motivated every step of the way.

ConclusionStarting a fitness journey on your own can be daunting and filled with potential pitfalls. Poor form, lack of direction, and a one-size-fits-all approach can quickly derail your progress. By hiring a personal trainer early on, you set yourself up for success. At Alison Roessler Fitness and Truve in Oakland, our personal trainers are committed to helping you achieve your fitness goals safely and effectively. Don’t leave your fitness journey to chance—invest in yourself and your health by working with a professional who can guide you every step of the way.

Achieving your fitness goals doesn't have to be overwhelming. Sometimes, it's the small, consistent actions that make the biggest impact. Whether you're a regular training member of the Alison Roessler Fitness team at Truve in Oakland or just beginning your fitness journey, here are 10 simple things you can do this week to move the needle forward.

1. Set Clear, Specific Goals
Start by defining what you want to achieve. Whether it's losing weight, building muscle, or improving endurance, having a clear goal helps you stay focused. Write it down, and break it into smaller, manageable steps. For instance, if you're aiming to lose 10 pounds, focus on losing 1-2 pounds this week.

2. Schedule Your Workouts
Treat your workouts like important appointments. Block out time in your calendar and stick to it. Consistency is key, and by scheduling your workouts at Truve or another Oakland fitness center, you create a routine that’s hard to break.

3. Incorporate Strength Training
​Strength training is essential for building muscle and boosting metabolism. If you haven't already, incorporate at least two strength-training sessions this week. If you're unsure where to start, consider seeking guidance from a personal trainer on the Alison Roessler Fitness team to ensure you're using proper form and technique.

4. Stay Hydrated
Drinking enough water is crucial for optimal performance and recovery. Aim to drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Staying hydrated helps with muscle function, reduces fatigue, and keeps your body running smoothly.

5. Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is often overlooked in fitness routines, but it's essential for recovery and overall well-being. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. This week, try to establish a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.

6. Fuel Your Body with Nutrient-Dense Foods
​Nutrition plays a massive role in achieving your fitness goals. Focus on eating whole, nutrient-dense foods that fuel your workouts and aid recovery. This week, try meal prepping to avoid unhealthy food choices when you're pressed for time.

7. Try a New Workout Class
Switching up your routine can reignite your motivation. This week, challenge yourself to try a new class at Truve where you can take classes with Truve's founder Alison Roessler and other members of our team. Whether it's yoga, HIIT, or spinning, exploring different workouts keeps things fresh and can help you discover new passions within the Oakland fitness community.

8. Engage in Active Recovery
​Recovery is just as important as your workouts. Incorporate active recovery sessions like stretching, foam rolling, or a light walk into your routine. These activities help reduce muscle soreness and prepare you for your next workout.

9. Track Your Progress
Keep a fitness journal or use an app to track your workouts, meals, and how you’re feeling. Seeing your progress, even in small increments, can be incredibly motivating. Celebrate the small wins to stay encouraged and focused.

10. Seek Support and Accountability
Whether you work out with a friend, join a group class, or invest in personal training with Alison Roessler Fitness, having support and accountability can significantly impact your success. This week, reach out to a workout buddy or consider scheduling a session with a personal trainer to keep you on track.

Conclusion
Progress in fitness comes from the cumulative effect of small, consistent actions. By implementing these 10 tips this week, you’ll be taking meaningful steps toward your goals. Whether you're new to the Oakland fitness scene or a seasoned gym-goer, remember that achieving your goals is a journey. Stay patient, stay consistent, and the results will follow. If you need guidance, the team at Alison Roessler Fitness is here to help you every step of the way, offering personal training and a supportive community that’s ready to see you succeed.

The pandemic has had a significant impact on the fitness industry. Gyms and fitness studios like Truve were forced to close during lockdowns and social distancing measures were put in place causing many fitness businesses to struggle to survive. 
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One of the most significant impacts was that these closures caused people to shift towards online fitness. With people unable to go to the gym, many turned to online workouts and virtual training sessions as a way to stay active. This led to a surge in demand for at-home fitness equipment and online fitness subscriptions.

The pandemic has also forced many fitness businesses to adapt their operations to meet new health and safety requirements. Gyms and fitness studios have had to implement strict cleaning protocols, limit class sizes, and enforce social distancing measures. At Truve we require everyone to be vaccinated to make sure we are keeping our clients as safe as possible.

Now that the strictest of times is behind us, are you curious which is better for you, in person personal training sessions or classes or to continue with virtual personal training sessions over zoom or another platform?

There are definite pros and cons to both.

In person training sessions allow you to have personal connection, access to a larger variety of equipment, and improved form evaluation.

Virtual sessions allow for more convenience if you have a busy schedule and can be great for those who travel often or are introverts. Virtual sessions are particularly great for those who do have a compromised immune system or live with someone who does.

Personally, I recommend both. You have to figure out what works best for you at each stage of your life and make it work for you. All of our trainers at Alison Roessler Fitness and Truve can accommodate both in person and virtual personal training sessions.

If the pandemic helped with one thing, it helped changed many people's attitudes towards health and fitness. The importance of staying healthy and fit to fight off illnesses was thrust into the spotlight.

Many people have made a renewed commitment to their health and fitness. Are you one of those people?
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If you are looking for an amazing personal trainer to help you smash all your health and fitness goals, look no further. We are here to help! Let's get #hellafit

When was the last time you were staying at a resort that offered aqua fitness classes? Usually it is some sort of aqua aerobics or Zumba class. You watch with amusement and embarrassment for the participants as they awkwardly move through the water doing what looks likes very little real exercise. Before you write all water exercise off as pointless, consider the benefits of the following new water fitness trends.

AQUA YOGA
This variation of yoga often makes the practice more available to beginners, those with limitations, and injuries. The gentle support of the water allows many people the opportunity to discover ranges of motion that they might find inaccessible on land. Many people also find that there is a mind/body connection that they are able to identify as they work from pose to pose. 

Pilates In The Pool
Pilates is making a name for itself with younger fitness enthusiasts, professional athletes, and seniors alike. Pilates in the pool seems to be drawing attention from those very same groups who are looking for muscle conditioning exercises. Many Pilates classes in the pool use floating dumbbells or noodles to allow students to do many traditional Pilates moves such as plank. The instability of the water makes may exercises more challenging forcing students to pay extra attention to their breathing and posture. If you feel like you have a strong sense of core control and balance, give this class a try.

Standup Paddleboarding
Those fitness enthusiasts looking for a total body workout with a mindfulness component might enjoy standup paddleboarding. SUP is a great low impact form of exercise that uses all major muscle groups at one point or another.  One added bonus of over all improved strength from SUP is increased balance. While on the board small stabilizing muscles must constantly be contracting in order to keep you on your board. Becoming more balanced in the unstable water will make maintaining balance on land much easier.

Next time you get the opportunity to try one of these low impact workouts, give it a try. You might be surprised that they are more challenging than you think. 

If you are ready to start a training program but are not sure where to start, visit us at Truve where we can set you up with an in person or virtual training program today.

Halloween marks the beginning of holiday eating. We don't realize it until January or even February rolls around and our muffin tops are covered by comfy sweaters but the majority of Americans eat on average 1,200 extra calories per week during the holiday period of Halloween to New Years.

How is it that we can eat so many more calories without even realizing it? Blame it on the homemade cookies in the break room or left over Halloween candy circulating the office. Most people believe that just one cookie or just one piece of candy won't impact their waistline. The truth is, one cookie won't impact your waistline, but a study done by the CDC of 5,222 employees across the US found that employees were eating 70% more than usual compared to other periods during the year from free foods found at work. People spend about 50% of their time at work and the empty calories add up! For the average person that would equate to .5-1 lbs of weight gain per week over the holidays. 

What can you do as an employee to help yourself and co-workers maintain dietary health through the festive holiday season?
1. Encourage your employer to offer wellness programs that promote healthier eating habits.
2. Encourage your employer to provide fruits, veggies, and other healthy options for snacks.
3. Organize a sexy salad lunch party in the office where each person brings a healthy salad ingredient to share and people build their own salads.
4. Bring in a nutrition counselor to help people better understand how what they are eating impacts them.
5. Organize a walking group that meets before work, at lunch, or after work. 

You do not have to be another holiday weight statistic.

​If you live or work in Oakland, Ca contact us at Truve to help you get a nutrition or fitness program started today!

Did you know that about 20 million Americans suffer from depression? This doesn't take into account all of the people who suffer from another anxiety disorder. It is believed that about 40% of the population of the United States suffers from depression, an anxiety disorder, or a combination of the both. This means that you very likely know someone who's life is impacted by these conditions.

What if you could help them reduce their symptoms of depression just by getting #hellafit with them? What if there was research that demonstrated a link between strength training and the reduction of depressive symptoms? Would you drag them with you to the gym? 

 Dr. Brett Gordon, MS, from the University of Limerick, Ireland recently published data from a study that included 1,877 participants from 33 clinical trials that points to just that. While the studies did not determine precisely how the strength training might affect depression, Dr. Gordon offered a couple suggestions:
"Cognitive and psychological mechanisms [could] include the expectancy is improved mental health following exercise, social interaction and social support, and improved cognitive control."