?Personal trainers aren't for everyone, but working one-on-one with a trainer is one of the most effective ways to improve your health and fitness and often delivers benefits that you can't get working by yourself. Once considered an exclusive privilege of the rich, today personal trainers are far more common, less expensive and used by people of all economic levels to address a variety of health concerns they could not otherwise achieve by themselves.
One of the main reasons people hire a personal trainer is to help them lose weight while getting into shape. Very few people have the motivation to stick with a consistent exercise program on their own and certified personal trainers can provide the structure and accountability needed to lose fat and build muscle effectively. Specific goals related to reaching and maintaining a healthy weight including body fat reduction, body shaping and toning are all easier to address with a qualified personal trainer who will help set realistic goals and determine the best strategies to reach them. A trainer can also provide the encouragement needed to make a weight loss program successful in the shortest amount of time possible.
In addition to realizing weight loss goals, many people employ personal trainers to get some professional assistance on how best to improve their cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, endurance, posture, balance and overall coordination too. Exercise clients with special medical needs like arthritis, diabetes or obesity can also have their trainers work with their doctor, physical therapist or other health care provider to plan safe and effective workout programs that address their particular health conditions.
You get an individualized program with a personal trainer that allows finding the exercise regimen that works best for your own needs. You can choose to work with your trainer at home or at a club or other health facility, and you can choose how long your sessions will be and how often they will occur. Working with a personal trainer lets you select the type of exercise guidance that will benefit you the most and allows you to take the ultimate responsibility for your own health, weight and level of overall fitness.
When you hire a personal trainer you should inquire about their qualifications and certifications. A qualified personal trainer will have an education in physiology, athletics training, kinesiology or a similar health related field. Certifications for personal trainers should be from reputable organizations like the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Council on Exercise, the IDEA Health & Fitness Association or the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Make sure you understand the services, costs, cancellation policies, lengths of contracts, and emergency procedures that your personal trainer provides before entering into any signed agreements.