Choosing the Right Personal Fitness Trainer

Are you ready to start looking for a personal fitness trainer? Trainers aren't cheap although they are good deal more affordable than they once were. It's important to get one that will motivate you, while keeping you safe and healthy. Follow these steps and you can find your perfect trainer.

1. Make a list of what you want in your trainer.

Are you looking for someone who will guide you with kindness and patience or do you need someone with more of a drill sergeant demeanor? Do you want additional advice on diet plans and lifestyle or do you just want your trainer to focus on the exercise piece? Will paying a fee help motivate you or do you need more? What are your training goals? Are you already in pretty good shape or do you need to lose some extra weight? How much weight?

2. How much are you planning to pay?

Create a range of fees that you are willing to pay. Pay too little and you may get a substandard trainer, but there's also no reason to break the budget. The average for trainers, according to a recent survey by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, is about $50 per hour; however, prices will vary depending on the location.

3. Verify the trainer's credentials.

Don't be impressed by the fancy diploma hanging in a trainer's office or on the wall of your gym. You need to know which organization provided the credentials. Your trainer should be certified by one of the following:

• The American College of Sports Medicine
• The National Strength and Conditioning Association
• The American Council on Exercise

These organizations have the most stringent requirements and require ongoing training and testing to maintain certification.

4. Talk to a potential trainer about their educational background.

You want a trainer with a strong education, preferably someone with a degree in exercise science from a well-known and respected university or college. These trainers are more likely to have extensive knowledge about how the body works and how to prevent injury. Additionally, your personal trainer should know CPR.

5. Know your own limits.

Are you under a doctor's treatment for any health conditions like heart disease, asthma or diabetes? You need to find a personal trainer who has experience training others with those conditions. Before you begin training, have your trainer create a draft of your proposed training program and bring it to your doctor to make sure that the trainer's plan is safe for you. While exercise is extremely beneficial to people with these conditions, it's important to start slow and build up to avoid stressing the body too much.

6. Take your time.

There's no race to the finish line when it comes to making decisions that impact your health as much as choosing a personal trainer. Interview your prospects carefully and don't let them give you a hard sell. You are hiring them, not the other way around.

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