Working with a trainer or coach

When is a personal trainer or coach worth it?

A trainer or coach looks most worthwhile if you have a long-term health condition, or if you want help with balance and strength. You don't need one to begin moving more, but in these situations the extra skill and attention can make a real difference.

If you want help with balance and strength

For healthy older adults, balance and strength training with someone supervising worked better than the same training done alone. Supervised programmes are recommended as a way to reduce the factors that raise the risk of falls¹. If balance or leg strength is your main goal, having someone watch and correct how you move is a good reason to book a coach.

If you have a long-term condition

Professional guidance recommends that your first assessment and your programme are set up by an exercise professional with advanced training in clinical exercise prescription, such as a clinical exercise physiologist or physiotherapist². These professionals are trained in how illness changes the way your body responds to exercise².

Ask about ongoing support

Programmes tend to work more consistently when you direct the activity yourself with some professional guidance and when professional support carries on over time³. So ask whether regular check-ins are included, rather than paying for one session and then being on your own.

What isn't settled yet

It isn't clear yet whether one-to-one coaching helps people keep going after earlier attempts didn't last. For older adults living with obesity, no single coaching approach has been shown to work better than others⁴. Treat a trainer as a way to get skilled guidance and a programme that fits you, not as a guarantee that you'll stick with it.

When to check with a health professional

If you're starting exercise after a long break, it's always a good idea to see your doctor first.

For an injury or a health condition, see a health professional, such as your doctor or a physio. Talk to them before you choose a programme, and make sure your trainer is willing to work with them.

Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure (or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, especially with sweating or feeling sick), severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or someone who isn't safe.

A sore muscle or joint, or soreness a day or two later, is a reason to ease off. Tell your trainer, and see a doctor or other health professional if it persists or gets worse.