Find the Perfect Fitness Trainer for You

It once was that personal fitness trainers were exclusively for the super rich, sighted by us normal folks only in paparazzi photographs of a celebrity’s entourage. But as fitness centers have spread throughout the country and the number of personal fitness trainers has increased, getting your own has become a real possibility for the average person, says Patrick Hagerman, EdD, a professor of exercise and sports science at the University of Tulsa.

“They’re really much more affordable than people would think,” says Hagerman, who is also a board member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and owns Quest Personal Training in Oklahoma City.

Nor are personal fitness trainers just for the buff, spandex-sporting crowd, says Fred Klinge, chairman of the Health and Registry Board at the American College of Sports Medicine. Klinge emphasizes that the scope of personal fitness trainers has broadened. “It’s not just about weight lifting and cardio work anymore,” he tells WebMD. “It’s more about assistance in developing a healthy and fit lifestyle.”

Although there haven’t been too many, some studies have shown that personal trainers can help people stick to their exercise routines more effectively than they would on their own, according to Cedric Bryant, PhD, chief exercise physiologist at the American Council on Exercise (ACE). But for someone who hasn’t had any experience with personal trainers, figuring out how to get one can be daunting.

Who Needs a Personal Trainer?

You may ask yourself why you would benefit from a personal trainer. After all, why should you pay for somebody to tell you to exercise when you can just go and exercise for free?

But for some, having a person to answer to really helps provide motivation. After all, if we never got scolded by our teachers and parents for not doing our homework when we were kids, a lot of us would still be in the second grade. Knowing that you have someone who will take you to task can make a difference.

Hagerman sees a lot of practical advantages to having a personal fitness trainer. “It saves time and it reduces injuries,” he says. “You have someone who can help you figure out what exercises you need to do and how the equipment works rather than wasting time figuring it out on your own.

“A lot of people in the gym learn exercises by watching other people do them,” Hagerman continues. “But the person they’re watching probably learned by watching someone else, and whoever started the chain probably didn’t know what they were doing to begin with.”

The expense of hiring a personal trainer can be motivation in itself, according to Klinge, who is also general manager of the North Little Rock Athletic Club in Arkansas. For the same reason that some people will clear their plate at a restaurant so that they get their money’s worth, others get fit simply because they hate to see the money they paid for a gym membership and a trainer go to waste.

The Costs

The National Strength and Conditioning Association conducted a recent survey of prices and found an average of $50 per hour with a range of $15 to $100 per hour. Prices do vary depending on region, according to Hagerman, and naturally, they will be higher in urban areas than in rural ones.

Hagerman and Klinge both agree that getting a trainer at a commercial health club is probably the cheapest way, since a personal fitness trainer in a private studio will inevitably have to charge more. The number of sessions a person needs can vary, but both Hagerman and Klinge recommend at least two a week. Although sessions are typically an hour, Hagerman says that some people opt for half-hour sessions, both to save time and money.

Hagerman emphasizes that money isn’t everything when it comes to choosing a personal fitness trainer. “Don’t just shop for the lowest price,” he tells WebMD. “Cheaper trainers aren’t necessarily better trainers. They may not be worse either, but there are other things to consider.”

Checking Credentials

Just about any trainer you find is likely to have an impressive-looking diploma or certificate indicating that he or she has been certified as a personal trainer; in fact, the lobby of your fitness center may be lined with them. But don’t be dazzled by just any degree. Instead, it’s very important to find out just what organization performed the certification.

According to Hagerman, there are about 400 organizations in the U.S. that purport to certify personal fitness trainers. Of that number, about a handful are considered legitimate by most professionals. Among the most respected are the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and the American Council on Exercise (ACE). The better organizations have specific requirements based on tested and practical knowledge, mandatory retesting at renewal periods, and continuing education. The ACSM has recently begun to require that its certified trainers have a formal educational degree in exercise science or a related field.

The requirements for other organizations may not be so strict. Some award certification after an Internet correspondence course or as little as a weekend retreat, according to Hagerman.

“Unfortunately, all you need to become a certifying organization is an acronym, advertising, and employees,” Bryant tells WebMD.

And be sure to read those acronyms closely, since many dubious organizations have chosen names and initials that are very close to the well-known and legitimate groups. If you’re not sure about them, Klinge recommends writing down the names of the organizations that certified your trainer and looking up their requirements on the Internet.

“A lot of these organizations like to throw in words like ‘national’ or ‘international’ in their names even though it doesn’t mean anything,” says Hagerman. “There’s a ‘national’ one in Oklahoma City that nobody outside of the city recognizes. In fact, I’m in Oklahoma City and even I don’t recognize it.”

Hagerman also suggests that you make sure your personal fitness trainer’s certification hasn’t expired by phoning the certifying organization.

Other Qualifications

Certification isn’t the only thing you need to check on. According to Klinge and Hagerman, you should ask your trainer about his or her educational background. The more formal education he or she has in an appropriate field, the better; one recent study has shown that the most knowledgeable personal trainers are typically better educated. In addition, Hagerman and Klinge say that you should make sure that your trainer is trained in CPR.

It is also crucial that your personal fitness trainer have liability insurance. While many trainers are actual employees of gyms and get coverage through their employers, others are independent contractors who are responsible for getting their own insurance. According to Hagerman, Klinge, and Bryant, you should not work with a personal fitness trainer who does not have liability insurance.

Knowing the Limits

A great personal fitness trainer should offer more than just recommendations about how many reps to do on a weight machine or how to press buttons on the treadmill — he or she will give you a general picture of how to live a healthy life, according to Klinge.

But it’s important to resist the temptation to treat a session with your trainer as one-stop shopping for all of your exercise, nutritional, psychological, and medical needs. Bryant, Hagerman, and Klinge say that overly relying on personal fitness trainers is pretty common and that it is the trainer’s job to establish the correct boundaries of the relationship.

Exercising With Special Conditions

“For people with special needs, exercise can be tremendously beneficial,” says Bryant. “We’re finding that exercise has a positive role in helping many medical conditions. But it has to be given in the proper doses, if you will. A trainer has to make modifications to a typical exercise program to make sure that he or she is not putting someone at risk.”

According to all three experts, the number of people with special medical conditions who are getting personal fitness trainers is increasing. One reason is that as insurance companies have decreased the number of physical rehabilitation sessions they cover, people who have recently had a heart attack or a stroke are coming to the gym sooner, says Hagerman.

Asking Questions

Before you even meet with a prospective personal fitness trainer, you need to have a good sense of just what you want to achieve, says Klinge. Do you want to lose 10 pounds or 50? What kind of exercise do you want to do? How many sessions per week can you reasonably fit in or afford?

Bryant urges that you get the business policies of any prospective trainer in writing, so that you clearly understand his or her charges, cancellation policies, and liability insurance. You may also want to ask for references, although some trainers may be reluctant to give them in order to protect their clients’ privacy, says Hagerman.

One of the most important things to consider is whether you and your trainer are a good match, according to Klinge and Hagerman. The relationship between a personal fitness trainer and a client is not a friendship, but since you’ll be spending a few hours a week with a person, make sure it’s someone you like.

“People should really take their time in choosing a personal trainer,” says Hagerman. “You should make sure that you feel comfortable with him or her and that you’re not afraid to ask questions. Because if there isn’t a good rapport there, you’re just not going to want to go back to the gym. And that ruins the whole point.”

Fitness in just a minute a day

With work, family, and social obligations competing for our time, it seems we’re all keeping a frantic pace these days. It’s hard to find time for a workout routine – and easy to see the allure of quick workouts that promise fitness in just a few minutes a day.

But can these popular programs really do the trick, or are they just another waste of precious time?

Well, say some fitness experts, it all depends on what you’re after. Odds are, you won’t become an elite athlete or greatly improve the health of your heart if you exercise only in quick workouts. But you might end up a little stronger and a little healthier – and maybe even look a bit better in your bathing suit.

According to online fitness trainer Jorge Cruise, author of the best-selling book 8 Minutes in the Morning: A Simple Way to Burn Fat, short bouts of weight training can help you build muscle mass and boost your metabolism. And that, he says, can help you lose weight.

The quick workout component of Cruise’s program consists of doing four sets each of two strength-training exercises (things like push-ups and bicep curls), six days a week. After a quick warm-up, you do one set of 12 repetitions of the first of the day’s exercises, then immediately follow with 12 reps of the second exercise. Repeat the cycle three more times and you’re done for the day.

The book specifies two different exercises for each day, working chest and back one day; shoulders and abdominals the next; then triceps and biceps; hamstrings and quadriceps; calves and butt; and inner and outer thighs.

“The program is very specific,” Cruise tells WebMD. “It has been designed to provide short workouts — preferably done in the morning — that will give your metabolism a boost throughout the day.”

The eight minutes a day of strength training should help you lose an average of two pounds a week, says Cruise, who also recommends an eating plan emphasizing portion control and “healthy” fats. But Cruise is quick to emphasize that his program is not designed for overall fitness. “This is exclusively for weight loss,” he says. “If you want to work on anything else, this is not for you.”

Within the fitness industry, Cruise is one of several proponents of short sessions of strength -training exercise. Similar philosophies can be found in the books Power of 10: The Once-a-Week Slow Motion Fitness Revolution by Adam Zickerman and Bill Schley, and Flip the Switch: Discover the Weight-Loss Solution and the Secret of Getting Started by Jim Karas, among others.

Beyond strength training

But while Cruise touts the health benefits of strength training – it keeps your bones strong and your muscles toned – he does not discount the value of other forms of exercise. “If you want to keep your heart and lungs healthy, then you need cardiovascular exercise,” says Cruise, who includes a section on power walking in his book.

Indeed, the Institute of Medicine recommended last fall that most Americans get a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each day (other health and medical organizations recommend at least 30 minutes of daily activity). But there is scientific evidence for the benefits of short bursts of exercise — at least when the exercise is the aerobic type.

For example, in a study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers found that three brisk, 10-minute walks taken throughout the day can be at least as effective as one 30-minute walk at reducing cardiovascular risk and improving mood.

The study involved 21 sedentary men and women in their mid-40s. Five days a week for a six-week period, the volunteers either took 10-minute walks three times per day, or a brisk walk lasting 30 minutes once a day. Then, after a two-week rest period, the two groups swapped their walking routines and continued for another six weeks. Both groups saw a slight drop in total cholesterol levels and improved their levels of “good” cholesterol and their aerobic ability. Both the long and short walks brought decreases in tension and anxiety.

And James Hill, PhD, director of the Clinical Nutrition Research Unit at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, who recently analyzed two national surveys of U.S. eating habits, believes most people can avoid weight gain by simply cutting back 100 calories daily – or by burning 100 extra calories a day. In the Feb. 7 issue of Science, Hill and his colleagues write, “this can be achieved by small changes in behavior, such as 15 minutes per day of walking.”

When 8 Minutes Is Not Enough

Ken Turley, PhD, assistant professor of kinesiology and director of the Wellness Center at Harding University in Searcy, Ark., says the value of quick workouts depends on what you’re aiming for

For instance, he says, if you want to improve your physical performance – say, increase your speed in a 10K race or win a power-lifting contest – working out for a few minutes a day probably won’t do you much good.

If you’re interested in improving a specific aspect of your fitness, such as strength, endurance, or flexibility, quick workouts might help. But, he says, that’s only if it comes on top of any exercise routine you’re already following.

If the eight minutes of exercise is in addition to what you’re already doing, excess calories will be burned, and – assuming your caloric intake doesn’t change – this deficit will result in better weight management,” he tells WebMD.

 

Hill adds that only so many calories can be burned in eight minutes, regardless of the intensity or the type of activity. Assuming you burn about 100 calories in each daily eight-minute session, burning a pound of fat (3,500 calories) would take you 35 days.Even among fitness trainers, there’s considerable doubt that eight minutes of exercise a day is really enough for anyone.

Eight minutes a day, of course, is better than nothing, but the surgeon general and the American College of Sports Medicine are still recommending 20 to 60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three to five times a week, and strength training two to three times a week on alternating days,” says fitness specialist Kelli Calabrese, MS, ACE, CSCS.

Those guidelines are proven to reduce the risk of deadly diseases like diabetes, atherosclerosis [hardening of the arteries], and obesity, as well as to improve fitness,” she says.

The benefits of quick workouts, says certified fitness trainer Leigh Crews, are that they simplify a subject many people find confusing; provide step-by-step guidelines to follow; recommend a reduced caloric intake; and set up an easy-to-follow schedule.

“You’re not really meeting the guidelines set forth by the ACSM, but if you’re a totally sedentary individual, even training each muscle group once a week is going to show results over no training at all,” says Crews, who specializes in continuing education for fitness professionals.

Get Fit the Sneaky Way

So what should you do if you want to improve your fitness and your health, but can’t spare any more time or energy for a workout routine? Try sneaking in some exercise, suggest some experts. Research has shown that working activity into your daily life can be as effective as a structured exercise program in improving long-term cardio-respiratory fitness and blood pressure.

Alan Muney, MD, chief medical officer of the Trumbull, Conn.-based Oxford Health Plans Inc., offers these tips:

• Instead of taking the car for short trips, walk. Walking is a weight-bearing exercise that strengthens the bones and burns substantial calories.
• Combine a shopping trip with a brisk walk around the mall.
• Instead of taking the elevator or escalator, use the stairs.
• Listen to upbeat music while cleaning the house, and sweep to the beat.
• When traveling for business or pleasure, look for hotels with a gym or a pool. Pack a resistance band in your suitcase to keep arms and legs toned, and bring along an exercise tape if the hotel has a VCR.
• When you’re traveling by car, stop periodically to stretch or take a short walk.
• Work your neck muscles, shoulders, and back with simple exercises done at your desk.
• Do abdominal crunches, push-ups, or leg lifts while lying on the floor watching television.

Keep in mind that adding exercise to your schedule, in any way, in any amount, can also improve other aspects of your life.

“Exercise lifts your mood, boosts your self-esteem, and reduces your stress,” says Calabrese. “If you can manage to make exercising a priority, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much better you will be at managing life’s tasks.”In the long run, the time you invest in exercise, even in small amounts, will come back to you.”

What Personal Trainers Wish Every American Woman KnewWhat Personal Trainers Wish Every American Woman Knew

They’re buff, they’re beautiful, they’re fully booked by the hottest celebrities-but if these fitness trainers had a few minutes alone with you, here’s what they’d say.

Name: Denise Austin

Works with: 1.4 million viewers of “Fit and Lite” and “Daily Workout” on Lifetime TV
Latest ventures: Hit the Spot Core Complete, Fit & Firm Pregnancy (DVDs, $15, out in September)
What I want you to know: “You don’t have to do tons of sit-ups to tighten your tummy. Wherever you are-sitting in your car, cooking a meal, working at your desk-pull your tummy up and in, like you’re zipping up a tight pair of jeans. If you hold it for five seconds, it’s the equivalent of one sit-up. Practice this regularly every day, and in three to six weeks, you’ll see results.”

Name: Michael George

Works with: Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore, Toby Maguire, Meg Ryan, Christian Slater
Latest venture: 6-Week Virtual Coaching Program (BodyExpressMakeover.com, $60)
What I want you to know: “You have to give a new fitness program some time to deliver noticeable results. When you start cardio and strength training, you might actually gain weight at first because you’re putting on lean muscle faster than you’re dropping body fat. But if you’re training the right way-high intensity training mixed with interval training-you’re kick-starting your metabolism and should start dropping pounds in two to eight weeks.”

Name: Kathy Kaehler

Works with: Julia Roberts, Kim Bassinger, Michelle Pfeiffer; NBC Today Show fitness expert
Latest venture: Free five-minute workouts for iPods and Mp3 players (GYMp3.com)
What I want you to know: “Your diet is about 75 percent of the weight loss battle. Don’t think that because you went to the gym, or saw your trainer before work, or did an exercise video before bed, that you can raid the pantry. If you do not fuel your body properly, your results will be washed down the drain with your sweat. Follow a well-balanced, low-fat diet that includes lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and lots of fruits and veggies. Drink water, water, and more water.”

Name: Jillian Michaels

Works with: Tara Reid, Amanda Peet, Vanessa Marcil, Nicole Kidman; fitness consultant to Redbook magazine’s Real-Life Healthy Life campaign.
Latest venture: Winning by Losing: Drop the Weight, Change Your Life (book, $25)
What I want you to know: “Go beyond your “target fat-burning zone” when you do cardio. It’s true that when you work out less intensely at a lower heart rate (65 percent to 70 percent of your maximum), you burn a higher percentage of fat calories over sugar calories. But when you get your heart rate up to at least 85 percent, you’ll ultimately burn more total calories overall of both fat and sugar, making it a better weight-loss strategy.

Name: Harley Pasternak

Works with: Alicia Keys, Eva Mendes, Kanye West, John Mayer, Zach Braff
Latest venture: 5-Factor Fitness: The Diet and Fitness Secret of Hollywood’s A-List (book, $15)
What I want you to know: “Train your body evenly. Many women will pick a body part they don’t like-like the inner thighs or butt-and work more on that than on the rest of the body. But this causes muscle imbalances and leads to injury, poor posture, and a worse physique. Just as you train equally on your left and right sides, train equally in the front and the back.”

Name: Gunnar Peterson

Works with: Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, Brooke Burke, Penelope Cruz, Matthew McConaughey
Latest venture: Core Secrets fitness program (videos and exercise ball, $10-$80)
What I want you to know: “Strength training doesn’t make you ‘big.’ Women have on average only one-tenth the testosterone that men have, which means that their bodies are far less able to build big muscles. In fact, all training breaks down muscles; the building occurs after exercise while you are recovering, and only if you take in the proper nutrition at the proper time.”

 

Get Smart with Fitness

People are always asking me, “How do I get motivated to start exercising and stick with it?” My answer is usually the same: You already are motivated. You know it’s good for you and you believe it works. All you need is some organization and sensible goals.

Still not sure what to do? Check with your doctor before starting a new fitness plan and get going with these five tips:

Write it down. Buy a weekly calendar, or use what’s already handy and turn it into your own personal fitness coach. On Monday, set goals for the entire week. Write down the activity you’ll do, the time of day you’ll do it, how many minutes it will take, and where you’ll work out.

Keep it simple. Pick only one or two activities and save variety for later. Worried you’ll get bored? If you need a little inspiration, listen to music or books on tape, or pick a movie and allow yourself to watch it only while you’re on the treadmill or stationary bike.

Do it first. Exercise in the morning. That way, it won’t hang over you all day. Morning typically has fewer distractions. But don’t trust your groggy self to decide if you’ll exercise when the alarm goes off. Prepare the night before by laying out your exercise clothes next to your bed-or, if you must, sleep in them. Then all you need to do is roll out of bed, put on your exercise shoes, and go.

Take the pressure off. Don’t think too much about exercising-just do it, and let the details take care of themselves. One woman I know routinely did 20 minutes on her stationary bike, which she timed with an egg timer, but was nervous about setting it for 30. Her solution? She bought another timer, set the first one for 20 minutes, the second for 30, and let herself decide whether she’d keep going after the first timer went off. No kidding-the first time out she did the full 30 minutes, and after that it just got easier.

Do it for three months. Set your weekly goals every week for three months. After that, exercise (or any new activity) will start to feel like a habit-and that’s exactly what you’ve done: established a new fitness habit.

Remember: It’s always your decision to exercise. Decide to do it, list your weekly goals, and stick to your workout plan. Get set. Go!

4 Keys to Weight Loss Success

If you listen to a lot of the stories in the media, you might believe that losing weight and keeping it off is virtually impossible. The common wisdom is pretty discouraging. Sure, you can lose weight, but what’s the point, since you’ll just put it on again sooner or later? And since your body type is determined by your genes, why bother trying anyway?

Well, here’s the encouraging news: Regardless of body type or genetics, all sorts of people are successfully losing weight and keeping it off. While it may take some hard work and dedication, you can as well.

The National Weight Control Registry

In 1993, we started the National Weight Control Registry as a way of studying the behaviors of people who successfully lost weight and kept it off. We wanted to see what methods these people had in common, since they could help us discover the best strategies for weight maintenance.

To enroll in the Registry, a person must have maintained at least a 30-pound weight loss for at least a year. However, on average, members of the Registry have lost 67 pounds and kept it off for six years. Those are inspiring figures.

Looking at the data, we haven’t seen evidence to confirm the idea that our genes make our destiny when it comes to weight. If people really had a genetic “set point” weight as some argue, why would the average weight of Americans be getting heavier each year? While genes certainly play a role, they don’t predetermine what your weight will always be. Instead, they provide a range of weights that are possible depending on your diet and amount of exercise. So you have more control over your weight than you might think.

By looking at the behavior of the 4,200 people in the Registry, we’ve identified four common characteristics of those who’ve lost weight and are now keeping it off. These suggestions don’t make up a diet program. But if you’re looking for ways to keep weight off, adopting these behaviors isn’t a bad way to start.

Eat a Low-Fat, High-Carbohydrate Diet

Although a lot of people may think of only pasta and bread when they hear the word “carbohydrates,” complex carbohydrates are in many foods, not only grains but also in beans and many vegetables. People in the Registry say they get about 56% of their calories from such carbohydrates, and only about 19% of calories from protein. Fat makes up about 25% of their diet. People in the Registry also say they consume 1,300 to 1,400 calories a day on average, but that number is probably lower than what they actually eat.

Remember that a good diet probably isn’t one that makes you outlaw certain types of food. Being too strict can make it hard to stick to a healthy eating plan. The problem for most people is not so much that they’re eating the wrong things, but that they’re eating too much. Moderation is important.

But what about protein diets? People using protein diets can and often do lose weight. The fact is that you can probably lose weight on any of the major diet plans, and Registry members slimmed down employing all sorts of different approaches.

However, what we’ve found is that people who are successful at maintaining their weight loss eat a low-fat and high-carbohydrate diet. So while a protein diet may be good for losing weight, it may not be the best for long-term weight maintenance.

Exercise Every Day

Exercise is key to maintaining your weight loss and it’s probably more important than diet. On average, people in the Registry exercise between an hour and an hour and a half a day. Yes, that’s a lot. But before you despair, it’s not as bad as it sounds.

First, many of the people break up their exercise throughout the day instead of doing a single, marathon work-out session. Second, one of the most common methods of exercise is walking, which is easy to incorporate into your day.

If you’re just starting out, it’s important to begin slowly. Starting too fast can cause pulled muscles and discouragement. Instead, gradually work up to a full hour. Alternatively, you can increase your number of steps. Get a pedometer, or step counter, and record the number of steps you take in an average day. Then slowly increase them.

An hour or an hour and a half every day is a lot of time. But look at it this way: if you could lose weight and keep it off for the rest of your life with just an hour or so of exercise a day, would it be worth it? A lot of people say yes.

Eat Breakfast Every Day

Although some people try to lose weight by cutting down on the number of meals they eat, that really isn’t a good strategy. Skipping meals often just means that you’ll be starving later and wind up overeating. Starting the day with breakfast can help prevent that, and on average, members of the Registry eat breakfast every day. A daily breakfast may also be a sign of the discipline that Registry members bring to how they eat. Being careful about when you eat may also help make you conscious of what you eat.

Keep Track of Your Weight and Eating

This is a behavior shared by weight maintainers that runs against common wisdom. Many people have argued that weighing yourself regularly can put too much emphasis on weight rather than fitness.

We don’t know exactly why regular weighing is a common characteristic of people who’ve been successful at maintaining their weight, but we speculate that people use their scales as an early warning system. People who weigh themselves regularly will notice quickly if they have gained a few pounds and can then implement some strategies to prevent gaining more.

Checking your weight less often can mean that you might wake up one morning and discover that you gained 10 pounds. That can be pretty discouraging, and it might cause you to just give up.

The Myth of Painless Weight Loss

One thing that people in the Registry tell us again and again is that weight loss and weight maintenance is not easy: it’s hard work. Diet programs that advertise easy or painless weight loss and weight maintenance tend to fail in the long run. A lot of the people in the Registry tell us that they only lost their weight after they gave up on the “painless” methods.

The problem for many people is that they work hard at losing weight but then don’t have the skills to maintain that weight loss. We’ve found that the best way to do that is to exercise and eat carefully for the rest of your life.

That may sound tough, and it is. But when we ask people on the Registry, they say losing the weight was worth it, and that it actually got easier over time. Getting to a lower weight has made their lives better, and it can make yours better, too.