What to Look for When Choosing a Personal Trainer

What to Look for When Choosing a Personal Trainer

For those who have decided to join a gym, or have been recommended to do regular exercise by their GP, there is a new guide issued by the Ministry of Health to ensure New Zealanders can make safe and well informed choices when choosing a gym or personal trainer.

This guide gives valuable straightforward advice to help people get started, which is good news as exercise options and the way we exercise have changed significantly over our lifetime, and certainly alot in just the last few years.

It’s not just trends that change, the science behind effective exercise for health is constantly being updated. Exercises and ideas that were well regarded in the past, have now been proven to be unsafe or ineffective.

So New Zealanders need to make sure they make an informed choice when choosing an exercise programme. The variety of facilities and the styles of trainers and instructors are now very diverse with new developments and trends making exercise more interesting and more effective. It’s not surprising that with the increased range of exercise options, the quality of trainers is also extremely varied.

Without knowing it, an exerciser can be putting their physical health and safety in the hands of someone who has little or no training, which is why having the new Ministry of Health recommendations are so important. The public need reliable and trusted guidance to help them make the right choice.

Choosing an exercise professional or facility can be a daunting task, with many left relying on friend’s opinions and marketing campaigns. This is a good start, but when looking at improving your health, you want to make sure you are in capable hands.

That’s why it’s very reassuring news to find out that the newly released Ministry of Health Going to the Gym guide recommends using REPs Registered Professionals and facilities. This is important recognition of the safe and effective exercise advice delivered by REPs Registered Trainers. You can view the new guidelines at the following link - http://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/healthy-living/food-and-physical-activity/physical-activity/activity-guides/going-gym

These guidelines will give you all the basic information you need to get started. For those looking for extra assistance with injuries or specific goals, and those who are motivated to get results will often seek the guidance of a Personal Trainer. Once again there is help at hand to make sure people can make the right choice, and this time comes in the form of a simple information brochure provided by REPs. There are some key areas you should look at when selecting your trainer.

Education
A good trainer will hold a qualification mapped to internationally bench marked standards of skills and knowledge. They will also continue to up skill each year to maintain their registration. In New Zealand there are no laws setting minimum standards for a personal trainer. So this means anyone can call themselves a personal trainer with or without appropriate qualifications. Don’t take the risk - only use a REPs registered trainer.

Experience
Personal Trainers have different levels of experience based on their years of practice, knowledge and skill. Some trainers also specialise in certain groups of people. The best advice here is to ask questions – explain your situation and background, along with what you want to achieve, and ask how the trainer can support you in your exercise and fitness journey.

Encouragement
When choosing any role that involves personal interaction, connecting and feeling comfortable with the trainer is very important. The best way to see if the trainer is right for you is to book in for a consultation with them and discuss your needs. If you want to take it further, then try a workout session or two.

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