Sports-Specific Fitness: Go for the Gold!

(MSNBC.com: Smart Fitness) - Inspired by Olympians to kick your game up a notch? Coaches and specialized trainers can help weekend warriors too...

While watching the Olympics this month, weekend warriors might be newly inspired to take their game to a higher level. Of course, coaches and trainers can go a long way toward helping with this goal. But you don't have to be a Mia Hamm or Michael Phelps to afford them or reap the benefits.

There's a growing number of exercise specialists available to help recreational athletes hone their skills as well, industry sources say. A nationwide survey of nearly 300 fitness facilities released earlier this year by the IDEA Health and Fitness Association, for instance, found that 57 percent offered some type of sports-specific training in 2003, up from 47 percent in 1999.

From improving a tennis swing to boosting speed on the baseball field, trainers are available for one-on-one sessions aimed at refining sports-specific skills and tailoring a fitness program to optimize performance. Some clubs also have group sports clinics, and gyms like Crunch offer classes such as Gridiron Workout and Hoops that are geared toward recreational athletes hoping to kick their game up a notch.

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