# Working with a trainer or coach > A trainer or coach looks most worthwhile if you have a long-term health condition, or if you want help with balance and strength. For a condition, look for someone with advanced training, such as an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist, and ask about ongoing support rather than a single session. - Type: Guide - Topic: Social & Family › Support & Accountability - Reviewed by: Andrew Schox, BSc(Hons) PGradDipPod MPod, Podiatrist (2026-10-21) - URL: https://twikka.com/learn/working-with-a-trainer-or-coach - Updated: 2026-10-21 - **A trainer looks most worthwhile in two cases:** you have a long-term health condition, or you want help with balance and strength. - **Check the training:** for a condition, look for an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist rather than a general instructor. - **Ongoing support tends to work better than a single session,** so ask what regular check-ins are included. - **Tell your trainer about any injuries, conditions or limits** so they can adapt the exercises to you. ## 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 falls [1]. 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 physiotherapist [2]. These professionals are trained in how illness changes the way your body responds to exercise [2]. ### 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 time [3]. 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 others [4]. 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. > **Try this:** Before you book, write down any injuries, health conditions or limits, plus three questions: What training and qualifications do you hold? Do you have experience with my condition? What ongoing support is included? A good trainer will explain anything you don't understand. ## 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. ## Quick answers ### Can an exercise physiologist help with my health condition? Possibly. An exercise physiologist or physiotherapist with advanced training in clinical exercise can design exercise around a health condition. Ask about their experience with your condition, and keep your doctor informed about your programme. ### What should I ask at a first session? Ask what training and qualifications the trainer holds, and ask them to explain anything you don't understand. Ask whether support is ongoing, such as regular check-ins, rather than a single session. Tell them about any injuries, health conditions or limits so they can adapt the exercises. ### Will a trainer help me stick with it this time? It isn't clear yet whether one-to-one coaching helps people keep going after earlier attempts didn't last. Ongoing support, such as regular check-ins, looks more useful than one-off input, so ask what a trainer offers over time before you commit. ## Sources 1. Lacroix A, Kressig RW, Muehlbauer T, Gschwind YJ, Pfenninger B, Bruegger O, Granacher U (2016). Effects of a Supervised versus an Unsupervised Combined Balance and Strength Training Program on Balance and Muscle Power in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Gerontology. https://doi.org/10.1159/000442087 2. Maiorana AJ, Williams AD, Askew CD, Levinger I, Coombes J, Vicenzino B, Davison K, Smart NA, Selig SE (2018). Exercise Professionals with Advanced Clinical Training Should be Afforded Greater Responsibility in Pre-Participation Exercise Screening: A New Collaborative Model between Exercise Professionals and Physicians. Sports Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5948234/ 3. Hillsdon M, Foster C, Thorogood M (2005). Interventions for promoting physical activity. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4164373/ 4. Torbahn G et al. (2026). EffectS of Lifestyle Interventions in Older PEople With Obesity (Effective SLOPE): a Systematic Review With Network Meta-Analyses. Obesity Reviews. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13551408/ --- Source: Twikka (https://twikka.com/learn/working-with-a-trainer-or-coach). General information about physical activity, not medical advice.