Personal Training for Special Health Concerns and Groups

Training with Health Conditions

Beyond general health and fitness guidelines, many personal trainers choose to specialize in working with a particular population. Since we are starting to see conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and orthopedic conditions earlier in life, personal trainers seek out specialty training to work with those who have special medical conditions as well as training to work with special populations such as children or athletes.

Personal trainers aim to provide the clients with the most benefit with the least amount of risk. Although there is always some risk with engaging in exercise when compared to sitting on a couch, the many rewards associated with regular exercise far outweigh any risks.

Some of the things you might look for in a personal trainer if you have special concerns regarding your health are someone who is a medical or clinical exercise specialist or someone who specifically has training in the condition you are concerned about. Always ask to see credentials and for recent references. If you have multiple health challenges, seek a personal trainer with an advanced degree who is able to work along side other alternative care practitioners.

Group Training

After a personal trainer has mastered working with clients one on one, it’s natural for them to progress to working with groups which has many advantages to you the client. The obvious benefits in sharing your personal training session with another person or even up to several other people are reduction in the cost per session as well as the motivation and support that comes from working with a group

Group Motivation

Those who exercise with peers are more likely to stick to it as the socialization aspect of exercise becomes an important factor in retention. Exercising with another person puts mild pressure on you to not only show up but to perform a little better and push your physical limits as best you can. Group personal training can create some healthy competitiveness especially if you are working with someone who has slightly better physical abilities than you. In fact, it’s recommended that you look for a training comrade who is more fit than you so that you have something to aspire to.

The workouts themselves can be equally as productive as a single client session. If set up properly, your exercise session should be equally as challenging as if you were working with a trainer one on one. Having someone to train with during your session can allow you to do fun partner exercises that you could not do alone. Groups may be formed bases on special needs or populations such as seniors or new moms or 40 something women seeking fat loss or individuals completing for a particular event such as a tri-athlon.

Meeting the Needs of the Group

Some of the disadvantages of working with a group are that your workout may not be completely customized for you although most workouts will benefit the majority. There may be a conflict with one of the other clients regarding personality or abilities. You will have less flexibility if you need to make a schedule change.

If you decide to work with a personal trainer in a group setting you should interview the personal trainer the same way you would if you were going to be working together one on one. Then participate in at least one group session to make sure it will meet your needs and you know who the other clients will be. Ask about policies regarding fees if you or one of the other clients is absent. Also ask about fees if another client joins or leaves the group as well as the maximal number of clients that will share your session.

The maximum size of the group that should be considered for personal training is around 12 individuals. Expect a group that large to be conducted on a court or in a group fitness studio versus on the traditional gym floor where it would be impossible to simultaneously monitor everyone properly.

The More, the Merrier

Over all group personal training can be a cost effective, fun and productive way to achieve your fitness results. Your workouts will still consist of the same type of format (warmup, strengthening & stretching) use similar equipment and can be of the same duration which is typically one hour. Connecting with a group of like minded clients will empower each of you in the sharing of idea’s, success tips as well as the importance of a social connection.