A personal trainer is a person who has earned an accredited certification that shows that they have attained a certain level of competence for developing and delivering effective and safe exercise plans for people of apparently good health and those with special medical clearance to exercise under the supervision of a physician.
Personal trainers are in charge of creating individual fitness programs and fitness goals for their clients and also help them achieve these goals by providing regular feedback on how exactly they are progressing. They use a variety of methods including exercise prescriptions, nutritional advice, motivational speaking and dietary control to keep their clients motivated and on track. But there are some things you should know before hiring a personal trainer for your fitness needs.
In most countries, a personal trainer certification or a license is not a requirement to engage in this profession but it does give the trainer some sort of professional recognition and this can sometimes be a hindrance. Usually, personal trainers are not subject to licensing because they do not offer specific exercise training, rather they are involved in activities such as teaching people how to perform exercises which they would normally perform.
Because many of the fitness programs created by personal trainers incorporate some form of medicine or exercise into them, there is some concern that a person may become susceptible to some illness or injury through improper or substandard use of the program. This is one of the reasons why you will find a number of personal trainer certification offered by organizations throughout the world.
Some other concerns include the fitness instructors being overly focused on building muscle rather than maintaining healthy weights. Also, some fitness experts advocate the use of meal replacement and even weight loss supplements instead of nutritious and balanced diets. Personal trainers also tend to overstate the positive results of some exercises and underestimate the overall effects of nutrition on fitness. These facts are well known and accepted within the fitness industry but you should be aware that a personal trainer does not have to earn any form of certification to practice in this field.