Personal trainers – are they worth the money spent?

Personal trainers, just like gyms, have been around for as long as I can remember.  Unlike joining a group exercises class, personal training is more personal.  It is mostly on a one-on-one basis, but can also be a couple exercising with a personal trainer.  A personal trainer’s main goal should be to help his / her client to become healthier, fit and stronger.  A good personal trainer is someone that is well-qualified and knows what is correct exercises for each client.  An excellent personal trainer will go the extra mile.  Instead of just looking at “physical” answers to a client’s problem (being overweight, for example), the trainer will dig deeper.  Taking into consideration what the clients’ lifestyle is, their diet, sleeping patterns, stress-levels and type of work, a more holistic approach can be obtained. 

Personal trainers are not cheap; regardless in which country you live.  In today’s world, people are looking at quality over quantity.  When you spend a couple of thousand rands / dollars / pounds / euros on a personal trainer, you want to make sure you get your monies worth every time.  Many times, you see a personal trainer on their phone, instead of giving attention to the client.  Although some exercises are repetitive, it is still important to stay engaged with the client and check that he / she is doing the exercises correct. 

Being a personal trainer, one is often a psychologist as well.  Building a relationship of trust is key, as well as honesty and putting the client’s best interest first.  Listening when a client says he / she struggles with an exercise, or is really tired, is important.  It doesn’t matter how fit you, as a trainer, are.  It matters that you take your client’s health into consideration.  Thus, an assessment is done first, before you start your journey.

Coming back to the question – are personal trainers worth the money?  The answer is yes:  if they are giving you 100% attention with every session, if you see results, if you train with someone that is well qualified and listens to you.  When choosing a personal trainer, make sure to ask around and/or go onto social media and read what people say.  Training with the best-looking trainer, for example, is not always the right choice.  each trainer specializes in certain areas of fitness, for example if you need rehabilitation, make sure your trainer is qualified.  Too often people get injured because the trainer (and this goes for group classes too), is not qualified in rehabilitation.

As times change, many people opt for online classes.  Yes, it is cheaper (just pop over to YouTube and have a look), but it is not always the best option.  When you have never done exercises, or don’t like exercising, joining a gym and/or getting a personal trainer, is a great way to motivate you to start.  Being at the gym is not only great for socializing, but members motivate and support each other.  Whether you prefer an online session, or an in-person session, always make sure that your personal trainer is well-qualified and worth the money spent!  Happy exercising!