A personal trainer can help you take your workouts to a new level. They are also helpful if you are looking for basic guidance on fundamentals. They can even personalize workouts that cater to your individual goals. However, if you are a senior, you might be hesitant to reach out. Don’t be! Even an older individual can benefit from hiring a professional trainer to help them stay in shape.
Certifications & Specialty
The truth is, there is a wide range of certifications a personal trainer may or may not have. As a senior, there are several specialties you might look for. National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certification and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) certifications are two of the top. There are specialties within those certifications like Certified Senior Fitness specialists, Corrective Exercise Specialists, Functional Aging specialists, or Certified Medical Exercise specialists. Any one of these certifications will do.
Anybody looking for a trainer should also be sure that whoever they decide to hire is, at minimum, CPR and First Aid certified.
If it’s important for you that a trainer is certified, be open to the possibility that someone might be certified in an area you are unfamiliar with. The number of trainers available to your preferred certification(s) will likely be determined by where you live; cities are likely to have more trainers simply because there are more people in the area.
The location might also determine which certifications trainers in that area are required to get or interested in. We are lucky to live in an era of technology as many trainers open themselves up to interaction via the internet. This might allow someone in a rural area to connect with someone in the city which has more relevant and desired certifications.
Experience
A certification only goes so far–experience is also a key factor to consider when deciding if a trainer is right for you or not. Perhaps experiences don’t matter as much. After all, if a person is physically fit, they probably know a few tips to help you get there, too.
However, dealing with seniors, experience is everything. Make sure whoever you pick has a long history training seniors. After all, if they have lots of experience with seniors, they have gotten lots of positive results. You want find someone with experience working with older adults and their special health needs.
A experienced and knowledgeable trainer is important because you never know what obstacles you might encounter when trying to achieve a particular goal.
Working with a trainer that has the experience and has helped other pass through similar barriers is not only comforting. It is also an indicator that they will continue providing quality assistance in the event of something new you and the trainer encounter.
This is crucial because an elderly individual is arguably more susceptible to injuries. A trainer with a high degree of experience will have more tools at their disposal to help you accomplish your own fitness goals.
Personality
When push comes to shove, any amount of certification and experience will not always translate to a personality that meshes well with yours. Some of the highest trained individuals might have a really disciplined, robust, and demanding personalities.
While they have likely helped many people achieve fitness goals, a senior citizen might not necessarily want someone barking at them or pushing them to the brink.
Older adults may progress at different rates, and it’s important to hire a trainer that will be sensitive to limitations while still progressing the client and challenge them to improve.
Maybe one of your goals is to walk more so you have the stamina to begin adding more basic movements, like dumbbell curls or bodyweight squats.
Somebody who is the perfect mix of patient and determined will likely have the personality you need to help you stay focused on taking things step by step.