How to Choose a good personal trainer

Getting fit isn't easy on your own. Many people turn to a personal trainer. In general personal trainers are very committed to your fitness and want what's best for you. But how do you know you're getting a good personal trainer? Here are a few simple things you can do to ensure the professionalism of your trainer.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• The internet

1. To begin you want to make sure that you are hiring a certified trainer. Spending a lot of time in the gym doesn't qualify you to be a trainer. So your first question should be;
   
   Who are you certified by?
   
   ACE is probably one of the better known programs. Bally Total Fitness also has a certification program, WITS, that uses ACE materials. In addition to these are several fine certifications. Make sure you find out where they are certified and do the research. Every certification has a slightly different approach to fitness and you want to make sure their style and beliefs meet your fitness goals and needs.

2. Depending on your goals you workouts should be challenging but not hard core. You shouldn't feel nauseous or dizzy. If your trainer isn't giving you ample water breaks, insist on them or find a new trainer. Some trainers feel everyone needs to be pushed to their limits to accomplish fitness. In reality the majority of people are simply looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle and lose some weight. To do this needs mainly consistency and not heavy lifting or hours of cardio.

3. A big area of concern is nutrition. Personal trainers are not dietitians or nutritionists. While some may have a degree or certification in those areas, simply being certified as a trainer does not qualify you to do advise in these areas. This is a good question to ask as many trainers will try to put you on a "diet". Make sure you check it out before you start on it. Many times, if they aren't degreed or certified in the area, it is simply their opinion and there are no medical facts behind it.

4. Most importantly, a good trainer will strive to teach you enough about fitness and exercise that you will be able to continue on your own within a few months. Some people have trainers for several years, usually because they can afford not to remember the regimen. Make sure your trainer is giving you workout sheets, documenting the amount of weight and number of repetitions along with a description of the movement. A trainer is there to make sure you don't injure yourself and that you learn proper technique. Beware the trainer who keeps you in the dark.

Tips & Warnings

• When the trainer is interviewing you, be sure to do your share of interviewing.
• ask them how they plan to help you obtain your goals, make sure you're on board with their methods.