How to Choose a Personal Trainer
March 8 -- With the demand for personal trainers on the rise, consumers should know that not all are created equal.
Personal training, once thought of as a service only the wealthy could afford, has become a cornerstone of the health and fitness industry. As more people become concerned with their health and appearance, the use of personal trainers has increased.
Some 5.3 million Americans enlisted the help of a personal trainer in 2000, up from 4 million in 1999, according to Bill Howland, director of research for the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association.
Unfortunately, there are currently no federal or state laws regulating who can, and cannot, practice as a personal trainer. So it is important to do your own detective work before turning your body over to a trainer's care.
"There is no universally accepted certification out there," acknowledges Cedric X. Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, a San Diego-based nonprofit organization that certifies fitness professionals.
Certified Doesn't Always Mean Qualified
An overwhelming 250 certification programs exist throughout the United States, yet all have different requirements, ranging in depth from "heavy" to "feather" weight.
While some programs require a college degree in a health-related field, along with the passing of written and practical exams to qualify for certification, others can be completed with little preparation by taking a simple test in an afternoon.
And just because a personal trainer is "certified" does not necessarily mean that he or she is qualified to work with people in all different areas of fitness.
"I've seen trainers do things that they shouldn't," says Nancy L. Campbell, a Boston-based certified personal trainer with both a bachelor's and master's degree in exercise physiology. "For example, personal trainers are not qualified to give nutrition recommendations. We are trained in the basics, but this does not make us registered dietitians."
