9 Benefits of Personal Training
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 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.
- Increases accountability
One of the most challenging parts about maintaining a workout routine can be just that — doing the workouts and doing them consistently.
Working with a personal trainer will give you the nudge you need to get your workout in, 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.
- 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, they must complete and gain a qualification from an accredited training provider. Examinations are based on theory and practical assignments.
That means your personal trainer knows a lot about human physiology and body mechanics, behaviour 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.
- Helps with goal setting
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.
- You’ll get an individualised 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.
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.
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.
- Promotes exercise variety
You may be a creature of habit when it comes to exercise, always gravitating to the same equipment at the gym.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- Promotes a healthy lifestyle change
Working with a personal trainer can help you develop good habits for a lifetime.
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.
The bottom line
A personal trainer can give you the tools and support that you need to reach a health and fitness goal.
They can provide support, accountability, education, and a personalised plan of attack, so you may find working with one well worth the investment.