Personal training an exercise 'prescription'

By PHILIPPA SMITH

Personal trainers, once deemed a luxury for the rich and famous, have become more popular with New Zealanders keen to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The greatest enemy for those juggling work, play and exercise is often finding the time.

Personal trainers can help get the balance right through tailor-made programmes conducted at work, home or in the gym.

Health and exercise consultant Wendy Sweet says the demand for personal training has been impressive. She helped kick-start the personal training boom at Les Mills World of Fitness in the 90s and now teaches personal training courses at AUT.

Many of the major gyms have at least 20 to 30 personal trainers, she says, and Les Mills in Auckland has more than 60.

Ms Sweet also implements personal management systems for clubs and educates corporate clients about health and wellness.

"People have different goals, whether they want to lose weight, get fit or excel in a competitive sport," she says. "A personal trainer not only organises and supervises a suitable exercise regime, but is also a great motivator to help someone reach their goal."

Forget the movie scenarios of trainers hounding a person to push their limit on an exercycle or drink litres of raw eggs and milk to maintain stamina.

Ms Sweet says the purpose of personal training is to provide an exercise "prescription" which a person is comfortable with and will get them the results they want.

Personal training has appealed to a much wider audience in recent years, whether it is people in their 50s and 60s wishing to maintain good health, pregnant women, post-natal mothers, or performance-driven athletes.

Some people prefer the privacy of their own home for training, but owning their own exercise equipment is not a prerequisite.

Many trainers, Ms Sweet says, focus on more functional-type exercise and can adapt to whichever environment they are working in.

She says it is encouraging to find corporations realising the benefit of keeping their employees fit and healthy, particularly if they are working in a stressful or sedentary environment.

She assesses companies and advises on resources and programmes that they can implement, including the involvement of personal trainers.

In choosing a personal trainer Ms Sweet recommends that people find a qualified person who has had experience with clients with similar goals.

"A good trainer should have theoretical knowledge in exercise science, with an emphasis on anatomy and physiology as well as experience working with clients in an exercise setting - whether this is a gym or teaching aerobics. Confidence and a natural ability to lead are also important attributes."

The number of sessions can vary between once a month to several times a week depending on a person's needs and how quickly they want results.

The cost varies depending on the experience of a trainer (between $40 to $70 per hour), but is comparable to other health professionals such as nutritionists or massage therapists.

If a person has any health issues medical advice should be sought before commencing a programme.