Woman.ws   contact l privacy l partner sites
Home > Articles > Health & fitness
Articles

» Wine
» Shopping
» Romantic getaways
» Fashion & beauty
» Parenting
» Health & fitness
» Sex & self
» Relationships
» Entertainment
» House & home
» Dating & romance
» Family
» Miscellaneous
» Recipes
» Life & happiness
» Gardening
» Organizing
» Holidays
» Quit smoking
» Travel


Funny flash movies

» Miracle diet plan
» Good to be a woman!
» The mindbender
» My kids taught me

 

Complete list of health & fitness articles

How to choose a personal triner to best meet your needs

By Chad Tackett

Having your very own personal trainer has several great advantages: Trainers provide motivation, professional expertise, and personalized attention--all key components of reaching your personal health and fitness goals. All the personal trainers in the Global Health and Fitness (GHF) directory are certified by an accredited professional organization (ACSM, ACE, etc.). However, personal trainers vary greatly, not only in educational background and costs, but also in personal philosophy, training and consulting practices.

Before simply hiring the first personal trainer listed in our directory, click on the listing of each personal trainer in your hometown. This will take you to their web page where you can learn more about their personal philosophy, education/credentials, experience, and rates. This way you'll know if the personal trainer is qualified and likely to meet your personal needs before you spend your hard earned money. Once you've narrowed down the list, you should talk with the trainer, make sure your goals and objectives are very clear, and see if the trainer is best-suited to help you. Call or meet with the trainer and ask the following questions:

1. Why did you become a personal trainer?
Personal trainers should not only have a passion for good health and fitness, they should also love to share their expertise and help others reach their personal goals.

2. Do you keep current with research?
The answer must be yes! Personal trainers need to continually update their knowledge through seminars, workshops, books, etc., in order to provide you with safe and effective information.

3. Can you supply client references?
Good trainers have satisfied customers and won't hesitate to put you in touch. Give two or three of the clients a call, asking about the trainer's strengths and weaknesses, and if they were professional, informative, and dependable. Also ask them if the trainer explained the reasoning behind their recommendations and program decisions.

4. Do you have liability insurance?
Personal trainers should protect their clients by insuring themselves and their services against personal injury and property loss.

5. Are you certified in CPR and first aid?
The trainer must know the proper procedures to follow in emergency situations.

6. Are you available on the days and times I've selected?
The whole point of having a personal trainer is to get the personal instruction and motivation you need, at times that are convenient for you.

7. What are your fees?
The answer to this question varies greatly. Personal training can cost as little as $20, or as much as $200 per hour. The personal trainer should not only be qualified, he/she should also fit comfortably within your budget. Be sure to ask if there are any additional fees and if the rate includes the use of a local health club.

8. What are your training/business policies?
It's a good idea to find out up-front their policy on extra fees, contracts, cancellations, and billing procedures.

After speaking with the personal trainer, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Did the trainer ask me questions about myself and my lifestyle?

2. Does the trainer promote an integrated program that includes all five components of optimal health (strength training, weight management, cardiovascular exercise, nutrition, and flexibility training)?

3. Did the trainer have good listening skills and communicate well?

4. Am I comfortable with the trainer's gender?

5. Will I get along with this trainer and look forward to working with him/her?

I really hope this helps you choose the fitness professional that can best meet your needs and that you have the opportunity to enjoy all the many wonderful benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle!

About the author
Chad Tackett is President of Global Health & Fitness. Learn how you can have your own personal online trainer, dietician and motivator at http://www.global-fitness.com

New articles

» How to choose a home coffee maker
There are two main considerations when buying a coffee maker for your home or small office: type of brewer and features.

» Remodeling your bathroom on a budget
When you want to give your bathroom a facelift, you may not have the available funds that you want to create the best space possible. If you are on a tight budget, there are some ways to update your bathrooms look and do it for less.

» Obesity and weight loss - Muscle and the importance of low body fat!
Today you have a good chance of getting diabetes or becoming obese or both. And if you do, then chances are you will be in for a long life filled with pain, discomfort and little quality in your life. However, it does not have to come to that.

» Student travel - Backpacking in Europe
For the fortunate few, life isn’t complete without a backpacking trip through Europe.

» Cambodian taxi chaos - a leaf, a radiator and a MacGyver moment
The roads in Cambodia are vicious, angry slabs of asphalt filled with potholes that would qualify as valleys in some countries.

» Alternative therapies for acid reflux disease
Acid Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a common disease which affects approximately 5-7% of the population.

» Smart kids: Use it or lose it this summer
The brain is like a muscle -- you use it or lose it. During summer vacation is your child "losing it"?

» Weight loss - The importance of low body fat
Most people will always have a love – hate relationship with the scale in their bathroom.

» Parents - Create an emotionally healthy connection with your child
Creating a loving emotional connection with your child starts when the mother becomes pregnant.

» Planning stress management
Deadlines at work, demanding bosses, bills to be paid at home, kids demanding for time and attention, changes in the environment, etc. AAARRRRGH.

» Infidelity discovered? 10 ways to calm your powerful feelings
When you find out about the affair, the first few hours, days and weeks can be emotionally wrenching to say the least.

» 5 reasons to organize your home today
Home organization isn't just for neat-nicks or those drawn toward organized living.

» The hidden truth about diets
Quick, what's the first thought that pops into your head when you hear the word "diet?" Probably that when you're on one, you feel like you're going to "d-i-e" right?!

» Exercising - How do you sustain momentum
The number one reason people say they do not exercise is lack of time.

» Survival China travel tips and tricks
These China Travel Tips, Survival Techniques, will help you get around and make your trip to China easier, so you will be able to experience the real China with a little less stress.

» Losing weight is not about numbers - It's about perspectives!
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of it that works, but the basic principle of any good eating program, no matter how sugarcoated, centers around calories IN— calories OUT.

» The weight loss key to success - Are you a sell out?
The only way you will follow through on an exercise program is to be sold out.

» Weight loss, fitness, and a peace of mind for life!
I am Greg Ryan, a high profile fitness expert with 50,000 hours of paid personal training under my belt, and twenty years of consulting health clubs.

» Weight loss - The soft drink diet
In the early ninety’s doctors were beginning to see the growing trend in American’s waist lines.

» Parenting - Roots and wings
I’m sure many of you have heard that old Hallmark card adage that goes something like this: Parents give their children two great gifts---one is roots, the other is wings. This is what I address in this article.

» The wonderful benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet is now recognized as one of the healthiest in the world consisting as it does of large amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables, salads,nuts,seeds, omega-3 rich oily fish, olives and olive oil and being comparitively low in dairy products and red meats.

» The Costa del Sol - Europe's premier holidaty destination
Since the 1960's and the advent of package holidays the Costa del Sol has always been one of the premier holiday destinations in Europe, and with good reason.

» Get out and play: Top 7 outdoor exercises
Do you remember when our parents used to yell at us to go outside and play? They would get so tired of us running around the house munching junk food and fighting with our siblings that they would practically kick us out of the house!

» Spoiled rotten: The big 3 reasons for fitness failure
Read below to learn how this mistaken philosophy is applied on a frequent basis when people practice the 3 basic tools of fitness: Cardiovascular Training, Resistance Training, and Nutrition

» Backpacking trips - Ten essential items
I've had backpacking trips that included rain, snow, lightning, rockslides, altitude sickness, and twenty-mile days - all in a summer weekend. Wilderness trips can be dangerous, but you can make then less so, by having the following ten essentials in your backpack.

» Picky eater kid nutritional guidelines
Although many children are picky eaters at some stage in their lives, the experts say not to worry.

» Fitness goal secrets revealed here for the first time
Everybody finds it hard to arrange time to do various day to day chores or tasks, including your muscle and fitness training.

» Adult ear infection
Though adults are not affected as frequently as children, it is important for adults to be aware of how adult ear infection can affect them.

» Do you have an acid reflux problem?
Most people have digestive problems that create a variety of illnesses that we see as they age.

» Granada Spain - Glorious city of southern Spain
Situated at the foot of the southerly Sierra Nevada ski resort, Granada is one of the most splendid cities of eastern Andalucia.

» How to think clearly
Does your mind sometimes feel like a television station you can't quite tune in?

» How to remember things
What's the biggest problem with memory tricks?

» Relationship tips: 16 practical dramatic ways to know if he/she is really changing
Every relationship hits a snag, or worse, a major crisis (such as infidelity), that demands significant change if the relationship is to survive.

» Backpacking with sand, snow and coyotes
I was backpacking in the Sleeping Bear Dunes. It was March, so when I made it through the woods and over the dunes, I'd have miles of beach to myself.

» How to know if you are in the right career
Ever wonder if you are in the right career? If you are like most people you have.

» Arthritis - The pain and the reasons
Many fear the pain of arthritis as they age. But, it can attack anyone at any time.

» Easy steps to weight loss
It can be intimidating to follow a weight loss plan, right?

» How to save money on air fares
Unless you are a frequent business flyer and have your air fares paid for by a company you will need to consider how to save money on air fares.

» Treat your anexiety disorder effectively
If you find symptoms of anxiety disorder in any of your near and dear ones then the best way is to visit your physician as soon as possible.