{"id":27725,"date":"2014-05-08T11:15:13","date_gmt":"2014-05-08T15:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=27725"},"modified":"2021-05-17T03:29:08","modified_gmt":"2021-05-17T07:29:08","slug":"how-to-choose-online-trainer-nutritionist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/how-to-choose-online-trainer-nutritionist\/","title":{"rendered":"Find Out How to Vet a Personal Trainer or Nutritionist You\u2019ve Never Met"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo:
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You haven\u2019t been able to find a personal trainer you connect with. There are no registered dietitians within an hour\u2019s drive of your house. You want to get the expert guidance you need, but you\u2019re just not that crazy about your options.<\/p>\n

In the past, you could either settle or go without, but thanks to a vast and growing virtual community, you can now get much of the help you need online. In efforts to broaden their client bases and reach more people, many fitness and nutrition professionals are now counseling clients in other locations \u2014 many of whom they\u2019ve never even met.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe advancement of online personal training eliminates the barriers of the four physical walls of the gym, studio or fitness center,\u201d says Ted Vickey, Senior Consultant on Innovation and Emerging Technology for the American Council on Exercise, an organization that credentials personal trainers and group fitness instructors. This removes distance \u2014 and sometimes cost \u2014 from the equation. According to a recent study<\/a> from IDEA Health & Fitness Association, a trade group for fitness pros, 20 percent of trainers offered online training in 2013 (up from eight percent in 2008).<\/p>\n

Cyber Selection<\/b><\/h3>\n

Many big-name trainers, such as Roger Lawson, also known as “Rog Law<\/a>“,\u00a0and JC Deen<\/a>, do most of their training online, enabling them to help a larger audience. But it\u2019s not necessarily about volume. These web-based trainers only take on a few clients at a time so that they can give them the attention they deserve.<\/p>\n

Deen started virtual training because \u201cit\u2019s a chance to work with clientele anywhere in the world. It\u2019s lucrative from the standpoint that you don\u2019t have any overhead, and you can work anywhere with an Internet connection.\u201d He says it\u2019s also an option for him to work with clients who don\u2019t need much in-person supervision, but still need the guidance and accountability. If that sounds anything like you, consider these tips to get the most from your remote coach.<\/p>\n

Make It Work<\/b><\/h3>\n

Just as you need to carefully select a real-life personal trainer<\/a> or nutritionist, there are several factors to consider for your best relationship with a long-distance health professional.<\/p>\n

1. Do your homework.<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cSomeone with very little nutrition education can legally call themselves a nutrition counselor, so it\u2019s important to find someone with the RD behind their name.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you walked into a gym and asked for a personal trainer, it\u2019s usually safe to assume your burpee-loving taskmaster has been properly vetted by the powers that be. (Always confirm your trainer\u2019s qualification and areas of expertise regardless though!) You want to make sure they are certified by one of the major credentialing organizations, such as the American Council on Exercise, National Academy of Sports Medicine, National Council on Strength & Fitness or the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.<\/p>\n

The same holds true for online strength coaches, personal trainers and running coaches. \u201cMost online trainers also teach at an actual location,\u201d says Tom Ivicevic, director of media relations for the AFAA, so you can check in with their training facility as a reference. If they don\u2019t, both ACE<\/a> and NASM<\/a> also have searchable databases where you can verify a trainer\u2019s credentials.<\/p>\n

Searching for a Registered Dietitian or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist will yield results for \u201csomeone who has had extensive education in food and nutrition science,\u201d says Marjorie Nolan Cohn<\/a>, R.D., who serves as the national spokesperson for industry group Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics<\/a>. Problem is: \u201cSomeone with very little nutrition education can legally call themselves a nutrition counselor, so it\u2019s important to find someone with the RD behind their name,\u201d Cohn says.<\/p>\n

If you know the R.D.\u2019s zip code, you can search the AND\u2019s database<\/a> to confirm his or her certification. A nutritionist\u2019s certification lasts for life, although they must complete 75 continuing education units every five years. ACE, NASM and the other major accreditation organizations have similar continuing education requirements to keep your trainer up-to-date on the latest fitness trends and research.<\/p>\n

\"Vet
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Check in regularly.<\/b><\/h3>\n

The level of self-accountability needs to be higher… “it is the driving force in this type of relationship.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So you\u2019ve found a qualified professional with the right resume, personality and coaching style for you \u2014 now what? While the professional you\u2019re working with is a major part of the equation, these virtual relationships take a bit more work on your part, too.<\/p>\n

Dedicated trainers want<\/i> their clients to schedule review sessions<\/a> \u2014 and yes, this is when they\u2019re already seeing you at least once a week. \u201cRegular check-ins via email or Skype are important,\u201d says Leanne Shear, an ACE-certified personal trainer and founder of Uplift Studios<\/a>, a New York-based women\u2019s gym. \u201cThis way, my clients can ask me questions about things they don\u2019t understand, and I can demonstrate moves if I need to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Washington, D.C.-based R.D. Anne Mauney<\/a> has clients set three specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely (S.M.A.R.T.<\/a>) goals at the end of each session. \u201cI use regular check-ins between sessions to discuss over email how these are going,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/b> 4 Things Your Personal Trainer Wished You\u2019d Do<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Dig deeper.<\/b><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll need to do some soul searching to determine if you can make this type of arrangement work. <\/b>Excuses such as \u201cmy trainer can never meet with me\u201d or \u201cI got stuck in traffic\u201d are no longer an option.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Virtual training] is more advisable for someone who has at least a basic level of fitness and knows their way around the weight room,\u201d says Shear. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019d advise virtual training for a total newbie, unless in-person training was completely prohibitive. It\u2019s hard enough to show up both literally and figuratively when a trainer is standing over you in person, so it\u2019s a much bigger challenge when they\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n

The level of self-accountability needs to be higher, according to Cohn, \u201cbecause it is the driving force in this type of relationship.\u201d If you know you\u2019re the type of person who zones out during conference calls, you\u2019ll need to work harder to be mindful<\/a> during your sessions. Pinpoint your potential distractions<\/a>, such as flashing notifications on your computer screen or smartphone, and shut those off before<\/i> your mind starts wandering.<\/p>\n

While working with someone virtually might present additional challenges, the possibility of finding a better match than you might be able to in your hometown is an exciting development for both clients and fitness professionals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new use of technology in the fitness industry will be a game changer,\u201d says Vickey. \u201cTrainers who adopt will prosper, those that don\u2019t might not.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Can\u2019t find a good trainer or nutritionist locally? Find out what to look for in an online health professional \u2014 and how to make your virtual sessions count. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":27727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,14],"tags":[289,104,71,76,341,343,285],"class_list":["post-27725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fitness","category-strength-training","tag-exercise","tag-goals","tag-nutrition","tag-personal-trainer","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise","tag-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27725"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27725\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}