It's not hard to find a personal trainer; walk into any local gym and you'll likely have plenty of candidates. So why are so many people turning to the Internet for exercise guidance? And more importantly, is it as safe and effective as in-person training sessions?
"I believe the biggest advantage lies in both the affordability and flexibility," says Ronail "Stretch" Shelton, who runs the online personal training site ENTfit Online Coaching. "Since the sessions aren't done in-person, the member can choose the best time to complete the workouts. Plus, members can choose to do the workouts at home using the equipment they have available. The cost is typically significantly less too. For example, my online training programs cost less per month than two 60 minute training session."
Yet there's one important thing that online trainers lack: physical contact. Can you really train someone—check form, provide motivation, and prevent injury—if you're not there with them? With ENTfit Online coaching, there are weekly Skype sessions to check on form and members can also contact the trainer via email, text and/or phone with any questions. With this extra effort to ensure member are getting the workout they want.
Once a week members check-in online to post their progress and to write down mini goals to accomplish for the following week, as well as the areas they did not do so well on. Once they write down areas of improvement they will have that small voice in their head reminding them to do better when that same problem comes around for the second time.
The effectiveness relies a lot on how motivated the member is to achieve his or her goals—and that would still be a factor when working in-person. Online training can have some extra positive affect on motivation because ENTfit always just an email away for support and will regularly check in with members or drop them a line with a motivating thought or quote for their day.
Have you tried online training? Leave a comment and tell us about your experience!