Choosing the right fitness specialist is important to the success of your fitness goals.

Many people become frustrated with their fitness results working out on their own and decide to hire a fitness professional to guide and motivate them toward reaching their desired goals. The right personal trainer can make a big difference and take your workouts from frustrating and boring to a fun and exciting experience that will give you motivation and drive with exercise programs that will produce results and a sense of accomplishment with the added benefit of being accountable to someone to get it done!

Choosing the right personal trainer can be difficult because there are so many out there, it is up to you to carefully select the right one for you.

The first thing that you want to look for is a fitness professional with reputable credentials so please ask what certification they hold, a few of the top credentials are National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) National Strength and Conditioning (NSCA) The American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) to name a few. All personal trainers-coaches should hold a current CPR certification. These certifications all require the holder to continue their education in order to keep the certification active, which is important and it assures that your personal trainer is constantly acquiring continuing education because the field of exercise is always changing and you will want them to be on top of all the new innovative ways to help further your personal fitness results to keep your sessions interesting and ever changing with new program designs.

Now you know what to look for as far as credentials and education, you need to find the right personality to fit you. Remember it is “PERSONAL” training so the time spent with your personal trainer should be about YOU! Your personal trainer should relate to you as an individual, there is not a universal way of training clients; each person has different health issues, past injuries, personal goals and expectations. It is important to tell your personal trainer about any medical conditions, past injuries or surgeries and medications before you start a fitness program. A professional, experienced personal trainer will ask you all of these questions when you meet with them to have your initial consultation and fitness assessment, this will help to design a program for you that is safe and effective, one that will provide you with the fitness results that you are looking to achieve with no injuries or set backs.

Reasonable goals with attainable fitness results should be the focus for each client. This is a key approach for me as a personal trainer and health coach to keep my clients motivated and realistic about their goals and accomplishments throughout a fitness program. Training sessions should always be positive with a sense of motivation, you should be comfortable talking to your trainer and feel confident with his or her guidance. There should never be negative enforcement or shouting of any kind and you should never be forced to do exercises or weight amounts that you are not comfortable with.

Choose a fitness professional that leads a healthy lifestyle, one that has personal experience and knowledge due to their own personal goals as well as education, one that can relate to their clients. I cannot imagine that a personal trainer, who is out of shape, does not exercise or eat well could motivate you or serve as a great role model to anyone. How can they advise someone if they are not taking care of themselves?

While each of us is built differently, we have to realize that as people we come in all shapes and sizes, we are not all going to be buff and slender but there are still healthy habits that need to be practiced by all! An important point I make to all of my clients is to be happy and comfortable in their own skin, whether they are a size 4 or a size 10, if they are exercising, eating right and living a healthy lifestyle they are ahead of the game!

When calling or meeting your prospective personal trainer for the first time have all the questions ready that you want answered and please do ask for proof of certification and references from other clients that train with them.

If cost is what is stopping you from training please keep in mind that you are making an investment in the most important part of your well being, your health! Most personal trainers offer discounts for multi-session packages, session frequency per week, and there is also the option of getting a friend or two to do a small group training session to reduce the cost per person, this is a fun, motivating approach and costs less than a night out with the girls.

Personal trainers are not a luxury they are a necessity to many people to assure that they are committed to a healthy lifestyle, many people feel they are more dedicated to their workouts because they are accountable to a professional fitness specialist.

Good luck in your search for the perfect fitness professional!