So you’ve decided to invest in a personal trainer. Fantastic! You want to work with someone who knows their stuff naturally, but to find the best fitness professionals out there, it takes more than a quick search on Google. It can feel daunting. How can you find the best match for you?

Make no mistake, the fitness trainer market is a saturated one. Professional standards, experience and training methods vary enormously. Choosing the right person for you will be the difference between your success or failure. You’re making an investment in your health and fitness so it’s important that you get the right match or you could find you are wasting your time and your money.

First off, really think about what you’re looking for. Would you work better with a female or male personal trainer? Someone younger or a bit older? Are you completely new to fitness, do you need to lose some weight or learn some basics? Have you been going to the gym for years but have lost motivation? Maybe you’ve had back pain or other injuries and need someone with the experience to help improve your mobility, strength and flexibilty?

Consider where you will be most comfortable working out. A well equipped gym environment can provide great motivation as well as lots of opportunites for variety in your workouts. It’s not always as hectic and crowded as people imagine. Yes, evenings get busy, but daytimes are usually quiet and an enjoyable time to workout. It will need to be as convenient as possible for you to get to - so choose a location near your home or work. There are several good ones in Medway, The Gym in Strood, near Rochester, Kent where I am based is bright, clean and well equipped with easy parking. If you’d like to workout at home, you will need a mobile personal trainer who can bring all the equipment to your home or outdooor location as well as keep you interested and motivated with each session.

Google or Facebook recommendations can throw up hundreds of trainer websites and profiles. You’ll find after a quick browse that the quality and trainer styles varies enormously. Have a look at a few profiles and bookmark any that stand out to you. Social media can also be good way to get a feel for someone’s personality and style. Have a look at their pages on Facebook or Instagram. Can you get a feel for their own lifestyle? What they eat, how they train, what they’re interested in and what they do in their spare time?

Can you feel confident that their influence will translate into your success? How do they look after themselves? Do they have a healthy attitude to life, exercise and diet? Are they in good physical and mental shape themselves and do they actually practice what they preach?

Check out each trainer’s professional qualifications, client feedback and professional experience. Book a consultation with a couple that you are drawn to. Trainers should offer this service free of charge and they should use this consultation to find out lots about you and what you’re hoping to achieve.

When you meet up, expect a good PT to ask you A LOT of questions - about your diet, current training, lifestyle and so on. Also use this time to ask them questions about how they work and what will be involved when working with them. Don’t be afraid to pick their brains, ask for advice and their opinions on things you are unsure about. At the end of the consultation, you should walk out feeling motivated and inspired. If you don’t feel positive at this stage, how will you feel after a few weeks of working together?

In a nutshell, the three most important things to look for are:

Are they experienced? A newly qualified trainer will be fine if you are just looking for a ‘gym babysitter’ to show you around the machines but if you’re serious about physical achievement and progression, check out your trainer’s experience in areas that interest you.

Are they qualified and insured? Look for at least Level 3 Qualification in Personal Training. Ideally they should also have a few shorter CPD (continued professional development) in more specialised areas too.

And last, but by no means at all least, do you actually like them as a person? This might not sound so important but remember, you’ll be spending a lot of time together. A good rapport with your trainer is right up there if you are going to succeed and stick with it. You have to trust them, feel happy and relaxed around them and feel confident that they will be getting the best out of you. If you feel in any way intimidated, bored, hopeless, demotivated or irritated, don’t be afraid to politely call time on your PT and move on.

Here’s wishing you every success this year, whatever you want to achieve. You can do this.