It may seem like old news now, but COVID-19 lockdowns meant that gyms across the country closed the doors for months. This left many fitness enthusiasts without a place to work out, but it was worse for personal trainers who no longer had a venue to deliver their services to clients. Given that gyms were not a viable option and social distancing was a big thing at the time, professionals working in the fitness industry needed to innovate. We saw the pandemic fitness economy boom with things like Peloton being adopted by people all over the world. The trend for digital fitness services didn't stop there either, as many personal trainers and fitness coaches began to take their services online.
What Can Online PTs Offer?
Online personal training has been a bit of a game-changer in the industry. Online fitness services range from fitness tracking apps to social media groups and video home workouts. Some online personal trainers even found ways to offer the same services as they would in person. It turns out that online personal training services can be better for everyone. Life can be hectic and trying to juggle everything with a strict fitness programme can make it difficult to stick to a routine. The great thing about online personal training is that you don't necessarily need to go to a gym or even a set time to work out with your trainer. This flexibility makes it easy to fit your training sessions around your day-to-day commitments. Online PT services can be just as effective as in-person training. It is great that online PT services are open to anyone with an internet connection and a phone. It opens the service up to many people who don't have access to a gym or a fitness trainer. As with anything, it is a good idea to research different services and find an online PT who can help you on your fitness journey.
Are All Online Fitness Services Created Equal?
As with anything, not all services are created equal. We've looked at a few different service offerings from online personal training services and noticed that there are generally two main types. It seems to be the case that some online trainers offer one-to-one consultations done over the phone or via video call. These are more personalised services that tend to involve fitness plans and nutrition advice that is specifically created for each client. This is arguably the best service to look for because you get all the benefits of an in-person trainer, apart from the in-person motivation during your workouts. Other online training services are a little more generalist and seem to be more group based. This sort of thing can be great for some people depending on their fitness goals. However, it lacks the personal touch and tends to be a more ' one size fits all' type of service.
More On Group-Based Online Personal Training
If you like the idea of joining a community of people with the same goal then this could be the perfect option for you. There have been many different group-based weight loss programmes available for many years - think about the in-person weight watchers style weekly meets and group exercise sessions. Group weight loss programmes have helped thousands of people lose weight and generally lead more healthy lifestyles over the years. It makes sense that this would work too. It's a community of like-minded individuals who have a common goal, and who keep each other motivated and accountable on the shared journey. This type of online PT service is a really affordable option, but it is not suited to everyone. One of the drawbacks of this service is that it is not usually built around individual goals. Clients receive the same training plans as their peers and everyone is on the same plan.
One-to-One Online Personal Training
If WhatsApp chats, daily challenges and virtual group sessions are not your things then a more personalised online PT service may be a better option. Working with a trainer on a one-to-one basis means you get a lot more time with your trainer. Individual online PT services are a little more expensive than the sort of service you get from a group-style online PT. But it seems to be more like the in-person service you would get from a PT in the gym. Clients get more one-to-one consultation time. This is good because it can help trainers create fitness plans and workout programmes that are more tailored to fitness plans to work towards specific fitness goals. Nutrition coaching is also something that comes with one on one PT. Knowing how important it is to work on diet, as well as physical activity, was one of the major things that stood out when choosing an online personal trainer. Learning about nutrition from a professional can be the difference between success and failure, so this was one of the things to look out for with online personal training services.
Conclusions
This article is not designed to promote one type of online personal training service over another. It is a great idea to do some research on trainers and find out how other people have experienced the different services. Ultimately though, people should find something that works for them and helps them achieve their fitness goals in the most effective ways for them.
Reviewed by