HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT PERSONAL TRAINER?
Unfortunately, the personal training business is not widely regulated. People can get a PT certification in a relatively short period of time and with not a lot of financial commitment.
So – how do you know if someone is actually qualified to train you? How do you know you will get the correct advice and program for you?
Here’s the deal:
Look for someone with experience
Look for someone who has multiple certifications
Look for someone with a real passion
Look for someone who has a “niche” and routinely spends time researching new advances and strategies, as well as training
In the Older Adult realm, training can be complex.
The Functional Aging Institute developed this chart to demonstrate the 7 elements of functional aging:
As an Older Adult, ideally you’d want someone with training in how to navigate all of these factors based on your particular limitations, fitness history and goals. Someone who can correctly identify the specific exercises, the order and the complexity needed for YOU.
Cody Sipe (a recognized and award-winning authority on functional exercise for older adults with over thirty years of experience as a professor, researcher, educator, exercise physiologist, trainer, and fitness studio owner) says the following:
“Independent (both lower and higher) older adults exhibit a HUGE degree of variability in their needs and challenges. Yes, it is true that almost any type of program will be helpful to their health and function because exercise is a powerful intervention. BUT if you want to maximize their results, you have to dig deeper into assessing their needs/deficiencies and creating a tailored approach to address them. What works great for one person may not work great for another.”
Check out my website for more information about me and my training!
www.heidiweinberg.com
