Posted on May 18, 2022.

If you’re looking to take your fitness to the next level, you may be wondering whether hiring a personal trainer is right for you.

Whether you’re new to exercising or the gym is your second home, working with a personal trainer can help you reach your health and fitness goals.

A certified personal trainer is someone who is trained in creating and implementing safe and effective exercise programs for their clients. In other words, they’ll help you work out and execute other lifestyle changes to reach your fitness goal.

1. Increases accountability

One of the most challenging parts about maintaining a workout routine can be just that — doing the workouts, and doing them consistently.

If someone isn’t expecting you to meet them at the gym, you’re much more likely to skip out if you’d rather stay in bed or lounge on the couch instead.

Working with a personal trainer will give you the nudge you need to get your workout in — whether in person or virtually — not only during your appointments but also hopefully several other times during the week.

You may also find you work harder with a trainer by your side than you would if you went at it alone.

Ever heard the saying, “If you want to go far, go together?” There’s ample research to show that the more support someone has with their health and fitness goals, the more likely they are to succeed.

In fact, one analysis of 11 years’ worth of studies looked at how well people stuck to their weight loss routines. It found that the more accountability people have, the more likely they were to stick to their weight loss program.

2. You’ll learn about health, fitness, and your body

A personal trainer isn’t just there to make you sweat — you likely learn something from your time together, too.

To become a certified personal trainer through an accredited organization like the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) or American Council on Exercise (ACE), a person must have a high school degree, as well as be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).

They must also pass an initial certification exam and earn continuing education hours each year to stay current.

That means your personal trainer knows a lot about human physiology and body mechanics, behavior change, exercise science, and more. They can help you learn proper form, how to use specific equipment, and what exercises will be most effective for you.

Beyond that, they can teach you about greater health and fitness topics that will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Let’s take a specific exercise for a second, though. Take the squat — a movement that seems basic enough but is actually very nuanced.

3. Helps with goal setting

Have you ever set a huge health and fitness goal — say to lose 20 pounds (9 kg) or train for a marathon — only to fall short of reaching it? Or maybe you’re not in the habit of goal setting at all, and you could simply use some guidance.

A personal trainer can help you set realistic and attainable goals based on your personal experiences and abilities, aiding you in your progress along the way.

And even if you just want to stay active or feel better, having a goal when you’re on a fitness journey, no matter how big or small it is, can be an important factor in keeping you motivated.

An analysis of data from Slimming World, a U.K.-based weight management organization, found that members who set a weight loss target lost more weight over a 12-month period than those who did not set a target.

4. You’ll get an individualized plan

A quick Google search will yield many pages of workouts or programs you can follow, but that doesn’t mean they’re the best option for you. Having a personal trainer will ensure that you have an individualized plan that will give you the best results.

For instance, say after an initial consultation with your trainer, they notice that your right leg is weaker than your left leg — and you had no idea. This imbalance is causing you to compensate during many daily movements and exercises, which exacerbates the imbalance.

To address the issue, your trainer then incorporates single-leg movements into your workouts, allowing you to correct this imbalance and make yourself stronger overall.

In fact, recent research indicates the effectiveness of individualized workout plans just for this reason.

5. Flexible schedule and format

You can meet with a personal trainer in person at a gym weekly, several times a week, or even monthly — whatever works best for you. Nowadays, virtual personal training is popular, too.

In this format, you’ll work out at your home while you video conference with your trainer, who will guide you through the workout on your phone or laptop.

Sessions typically range from 30–60 minutes and will cater to your personal goals. There’s a personal trainer for everyone, regardless of your physical abilities, level of experience, location, or budget.

6. Promotes exercise variety

You may be a creature of habit when it comes to exercise, always gravitating to the same equipment at the gym or doing the same workouts at home.

A personal trainer can introduce you to exercises you may have never done before or would never have attempted on your own, decreasing your chance of boredom and hitting a plateau.

One study followed 21 resistance-trained men over 8 weeks — one group completed a fixed exercise routine while the other completed a randomly varied routine via an app.

7. Nutritional advice

A certified personal trainer is not a nutritionist or a dietitian, so they’re not legally allowed to recommend meal plans or provide very specific recommendations about food, especially for clients who have underlying medical conditions.

However, personal trainers are allowed to provide general nutritional advice, which many clients may find very valuable as they navigate their health and fitness journeys.

Whether your goal is weight loss, muscle gain, or both, your diet plays a crucial role.

Knowing how much protein to eat, how to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your meals, or even what your water intake should be can amplify the results you work for in the gym.

8. Helps your mental health

Personal trainers can help with several aspects of your mental health.

For one, there’s a notable amount of research that supports the positive effect physical activity can have on mental health issues like depression and anxiety (7, 8).

Exercise increases blood circulation to the brain, helping reduce stress and improve mood and cognitive function overall. Working with a trainer consistently will help you reap these benefits.

Plus, a good personal trainer will take an interest in your life — your family, your career, your struggles — and can become a confidante of sorts. Knowing that someone is in your corner rooting for you, not only in the gym but also outside of it, is a good feeling.

9. Promotes a healthy lifestyle change

Working with a personal trainer can help you develop good habits for a lifetime.

One study found that people do a whopping 43% of their everyday actions while they’re thinking about something else.

This means that if you don’t purposely integrate those healthy habits — taking the stairs instead of the elevator, drinking water over soda, sleeping 8 hours — you may have a harder time seeing results.

A trainer can help you make these changes one by one and support you through any roadblocks that may arise. Starting small and adding to the wins is the most effective way to master habit change, and a good personal trainer will help you navigate this territory.

Original Post: https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/benefits-of-personal-training#9.-Promotes-a-healthy-lifestyle-change