The Do’s and Don’ts of a Personal Trainer

Maybe like me you’ve engaged a personal trainer a few times…or maybe you’re working with a personal trainer right now. And maybe what I’m about to write is a ‘duh’ moment for you. But here goes - I didn’t really think about the qualifications of the personal trainers I trained with. I just assumed that the individuals I trained with knew what they were doing. In hindsight, the one trainer I worked with 20 plus years ago was likely ‘not’ certified and the trainer I worked with about a decade ago ‘was likely’ certified…but may not have been.

With what I know now, if I was seeking a personal trainer I would look for a ‘certified’ trainer, perhaps even asking to see the certification documents. However, there are other ways to figure out if a trainer is certified, by listening to how they describe their ‘scope of practice’. For instance, in the program I studied, it’s made clear that personal trainers don’t do things like diagnosing, prescribing, recommending supplements, treat injury or disease, counsel. Rather, they receive guidance from physicians, physical therapists, registered dieticians, etc., screen for exercise limitations, refer clients to appropriate health professionals, design exercise programs, use exercise to improve overall health, document progress, coach.

In other words, a certified personal trainer has a ‘scope of practice’ that they must abide by. This is for your safety. A personal trainer must stay in their lane and not venture into the advice given by other qualified professionals in your health care team (ie. physician, registered dietician, physical therapist, chiropractor, etc.). To do so is not only unwise but could also be dangerous to your health and safety.

So, next time your training with your certified personal trainer, go ahead and ask them exactly what is their ‘scope of practice’. Oh, and as a final hint to something you do and don’t want to hear - you want to hear that you are being referred to as ‘a client’ and not as ‘a patient’, as the latter could be an indication that your personal trainer has jumped out of their lane of expertise.