5 Reasons to Hire a Personal Trainer

1. A personal trainer will show up at your home, giving you no excuse for skipping the day's workout; or, the trainer will be waiting for you at the gym; say goodbye to your excuses for not working out that day. Not being able to stick to an exercise regimen is a very common reason why people fail to get results from working out. When you pay a trainer, you'll for sure make every session, since they will be pre-paid. You can't ask for more motivation than that.

2. A trainer will explain how various exercises work and what muscles they affect. Confusion is often cited as a reason why people don't join health clubs. The array of machinery can be overwhelming to some people. Also, a person may be afraid of getting injured, or aggravating an injury. People in this category tend to be over 50, or very young, perhaps fresh out of high school. A trainer will teach you how to minimize injury.

3. A trainer will custom-design a program that fits your particular goals and abilities. Though the concepts behind maximizing fat-burning and optimizing cardio fitness apply equally to all human bodies, a person's specific goals do, indeed, determine what kind of exercise regimen the trainer will put that person on. A trainer will take the guesswork out of what you should do and what you should not do; and how often you should perform particular routines, and what to expect.

4. Purchasing training sessions can actually be cost-effective in the long run, compared to continuing to pay health club dues, not hiring a trainer, and not getting any results.

5. A trainer will give you motivational talks right when you need them. You will receive encouragement, and a trainer will keep you posted on how much you are progressing, as far as increases in strength, stamina, flexibility and overall fitness; plus body composition and other elements related to your goals.

If you belong to a health club that has a lot of trainers, observe how they work with their clients. Don't necessarily judge the expertise of a trainer on his or her physique. Some trainers are athletes and as a result, have great bodies. Observe how they train their clients.

On the other hand, if a trainer looks out of shape, be leery of hiring that person. Sometimes, health clubs hire people for trainers based on their sales background, and these new hires may not have any experience whatsoever in the fitness industry. They receive on-the-job training in things like taking body fat readings, and how the equipment works. They become great salespeople with little knowledge of human kinetics.

Interview a trainer whom you are considering hiring. Get a feel for their expertise. Make sure they are certified.