Personal Fitness Trainers - Top Tips To Find The Right One For You

It can be difficult finding the time and motivation to exercise which is why many people turn to a personal fitness instructor to help. Anyone can benefit from the services of a personal trainer but it is when clients have special physical needs or need help with a particular problem that a trainer can really come into their own. I spoke to Jason Roberts, founder of website Steps to Wellness, and trainer for over 15 years, to find out how he made a difference to one client's life and why he loves his job so much.

As a qualified and experienced fitness trainer, Jason sees clients from all backgrounds and one of the things he likes most about the job is helping people to get more out of life. "One client," he comments "who had her own physical challenges but enjoyed archery, was getting frustrated about her low scores, despite being motivated and skilled in the sport. By training and working together she lost weight and her progress earned her two medals". Fine progress indeed but I was interested to find out how he did it and what I can learn about finding a trainer myself.

The lady he worked with has diabetes as well as peripheral neuropathy (the attacking and destruction of sensory nerves), her co-ordination is unstable because she suffers lack of feeling in her feet and she has had previous surgery on her knee for an unrelated condition. This is an unfortunate combination of physical limitations and I was keen to draw Jason out on how he managed to improve her fitness. He explained, "we started by creating a workout designed specifically for her to increase strength and agility as well as helping to reduce her weight by using a recumbent cycle and lifting weights." By keeping her training in a supported seating position, he allowed her to build strength and therefore stability without putting her at risk and it was not long before she could feel the benefits.

But, they were not just working on the legs, of course: the body functions as a whole and by strengthening specific muscles in the torso and arms, her archery scores soared, winning her medals and making her a very happy client, particularly as she also lost a stone in weight.

Jason has his own unique understanding of the links between strength, stability and supported training as he has had his own physical challenges over the years, having suffered a brain aneurysm as a child. "My aim is to allow other people to learn from the lessons I learnt during my recovery: everybody's journey is different". The thing Jason that loves most about being a personal trainer is the individual nature of what he does and the pleasure his clients get from moving forward, whatever their challenges.

Jason's top tips for finding the right personal trainer for you? Word of mouth is always an excellent way, so do some asking around but you can always use a directory like Steps to Wellness to find someone in your area. Always ask to see qualifications and insurance for your own personal safety and think about where you would like the training to take place - some trainers will work outside or at the gym and some at your home. His final tip is not to feel intimidated by someone who is very fit - "we do have a bit of a reputation for being fitness freaks" he laughs "but we are human too. Communication and sharing is key to the professional service that a trainer provides so it is important that you find someone you can trust and feel comfortable with."

He concludes by saying "That first step, finding and contacting your personal trainer is a big one but you won't regret it - everybody's journey starts somewhere" and I guess in essence, a journey is always easier when you travel with someone who knows the way.