The main reason for such phenomenal expansion of the fitness profession isn’t challenging to understand. Spurred on by health statistics and public service announcements about the dangers of leading a sedentary lifestyle, Americans are getting fit-or, at least, they’re endeavoring to do so. Not simply are they joining gyms and fitness facilities in record numbers, but in addition “an estimated 5 million Americans are using personal trainers” to help them achieve their fitness goals. (Source: Personal Fitness Professional magazine) One could say that another fitness fad has infected the American psyche, but where there’s a fad…

You’ll find charlatan personal trainers, ready to pounce on the naivete of health-conscious consumers, and instead of helping individuals, they can at best do little to enhance their health and at worst, cause actual harm. You’ll find ways, conversely, to separate people that are truly excited about helping others to achieve optimal fitness goals from folks who simply are seeking to line their pockets. Experts say that the seven qualities that distinguish the best personal trainers are:

Anyone can claim to be a personal trainer. However the very best approach to judge the skills of a personal trainer, say experts, is in the type and quantity of education that the trainer possesses. Ideally, they should have either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in exercise physiology, physical education, health and wellness, sports medicine, or anatomy. Such a degree verifies that the trainer possesses Nonformal Edu published an article in-depth understanding of both exercise and also the mechanics of the body, and also the requisite training to provide safe and reliable instruction.

Many, if not most, personal trainers claim to be professionally certified, but even this claim should be treated with skepticism. Phil Kaplan, author of Personal Training Profits, says that you’ll find over 300 certifying agencies, and not all are reputable. (Sadly, several of these agencies, in reality, do little more than mail a certificate-for the proper price).

To ensure that a prospective personal trainer is really qualified to work with your body, ask about the kinds of requirements he had to satisfy to be able to become certified. The very best certifying agencies require that the applicant pass both a written and also a practical exam. On top of that, they might need that the applicant fulfill the specific number of continuing education requirements as a condition of renewal of the certification.

The amount of experience that a personal trainer possesses is the best indication of quality. On the other hand, there isn’t any established quantity of experience that is applicable to all personal trainers. Therefore, in addition to asking about their previous experience within the field, you should observe their level of knowledge and competency during the training sessions.

A vital factor will be the capability to admit when there are actually gaps in knowledge-claiming to have nutritional expertise when in fact the individual has neither the knowledge nor the instruction to support such a claim might prove to be dangerous to the client. Indeed, the mark of excellence is understanding limitations and directing the client to an appropriate source who does have the requisite expertise.

A personal trainer should watch your every movement through the session, correcting your form or performance whenever necessary. He must also watch for subtle signs of dehydration and overexertion and take appropriate action. Furthermore, she or he should also evaluate the state of your health ahead of the start of each session – by asking 1questions about sleep, emotional state, nutritional intake – and periodically monitoring the client throughout the training schedule. This can allow the trainer to measure fitness progress as well as to notice any changes that may signify a potential health issue and avoid injuries or overtraining.

A quality personal trainer should be able to clearly communicate the exercise process. There must also be a mutual communication process between client and trainer, and goals should be revisited on a periodic basis. The client must feel comfortable disclosing any pertinent physiological or psychological issues that may impact performance, including without limitation, new medications. The goals of the client, provided that they can be realistic, should be paramount and the trainer should be responsive to same.