You might be surprised, however, to discover how few hold college degrees, with even fewer holding degrees in a related field. A marketing degree, although it may help the trainer’s popularity, it not nearly as beneficial to you the client as a kinesiology degree, for example. Perhaps the best degree for a personal trainer to possess is an Exercise Science (or Exercise Physiology) degree. After all, that is exactly how the personal trainer plans to help you – through the science and physiology of exercise. Now, just like all degrees are not created equal, neither are personal training certifications. Be sure to find out if the certification of the trainer you are considering is recognized by the NCCA, or National Commission for Certifying Agencies.

So, we’ve talked about the personal trainer’s degree and their certification, but you need to find out if they’ve actually been able to deliver results for others. Search the trainer’s website and marketing materials for testimonials, or ask to speak with current or past clients. This will give you a good idea of the results the trainer might be capable of, and what other clients think about them. When reading testimonials or listening to clients, try to find hard numbers mixed in with emotional benefits and generally described results. For instance, “I’ve lost 8% body fat and dropped 2 dress sizes” might be a better indicator of personal training value than “I’ve lost weight and feel great!” Another consideration when evaluating a personal trainer’s ability to help you is the existence of a system. Does the trainer have a routine for assessing and measuring clients? If not, how do they know when they are delivering results? Or do they care? Maybe not. Remember, any one who cares about winning cares about keeping score.

Let’s discuss the “if they will help you.” Now, if you have never had a personal trainer before, you may think that is a weird consideration. If you are throwing money at a personal trainer, why in the world would they not help you? Well, although it certainly blows my mind, I have heard story after story of no-show sessions. Not a no-show by the client, mind you, but by the trainer. I have also been amazed by stories of unreturned phone calls and unreturned emails. You wouldn’t think that a profession with “personal” in the very title would suffer from a lack of customer service, but apparently that is often the case. Here is a simple rule to remember. If you aren’t satisfied with the speed and intelligence of communication before you purchase services, you will definitely not be happy with it after you purchase services. Quality personal training is just as much about the coaching, education, and communication you receive between sessions as it is the workouts you receive during sessions.

Finally, every trainer has a unique personality and style. Some are very quiet. Some are very, very loud. Some like to laugh constantly, while others refuse to ever crack a smile. Many trainers take the drill instructor approach, while others like to be teachers. Certain trainers motivate with words, while other trainers’ silent expectations are motivation enough. I can’t say that one style is necessarily better than another. It just depends on what you like, what you can put up with, or what simply gets you results – whether or not you like it or believe you can put up with it. Keep in mind, though, if you end up canceling sessions because you can’t stand your trainer, you probably aren’t going to be hitting your goals any time soon. If you are considering a personal trainer, be sure to take the opportunity to communicate with them via email, talk with them on the phone, or meet them in person before purchasing sessions. This will keep you from wasting valuable time and money.

In summary, once you’ve found a personal trainer that can help you, will help you, and will do it without annoying the hek out of you, by all means take the plunge and make a commitment. Seriously attending to your health and fitness is one of the most important things you could ever do in life. In fact, it just may save your life.

There are a host of personal training certifications floating around, being snapped up on weekends and evenings by random individuals who want to make a buck “training” others. How do you know what certifications are good and which are poor? Unfortunately, there is not a solid way to name this one “bad” or that one “good.” However, there are some key factors to consider when searching for your personal trainer.

A handful of personal training certifications have been recognized by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, which can be referenced at www.credentialingexcellence.org. The NCCA’s mission and vision read as follows:

The NCCA helps to ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the accreditation of a variety of certification programs/organizations that assess professional competency. The NCCA uses a peer review process to:

• Establish accreditation standards;
• Evaluate compliance with the standards;
• Recognize organizations/programs which demonstrate compliance; and
• Serve as a resource on quality certification.

The NCCA will be an administratively independent resource recognized as the authority on accreditation standards for professional certification organizations/programs. Based on sound principles, NCCA standards will be optimal and comprehensive criteria for organizational process and performance. They will be broadly recognized, objective, and current benchmarks for certifying bodies to achieve and by which they operate.

The first personal training certification to meet the NCCA’s requirements was the National Strength and Conditioning Assocation’s Certified Personal Trainer credential. The NSCA accomplished this in 1996. Athough the NSCA-C.P.T. is still widely recognized as the most respected personal training certification, a handful of other certifications have now made the NCCA’s list. The personal training certifications recognized by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies are as follows:

NSCA – National Strength and Conditioning Assocation

ACSM – American College of Sports Medicine

NASM – National Academy of Sports Medicine

NESTA – National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association

ACE – American Council on Exercise

NCSF – National Council on Strength and Fitness

NFPT – National Federation of Professional Trainers

IFPA – International Fitness Professionals Association

In summary, at least the aforementioned certifications have met some recognized quality standards. Does this mean that one should not consider a professional with another certification? Not exactly. Some certifications, such as the Cooper Clinic’s C.P.T., are well known, respected and worth consideration. When picking a personal trainer, consider other important factors in addition to the certification, such as personality, experience, client testimonials, and education. A degree is better than no degree. A health and fitness related degree is better than a degree in an unrelated field. A kinesiology degree will be more beneficial in getting you results than a health promotion degree. Perhaps the best degree for personal training is Exercise Science, the same bachelor’s required for those going into physical therapy or chiropractic. When choosing your personal trainer, look for a combination of good personality, client testimonials, a health and fitness degree, quality certification, and multiple years of experience.

Because today’s personal trainers don’t make much money pushing more aerobics, this type of exercise has unfairly become “old school,” unnecessary, or even counter-productive. And although aerobics has possibly been elevated more than necessary, don’t be misled to think that it isn’t important. It’s still a big key to total health. Getting more oxygen into the body is always a good thing.

Science has observed that people who engage in cardiovascular exercise generally live longer than those who don’t. Aerobic training makes your cardiovascular system more efficient. An aerobically trained individual will utilize more oxygen, burn more fat, and produce less acid for any given amount of work. A healthy cardiovascular system means more bloodflow to the brain, heart, and all other parts of the body. Being aerobically fit also provides for better thermoregulation (control over your body’s temperature), yielding an environment for more efficient metabolic processes.

Medical research has shown that regular aerobic activity increases the body’s production of endorphins-the “feel good” hormones, resulting in improved mood and a better outlook on life. Other benefits include controlled blood sugar, reduced weight, less chronic pain, denser bones, and a stronger heart. Find something you enjoy, and at a bare minimum, be sure to accumulate 30 minutes per day.