Getting a Personal Trainer
The Basics
As well as basic fitness programmes and exercise, trainers specialise in a wide range of areas including pre and post-natal fitness, cardiac rehabilitation and fitness 50+.
The skills and knowledge required for these areas is vastly different from the basics and so most trainers attend further courses throughout their working life to develop their particular specialised area of training.
Personal trainers will assess your current level of fitness, consider your goals, and then, devise an individually tailored regime to help you achieve those goals quickly and safely.
Common Myths & Misconceptions
- “Personal trainers are only for the rich and famous”. Personal trainers are for everyone. Personal trainers will assess your current level of fitness, consider your goals, and then, devise an individually tailored programme to help you achieve your goals quickly and safely. Many gyms will have their own ‘in-house’ personal trainers. Often you can book a discounted course of sessions – or ask for a free session on joining.
- “Personal trainers aren’t necessary”. Some people are happy to follow their own programme in their own time and place; for those who lack the time, or the motivation, or the energy to train effectively on their own, a personal trainer can be the answer. Their support, advice and encouragement comes with safe exercise techniques to help you avoid injuries and reach your goals.
Tips & Tricks
- Decide on why you want a trainer. Is it for fitness; toning; weight gain; weight loss or even for getting over a sports injury?
- Decide on your budget - trainers range from £15 - £50+ per session (normally 1 hour) largely dependent upon their experience and how busy they are.
- Personal trainers can be found in gyms or working on a freelance basis so hunt around – look in the telephone directory, on the internet and ask around.
- Once you have the numbers of the trainers, call them and discuss your needs and wishes and then listen to what they say. Remember you are paying them so if you don't think you'd like the way they propose to train you, just say you will get back to them.
- Once you have decided upon the trainer, always meet them in a public place or in a gym reception. Ask to see their credentials and insurance documents. Any good trainer will have no problem with this.
- Once they have gone through a very brief introduction, question them if you are unsure of anything- do not be afraid to ask them anything - they are used to it.
- Book only 1 session – this allows you to choose another trainer if, for any reason, you don’t wish to see that trainer again.
- Check out the Register of Exercise Professionals to find out if your personal trainer has registered to ensure they hold the correct qualifications to teach you.