After reading our prior blog post, you might find yourself asking: are personal trainers really worth it? Unlike our "it depends" answer from the last post, this one is much more straightforward: YES! But there's a bit more to it than that, as a personal trainer may not be the best solution for everybody. In this post, we provide some solid reasons for and against working with a personal trainer.
Reasons Personal Trainers are Worth It
Let's start with the most important one first: you are significantly more likely to achieve your fitness goals if you exercise with a personal trainer. People rarely exercise just for the fun of exercising (they should, but they don't!). Instead, people exercise to achieve a goal. Whether they are trying to resolve pain or mobility issues or they are just trying to look better in a bikini, you typically have some outcome you are trying to achieve. And if we know that working with a trainer makes it more likely to achieve that outcome, then this is a no-brainer, right?
The benefits don't stop there though. Personal trainers are educated professionals who understand different body types and exercise techniques that can help you reach your goals faster. Most people who have exercised are aware of the plateau effect. You exercise and see some results, then you get to a point where the results diminish. Even when you try to kick it into the next gear and lift harder, run farther, exercise more frequently, you don't see the additional results that you were hoping for. This is one area where personal trainers can be immensely helpful. A good trainer will teach you new techniques and use different modalities to overcome the plateau and get you back on the results train.
Reasons Personal Trainers Might Not Be Worth It
The obvious answer here is cost. Several people avoid personal trainers solely because of the cost. And while personal training can be pricey, there are plenty of ways to reduce the cost: hire independent trainers, workout in small groups instead of 1:1, exercise outdoors to save on gym costs, etc.
One clear counterpoint here is the cost of not employing a personal trainer. At some point you likely tried to go it alone to reach your fitness goals, and you likely invested a lot your own time and energy (not to mention making sacrifices such as dieting) to only attain mediocre results. How much was that time, energy and sacrifice worth to you in dollars? The answer to that question will be different for everyone, but it's an important one to think about as you consider exercising with a fitness professional.
Final Thought
If you are serious about reaching your fitness goal, then a personal trainer may be the best solution to get there. Hiring a personal trainer is an investment in yourself that can pay itself back by reducing your lifetime healthcare costs. Don't believe us? Check out this research article that indicates overwhelming evidence exists that exercise is associated with delaying the onset of 40 chronic conditions / diseases.
Exercising with a trainer might not be the right answer for everyone, but on the whole, most people will see improved results when exercising with a trainer professional. And it's up to each individual to determine how much they are willing to invest to achieve their fitness goals.