Sometimes it's difficult to find the right fitness regimen. You may find yourself trying various exercise plans from videos, books and magazines, not knowing how effective they really are. Hiring a fitness trainer can help you find the right program without wasting all of your time trying to figure this out for yourself.
While you want to have a trainer, you also want to make you get the right one. A bad trainer can cause more harm than good. But finding a trainer can be difficult if you don't know how to look for one.
1. Check With Your Fitness Center
This should be the first place to look. Most fitness centers have trainers on staff that work one-on-one with clients for a fee. Sometimes their fees can be less than those of trainers that you hire outside of the facility.
2. Search the American Council of Exercise's Database.
The American Council of Exercise (ACE) is a certifying body for the fitness industry. They maintain a list of certified trainers in your local area. Being certified means they have passed a test which demonstrated their knowledge of fitness.
3. Talk to Friends Who Use A Personal Trainer
If you know someone who is using a fitness trainer and having success, then ask for a recommendation. Even if their trainer is fully booked, they may know of other trainers who may be available.
When you have a list of trainers you need to take time to interview and work with them. You'll need to discuss their policies and fees as well as determining where your sessions will take place.
Hiring a fitness trainer is not just about hiring the person with the best body, the best credentials and the biggest business. A personal trainer needs to mesh with your personality.
You also need to find someone who is able to help you achieve your goal. You want someone who believes you can achieve your goal and is realistic about the timeframe. Discuss your goal with the trainers you interview and listen and watch their reaction. You want someone who will help you achieve your dreams.
Your fitness trainer need to be able to motivate you and know when you can be pushed and when they need to pull back. A trainer's ability to read you cannot be judged by talking to them. You need to actually work with them in order to see if they're a good fit.
For that reason, hiring the best personal trainer is not going to be a quick process. You may want to schedule a few sessions before you make a decision. Some trainers may not get past the first session and others may be a perfect fit immediately.
However, you need to be ready to train with more than a few people. Think of this as the long-term relationship you want it to be. Consider how long it will take to reach your fitness goal. This is how long you'll be working with this person. That's why you need to make sure you make the right choice.