A personal trainer could either be the one of the best investments in your health and fitness or a waste of money. The key is being able to decipher between those who just want your money and those who genuinely want to help you achieve your fitness goals.
If you’ve read my previous post, which talks about the reasons to hire a personal trainer, then reading this article will help you spend your money wisely. Personal trainers are a fantastic source of information when it comes to fitness and nutrition. However, it is crucial that you choose the right one.
Above: Photo by IMS FotoGrafix, clothing by Public Myth.
So, what do you look for in a trainer? How do you choose one?
1. Ask friends and family for recommendations. If you have friends and/or family members who have hired a trainer in the past, you can ask them about their experience. Friends and family have your best interest in mind (or I would hope!) so they are able to give you an honest evaluation of their trainer. Ask your friends if they’ve achieved their desired results after hiring that particular trainer. Also, instead of asking, you can actually see if they’ve achieved their fitness goals (ie. did they lose weight? do they seem to have more energy? etc) Of course, new trainers are the exception to this, since they do not yet have an established client base that can vouch for them.
2. Find out what the trainer’s certifications are. Is the trainer certified by a legitimate, recognizable entity? Also, check to see that the certifications are still valid and that the trainer is always updating his/her certifications.
3. Interpersonal skills. Your trainer has to be approachable and able to communicate well. How are you supposed to take exercise instructions from someone who cannot explain things properly?
4. Honesty. The trainer should be able to answer your questions directly and tell you the truth.
5. How well you get along with the trainer. You and your trainer should be on the same page. You should have a good working relationship with your trainer where you feel comfortable discussing your fitness goals, progress, challenges, etc. You should be comfortable telling your trainer what is working and what isn’t. The trainer should listen to you more than talk about themselves.
6. References. Ask your trainer for references. If a trainer claims that he/she is very experienced in the industry, he/she should have no problem getting a few clients to give a good reference. After all, if a trainer helped the client reach their fitness goals, then the client should have no problem letting you know about it. One exception to this is new trainers; since they are just starting out they probably won’t have references just yet.
7. Insurance. Given that there is a chance of injury, it’s in both your and the trainer’s best interest to have insurance.
8. The trainer is in shape. If a trainer doesn’t practice what they preach, then how are they supposed to motivate you? If your trainer is out of shape, chances are they don’t care about their own workouts. If they don’t care about their own workouts, then they are not likely to care about yours.
9. Other aspects of health and wellness. The trainer should be able to help you make positive and gradual lifestyle changes that encompass all elements of fitness, as well as stress management, nutrition and sleep. That means, they should be able to refer you to the right people if necessary (ie. Registered Dietitians)
10. Familiarity with special conditions. If you have had an injury or if you have a medical condition, ask the trainer you are considering if he/she is familiar with it. If the trainer is not familiar with or doesn’t seem like he/she is willing to research your condition/injury, then it is best to go with someone who is, which will decrease the chances of making it worse.
I hope you found these tips helpful. Thank you for reading.What about you? What do YOU look for in a trainer?
~Yana
P.S. If you found this helpful, I’m sure others will too! Please share 🙂