7 Benefits of Hiring a Personal Trainer

There are a few things that may initially turn off people from hiring a personal trainer, like cost or the daunting image of them pushing clients to near collapse. The benefits, however, of using a personal trainer should be considered carefully, because they're plentiful.

There are personal trainers to suit every personality and fitness type, be that aggressive "tough love" motivation or gentler, nurturing support. A personal trainer's goal is to help her clients achieve specific fitness goals effectively, efficiently, and without injury. Understanding the potential benefits of a personal trainer can help you decide if the financial investment is worthwhile.

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A personal trainer helps you define individual fitness goals and creates a roadmap to get there. She takes into account your current fitness level and discusses what you ultimately want to achieve. A professional will help you focus on smaller goals that are specific and realistic; they're more attainable, setting you up to achieve the larger, more audacious goal.

The personal trainer also helps assess your progress toward those goals and can hold you accountable according to the Australian Institute of Fitness.

Personal trainers create a specific workout plan just for you based on the goals you want to achieve. This isn't a one-size-fits-all workout routine you'd find in a book or magazine. The personalized plan is tailored to your goals, needs, and allowances for your current physical condition and medical background. Your trainer can make accommodations to the program if you have an injury, bad back or knees, or aversion to something like water.

A professional trainer teaches the proper way to perform each exercise movement in your routine, says ACE Fitness. She demonstrates the movement, coaches you through it, and corrects any issues with your posture or technique.

Learning how to perform exercises properly reduces your risk of injury and increases the movement's efficacy. When you can perform a move the right way, it increases the likelihood that you'll do it on your own at home or at the gym after your training sessions.

Motivation is often difficult to maintain when you exercise on your own. Regular sessions with a personal trainer create accountability, which is a real motivator to not let down yourself or them. But there's also something to be said for feeding that part of our brain that craves praise.

Hearing a trainer celebrate your consistency, progress, or even proper technique can be a real boost when you feel like throwing in the towel.

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If you lack commitment, self-motivation, or just the ability to kick your own self in the pants, a personal trainer could be key to getting your new fitness routine off the ground says the University of Wisconsin Health.

When you exercise on your own, it is easier to skip a session here and there or fall off the wagon completely since there's no one to hold you to your actions. When you work with a trainer, whether you don't want to lose the money or don't want to let them down, you're far more likely to show up and do the work.

If your workouts have previously felt complacent, an experienced trainer ensures you won't be bored anytime soon. They teach a variety of exercise methods, and with some trainers, no two sessions will look the same.

Between machines, body weight exercises, free weights, and props like balls and straps, there's no end to the combinations you could be working on. Trainers also help you to make adjustments as your fitness level improves to ensure continued progress; so you won't plateau or feel stuck in the same old routine.

An experienced personal trainer will make the most of your workout time, which increases the efficiency of your exercise program. This is especially beneficial when you have a limited amount of time to exercise. They'll know how to optimize every minute you have available in the gym to get the biggest burn for your buck.