Personal Trainer May Help You Shed Pounds

They Offer Personal Attention, Expertise

CLEVELAND -- You've heard it time and time again: Eat right, exercise at least five times a week and drink plenty of water.

If you are doing all of that and still aren't reaching your fitness goals, it may be time to take it a step further.

Personal trainers provide professional expertise, personal attention and motivation, all of which will help you reach your goal faster.

Cara Huntington signed up with a personal trainer at her local gym with one goal in mind.

"I think I said I wanted to look tough," she said.

Whether you meet three times a week or once a month, a personal trainer should be certified and experienced.

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A good way to guarantee this is to go through an established gym or health club.

Before shopping around, trainers say it's good to have a definite idea of the results you want.

"You're gonna be trained in on what specifically you're looking for," said Mark Leeling, a personal trainer. "So if you're looking for sports-specific type things or if you're looking for weight loss or muscle building. What you're really looking for is what you're going to get from a personal trainer."

Any trainer should conduct an extensive baseline evaluation, testing your body fat, flexibility and asking about eating and exercise habits.

Then, your workout should be tailored to using a combination of strength training, cardio work, nutrition and flexibility.

A trainer will help you take the guesswork out of the exercise that you do, but it's important to set realistic goals for yourself.

"It's not a quick fix. It does help. But it still takes dedication and motivation on my part to get what I want," Huntington said.

Prices generally range from $30 to $75 for each hour session.

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