Benefits of Hiring a Trainer

This January, thousands - perhaps millions of Americans will start a workout program. And, within a few weeks, most will quit. However, hiring a trainer may help you get past your physical and mental "roadblocks" to health.

Like millions of people who exercise regularly, Megan Hutchinson needs a little motivation to help keep her on track. And that's where Tyler Barker comes in. Barker, Physiologist at The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (TOSH), says hiring a trainer can be a good way to get started and keep motivated.

“Personal trainers are in a unique position in that they have personal contact with each individual and can really learn a lot about a person by taking them through a workout, finding out where their strengths and where their weaknesses are, both physically and mentally”

Barker says there are three things to keep in mind before you lay out a lot of dollars on a trainer.

• First - check out their background. Make sure they have the education, certifications and experience to fit 'your' training goals and needs.
• Second - ask the trainer about their current clients. Barker says it is important to hire someone who has experience training people with the same kind of fitness background as yours.
• The third thing is all about first impressions - do you feel comfortable with that person. Are you comfortable having this person push you to your limit?

The Sports Acceleration program at TOSH is focused on individuals like Megan that have some sort of training experience - from weekend warriors to professional athletes.

At Planet Fitness downtown, however, you are more likely to find people like Trisha and Allison. Allison is a 'rookie,' following a workout plan designed by a Planet Fitness trainer to help her reach her goals. She hopes to improve her health and shed a few pounds this year, and says having a trainer helps her stay focused.

“If not, I would just kind of be doing whatever I think it was to reach my goals, but she made a workout plan for me based on my workout goals.”

Trisha is a college athlete who relies on her coaches to teach her correct form in order to stay fit and avoid injury. “You can do things wrong really easily. Its important to have someone there for you to push you around so that so instead of doing 3 sets of eight, you'll only do 2 set of eight because you're like ‘Oh I'm fine, I don't need it.’”

But whether you are a weekend warrior, or an athlete with years of experience, Barker says the most important factor in your success will be setting realistic and achievable goals.

“I think it's very important to set goals so that you are always trying to push yourself. When you reach one goal it's time to say what's the next goal, so that you are always keeping something new in your program. Someone who hasn't ran for 20 years that may be a little over weight and wants to run a marathon in 6 months... that may be a little unrealistic.”

Barker says that training - with or without professional help - is about creating a healthy balance in your life - something you can live with for the long term, not just a few months.

You can find all sorts of exercises to help you reach your goals at home or in the gym on our Workouts on the Web page.