At a time when more and more people are turning to personal fitness trainers for help in meeting their health and fitness goals, no single, standard qualification is required before a person can practice as a personal trainer. Anyone can say they are a personal trainer but not anyone can perform the important functions of a personal trainer. With dozens of certifications available in the United States today, and with each certification organization having different standards and methods for testing a candidate s knowledge, consumers can easily be confused. To properly design a safe and effective exercise program, a personal trainer should have a good grounding in exercise technique, including exercise physiology, anatomy and injury prevention.
Fitness is a fast-moving field.
You want to be able to rely on your trainer for current information on fitness, exercise and healthy lifestyle activities. Membership in a professional organization such as IDEA is one way to tell that a personal trainer is staying abreast of the latest information on a variety of important topics and aware of a professional code of ethics and standards. While emergencies during training are extremely rare, be sure your trainer knows precisely what to do should one arise. Many medical conditions or past injuries can affect your participation in a training session and the program your trainer designs for you. A quality trainer needs to know relevant details of your past medical history, including any medications you may be taking before they can provide you with an effective workout.