Why I'm Anxious About My First Personal Training Session

I'm anxious for my first session with the personal trainer I hired to coach me for a Himalayan trek I'll be doing in about six months. It's quite unlike me to invest in an exercise program financially. Usually, I just lace up my sneakers and start running until I can't summon the energy for one more step. I even forget to stretch my muscles beforehand sometimes (terrible habit, I know).

But I digress. The point is this new endeavor feels rather far outside my comfort zone. Of course, it's beneficial to seek out the instruction of a qualified professional, but I'm definitely anxious about my first personal training session, and—I have to admit—there's a specific reason why. 

This Personal, Anxiety-Provoking Training Session Was My Therapist's Idea

I would have been perfectly comfortable just to keep running myself into oblivion, but when I told my therapist about this trek in Nepal, she wasn't on board with my approach to training. Not that I could blame her—in terms of exercise, I do not have the healthiest track record. 

My therapist said, 

"You need to aim for balance and efficiency here. But instead, what you're doing is unsafe and excessive. You can't be trusted to manage this on your own—hire a personal trainer to coach you in the right techniques."

Because I value my therapist's wisdom, even (or especially) when she is tough on me, I found myself a personal trainer who specializes in building fitness and stamina for high-elevation hikes. I do agree that I will benefit from someone holding me accountable and teaching me how to acclimatize to intense levels of exertion in a smart, sustainable way. So if I can see the importance of it, why am I anxious about my first personal training session? I'll answer this in the video below. 

The Main Reason I Feel Anxious About My First Personal Training Session 

This video is age-restricted to viewers over 18 as per Youtube's policy on videos about eating disorders and other sensitive topics.

When it comes to health and fitness, do you have a hard time placing your trust in the knowledge of experts instead of just continuing to follow your own eating disorder compulsions? Is it difficult for you to relinquish control in this area or even consider the possibility of scaling back on your current exercise regimen? If these questions cause anxiety to flare in your chest, I know the feeling. So let's discuss that in the comment section and process our emotions together.