Investing in your health can be a daunting process. Should you join a gym? Do online workouts? Simply eat better? It’s hard to know where to start when you make the decision to take control of your health.

Personal trainers are a valuable resource when it comes to fitness. Not only are they trained in proper form and technique, they are also a wealth of knowledge about what routine will work best for your individual goals. The two most common options for personal training are trainers who work for themselves and trainers who work at a gym facility.

Commercial gyms usually offer introductory personal training sessions as part of signing up. Whether you take advantage of this offer or you decide you want to work with an independent trainer, there are some questions you should ask before signing on the dotted line. Remember that this is your health and that you deserve the best fit for you.

Qualifications

Before you start working with a personal trainer, find out what their qualifications are. Trainers must go through a certification process before they can legally train you. There are several different training programs, with two of the most popular being from the National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

Make sure that your trainer is specifically certified as a personal trainer, since there are also certifications in group exercise instruction. This would be someone who teaches group classes in a gym, for example. It is good to note that personal trainers can also be group exercise instructors, but that group exercise instructors can not be personal trainers without a specific personal training certification.

Experience

How long has he or she been training? Make sure to ask your potential trainer this question as well as how many clients he or she has trained. In general, the longer a trainer has worked in the field, the more experience he or she has to offer. Personal trainers are also required to renew their certification every 2 years, which means that there are continuing education credits that need to be accrued.

Experience is always a good thing, but keep in mind that there can be excellent trainers who have only practiced a short time and mediocre trainers who have been working for many years. Use the answer to this question in conjunction with all the other answers to have a more thorough basis for your decision.

Fitness Philosophy

Even though personal trainers will hold the same certification, that doesn’t mean that they all share the same fitness philosophy. Find out why he or she became a trainer and how the concept of fitness is approached.

Some trainers believe in treating the whole person, that is, developing a rapport with clients and digging deeper to find out what motivates them or what holds them back from a healthy lifestyle. Some trainers are all about providing a workout and don’t feel the need to develop that deep of a relationship with you. Think about what kind of personality works well with you to determine if a trainer is the right fit.

CPR/AED certified

If your trainer is properly certified through a nationally accredited program, the answer should be yes. Applicants are required to take a CPR/AED class prior to sitting for the exam. If your trainer is not certified in these, chances are that they are not certified as a personal trainer.

Cancellation Policy

Make sure you know your trainer’s cancellation policy before you sign up. Every person and every facility is different, so make sure you know how long you have before a session to cancel. A late cancellation may lead to a forfeiture of your session, so make sure that your schedule allows you to work within the confines of the policy.

If you work an unpredictable job that may require you to cancel last minute, see if you are able to schedule closer to the actual time rather than planning out a weekly schedule that you may not be able to adhere to.

Specializations

On top of a general personal training certification, there are many different specialization certifications that trainers can complete. They can range anywhere from nutrition to working with special populations such as women or the elderly. By asking your trainer for a complete list of his or her certifications, you will have a more complete picture of the type of regimen that may be offered.

For example, if you are having a tough time maintaining a workout plan or you feel like there are aspects in your life which are impacting your dedication to your health, a trainer with a behavior change specialization may be able to help you overcome those obstacles. 

Duration

Make sure you have a thorough discussion with a potential trainer to determine how often they think you should exercise and for how long. Make sure to inform them of your goals and based on that information, they should be able to tell you how many times a week they foresee working with you and an overall time period.

Some people only work for trainers for a short period of time, while others need continued motivation from another person to move into action. If you are a beginner to exercising, two times a week is usually a good starting point. If you have more specific goals of strength improvement, for example, you may utilize a trainer 3 or more times a week.

What should I eat before/after/at all

Diet is an extremely important part of a healthy lifestyle. A common question to ask your trainer once you start working with him or her is what to eat before and after you work out and also how you should be eating on a regular basis.

Personal trainers have some training in nutrition as part of their certification, but make sure you understand that you shouldn’t go to your trainer for detailed nutritional information. A registered dietitian is formally trained in this area and should be your resource for specific meal plans and nutrition monitoring. Personal trainers can give you general guidelines, but legally they aren’t allowed to get into the nitty gritty of nutrition with you.

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