An inspiring fitness coach and health motivator can quickly identify why you’re not getting the results you want and help you to get back on track and moving forward again. Is your diet a mess? Do carbohydrates dominate your day? Is exercise a drag for you? Even if you’re retired does working out just seem like too much work? Does stress just eat you up inside and tire you out? Do you have the time to exercise and take care of yourself properly? Do you feel like your too out of shape to ever really get back in shape? Does your back ache most or all of the time and you say to yourself “it just doesn’t matter what I do.” Are you pre-diabetic or insulin dependent and feel it’s just too late for you and no one is willing to help? Do you have medical issues that have interfered with your ability to improve your quality of life? Do you have a hard time following through on what you know is actually good for you? Are you fat and sick and tired of looking at yourself that way?

The right health and fitness professional can empower you to work through your roadblocks. An issue or two that interferes with your real progress and success is very common. The best coaches and motivators know that asking the right questions will help provide you the right insight into your specific situation and give you strategies and solutions to your problems. If you haven’t taken the time to sit down and consult with a health and fitness specialist you’re wasting a lot of your precious time. I’m sure you can seriously benefit from a health and fitness professional while you get the help you need to feel better about yourself. In the long run it’s about you and getting you serious results quickly. In all honesty most clients don’t want a trainer, most clients just want the results a good coach can provide them. Just remember you can have lots of fun getting your body and life back.

How do you know if you’re hiring the right trainer? Good question. This is paramount to your success and unless you sit down and learn more about the process of how your trainer is going to best provide services to you you’re missing a key component immediately. Let me give you some questions that are best asked in advance of hiring your coach and fitness educator…

• Will your prospective trainer perform a health screening, conduct testing, and evaluate your current fitness level? Will they re-access?
• Does your trainer have a network of other health professionals such as physicians, physical therapists, nutrition specialists, and other fitness leaders?
• Can they provide a list of clients who have a similar type of exercise program? Can they show you proof of results from their client base?
• Are they willing and advertising to guarantee results for their clients with a money back guarantee?
• What type of nationally recognized organization are they certified by? Does the fitness professional have a degree in a health or fitness related field?
• How does the trainer keep current on research in strength training and conditioning? How long has the trainer been professionally training clients?

Quite frankly proper screening, assessment, and evaluation has to be apart of your comprehensive program. How else will you measure your progression? Your trainer also needs to be respected for the results he or she provides for their clients, otherwise they’re most likely not very good at what they do. A strong network of health professionals confirms you are working with a leader in the field. How many success stories do they actually have? How many testimonials? You should speak with some of their clients to get a better sense of the services you will be receiving. If a prospective fitness coach will not guarantee results, you should look for someone who is confident and will provide a guarantee. Normally the best trainers are highly experienced and credentialed. A national certification from the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) or NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) is a good sign you’re working with a lifelong learner. Continuing education is required by all nationally recognized organizations, but a great coach is constantly learning nonetheless.

Remember, a top quality coach does more than just “take you through a workout.” Any moron can count reps and look important by holding a clipboard. Look for a fitness pro who will educate you about all the components needed to achieve your optimal health and fitness results. Your trainer should review nutrition education with you, educate you about proper supplementation, review resistance training (whether that be power training, kettlebells, medicine balls, core work, stability balls, dumbbells, or body weight training). Based on your needs competent professionals will maximize fat burning while implementing the correct dose of cardiovascular conditioning. Expect your “mental development” side of training to flourish with the right educator. Goal setting, putting together a plan of action, and then holding you accountable and supporting you through the entire process is absolutely critical to your success.

Look for someone who will empower you for life! A great fitness coach will do more than just help you to achieve your goals. A true professional will teach you the foundation of knowledge so you will no longer be lost in the “sea of confusion” when it comes to all the diet and exercise hype. Your health and fitness pro will communicate well and explain nutritional components and also explain the exercises and methods to your understanding. Your trainer will listen to what you tell them about your body and the way the exercises feel. Your feedback about exercises and how your body is adapting is huge! The foundation of knowledge, tools, and correct techniques you’ll learn will allow you to maintain your results for the rest of your life. That is what a top health and fitness professional can do for you!

Marin health and fitness expert, John Spongberg is the founder of Personal Training in Marin as well as an accomplished author, speaker and life coach. He is dedicated to helping people reach their optimum level of fitness, health and body satisfaction through a unique, comprehensive whole-person approach, customized to each client.