WINNIPEG – If you have made the resolution to hit the gym more you might be tempted to hire a personal trainer.
While he or she can help with motivation and to make sure you are working out properly, not all personal trainers are equal.
“It is more a buyer beware market,” said Stephanie Jeffrey, the executive director of the Manitoba Fitness Council.
Jeffrey says there are no standards governing who can call themselves a personal trainer in Manitoba.
“It’s a massive issue here in Manitoba,” said Jeffrey. “Unfortunately if you say are you a personal trainer and they say yes and that’s the only question you’ve asked then you have done yourself a disservice.”
Jeffrey said you should ask if the personal trainer has liability insurance.
“If you go with someone who is not certified and you get hurt and they don’t have liability insurance unfortunately you are on your own and you don’t have an organization to help you out,” she said.
She also recommends asking what level of certification the person has.
Both the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) and the Manitoba Fitness Council have standards members have to meet.
If you are wondering if your trainer meets those standards CSEP has a national database found here and you can call the Manitoba Fitness Council at (204) 235-1245 to ask about a trainer.
The Wellness Institute says all of its trainers have CSEP certification as well as university degrees.
“We really have to be strict,” said Darren Brereton, the director of health and fitness for the Wellness Institute, which is associated with the Seven Oaks Hospital.
Brereton said people should take the time to find the right personal trainer for them,
“We spend so much time on a new car determining what to buy where to buy getting the best deal, most qualified,” he said. “We should spend that time on yourself when talking about your health.”
The YMCA also says its personal trainers meet national standards through C-SEP or its own national training course.
“We ensure staff certification is up to date and provide them with ongoing training such as CPR and first aid as well as continuing education,” said Angela Worthman with the Y Downtown.
Global News reached out to other gyms in Winnipeg to find out what qualifications its trainers have.
In an email Shapes said a large number of their trainers have degrees in Kinesiology. The minimum requirement for gaining employment with Shapes is for applicants to have a certification in, Resistance Training, First Aid and CPR.
Goodlife said all of their personal trainers take part in the national canfitpro certification process and the company has an internal education and certification program, called BlackBelt.
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