Feeling a little round in the gut? Down in the mouth? Long in the tooth? All right, those don’t all make sense, but Terri Walsh does. She’ll take your sorry excuse for a waistline and help you, well, find it again. And there’s no more excuses either. Don’t have the time to go to the gym? Don’t have any fancy equipment of your own? Neither of those things matter. Terri offers the benefits of your own personal trainer in the convenience of your own home, on your own time.

When you subscribe to her website you join a world of well-being. You start by entering some basic information about yourself (height, weight, some measurements, etc.); then your trainer tailors a workout just for you. Each exercise is explained in detail and is accompanied by demonstration photos. You are also guided through the scary world of nutrition-- which, as it turns out, isn’t very scary at all. There is an extensive database of foods and their nutritional value to help you make informed decisions. The best part is that you are held accountable for everything you are doing. There are daily and weekly logs for both exercise and food, so you can do your workouts on your own time. But you’d better keep up, because if you don’t report to your trainer they won’t be shy about calling you on it. I know, because I missed a day or two and got some friendly reminders from Terri.

For additional support, you are invited to sign up for a postboard that discusses health issues related to the program you are in. As if that weren’t enough, you’ll also have recipes, articles, and a monthly newsletter to explore. There are three levels of membership, ranging from $25 a month to $75-- the cost depends on how much input you need from your trainer. In my opinion, the more communication you have, the better; it’s great motivation to not only keep on your course, but to progress as well.

The feedback from Terri is firm but friendly, and most importantly, helpful. She feels like an ally, not a drill sergeant. The workouts assigned to me were appropriate for my skill level and progressed at a pace that felt good. They were challenging, but not so difficult that they’d discourage me from continuing.

I came out of my experience with a very positive outlook on how to get and stay healthy. I really think the difference between slowly falling off the good-health wagon and riding it into the sunset is having someone to guide you. The TWTNYC Online Personal Training is a great resource for anyone looking for some self-renewal... with a little help.