Should You Ask Your Personal Trainer For a Background Check?

Introduction

There’s nothing worse than spending over six months with a personal trainer, either in a gym or at home, only to get on the scale and realize that one is nowhere near his/her fitness goals. Asides from the thousands of dollars that might have been spent, the time and effort sacrificed would have been in vain.

Asides from that, it’s crucial to have a personal trainer that practices professionalism, not one that touches clients in inappropriate areas or with a lackadaisical attitude to work. That’s why many gyms require background checks from trainers before they’re hired.

Therefore, doing a background check will not only enable you to evaluate their expertise, but it will also promote a safe environment considering the amount of time that will be spent together with them.

Things to Consider When Carrying Out a Background Check

Here are some of the things to bear in mind when carrying out a background check for a personal trainer:

Certification verification

In Australia, personal trainers are required to complete a Certificate IV in Fitness (SIS40215). Although not a requirement, personal trainers may register for professional membership with Fitness Australia or Physical Activity Australia to provide them with professional indemnity, public liability, and product liability insurance. It’s important to put all of this into consideration before hiring a personal trainer.

Furthermore, a trainer may claim to have a degree in exercise science, maybe in Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology or Sports Psychology and Physical Education. Through education verification, clients can confirm if their claims are true. All this helps to ensure that a qualified personal trainer is hired.

Experience

Furthermore, a personal trainer works one-on-one with a client to plan or implement an exercise or fitness regimen. The type of plan that will be created should be based on the specific client’s goal. For instance, a person looking to lose weight requires a different routine from someone trying to gain muscle or stay fit due to a medical condition.

Therefore, it is important to make sure that the trainer has expertise in the client’s area of interest before they’re hired. And the more experienced they are, the better.

Criminal History

Since the client is going to be spending lots of time with the personal trainer, it’s crucial to ensure a safe environment. Well reputed businesses commonly carry out police checks for business on a regular basis on their staff to ensure they hire suitable staff and also give their customers a peace of mind.

A national police check can help people find out about the criminal past of a trainer. If the trainer has a consistent history of violence, then hiring them might be a bad idea. Similarly, a person that has been convicted of sexual harassment, child pornography, or rape should not be hired as a personal trainer. But without a criminal history check, there’s no way to find out about such information.

Conclusion

Screening checks for personal trainers is extremely important because it helps to ensure that they have the skill set to thrive in those roles. Therefore, backgrounds on personal trainers are a must for employers or private individuals looking to hire them.

About Theresa Duncan

Originally from Detroit, MI, Theresa has been offering health and fitness advice for the last 30 years while working as an engineer. She decided to turn her passion into a profession, and finds nothing more satisfying than helping others reach their health and fitness goals.