What to Look for in a Personal Trainer

Working with a personal trainer can help motivate you to stick with a fitness routine, keep your workouts exciting and varied so you don’t get bored, ensure that your exercise is effective so that you see results, and keep an eye on your form, helping you avoid injury. They can even give you tips on eating well and living a healthy, active life.

Of course for the partnership to be a successful one it’s important that you feel comfortable with your personal trainer, and see eye on eye on how to approach reaching your fitness goals.

So where to begin to find a trainer that will be a good fit? Here are a few important considerations:

• Would you be more comfortable working with a male or female?
• What is their educational background and what are their credentials? Have they been educated in a sports or wellness field? Do they have additional credentials such as a personal training certification?
• What do past and current clients have to say? Most personal trainers would happy to provide you with references.
• Do they have CPR training?
• Ask if they have liability insurance. This may be covered by the gym or fitness center where they work.

The best way to determine if a personal trainer will be a solid match for you is to go through a workout session together. That way, you’ll be able to experience their teaching or coaching style and should be able to judge if your personalities work well together. You may prefer someone who really challenges you and pushes you throughout the workout to ensure you’ve given it your all. If you’re more reserved you might prefer a trainer who is a little more laid back. Although you should be working hard, there should also be an element of fun!

As you look for your ideal personal trainer congratulate yourself for taking the first step towards making positive lifestyle changes. That first step is always the hardest!