An online personal trainer costs $30 to $80 per hourly session for a custom-tailored workout program. Clients will work one-on-one or in small groups with the trainer online. During the session, the trainer takes you through an entire workout as he watches you using your phone or computer camera. Sessions can also be live-streamed with multiple clients participating simultaneously or using pre-recorded sessions that clients follow on their own schedule.

Another online personal training option is to use a fitness app costing $15 to $50 per month. These digital programs include guided workouts, nutrition courses, and fitness tracking on the app to keep you motivated and help you reach your fitness goals.

A certified personal trainer uses their education and experience to create safe and effective exercise programs for their clients with the goal of improving fitness and overall health. A personal trainer evaluates your fitness level, personal goals, and nutrition to create your personalized training program.

Online personal trainers may offer live or pre-recorded instruction. They may monitor your progress with weekly meetings or phone calls or may choose to track your progress on an app. Regardless of whether you work out alone or in a small group, the trainer will switch up the exercises often to keep you engaged and provide feedback to keep you motivated and on track.

While you can exercise on your own, hiring a personal trainer is helpful for those new to exercise. A personal trainer can teach you about health and fitness, while making sure you learn proper techniques to avoid injury. They provide a customized workout and nutrition plan to help you achieve your goals faster than you could on your own. Other benefits of a personal trainer include:

• Accountability to your coach to keep you on track
• Better motivation than you would have on your own
• Help you set challenging but reachable goals
• Give you a variety of exercises to keep you engaged

A personal trainer can help you on your fitness path, but be sure to avoid trainers that:

• Don't perform a fitness evaluation to screen for flexibility, injuries, or other limitations before your first workout.
• Don't ask about your fitness goals before presenting you with a fitness plan.
• Try to sell you supplements or insist that a certain brand of products is essential to your training.
• Try to diagnose you with medical issues.
• Guarantee immediate results. Expect about 6 weeks to see results from any fitness program.

Before hiring a personal trainer, be sure to ask these important questions:

• What certification and experience do you have?
• How long are your sessions and how much do they cost?
• What is your availability?
• Do you train at the gym, or will you come to my home or office?
• Do you include nutritional advice with exercise training?
• If I miss a session can I make it up later?

Look on our site for certified personal trainers near you. Narrow down the list of trainers that fit your budget, schedule, and fitness goals by following these additional suggestions:

• Confirm the trainer is certified and trained in CPR and first aid.
• Read their online reviews on Lessons and Google.
• Ask about their educational background, especially if you have medical issues or are seeking nutritional advice.
• Make sure they carry the proper liability insurance.
• Get everything in writing including fees, session details, and cancellation policies.