How Can Personal Trainers Help?
Ordas says most personal trainers assess body fat, strength, flexibility, and balance before establishing an exercise plan, which should include a balance of cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility portions. Mark Jackman, PhD, is an ACE-certified personal trainer and clinical exercise specialist working in Durham, North Carolina, whose specialty is working with clients in their 40s and 50s who seek lifestyle modification. Several of his clients were referred by physicians and mental health professionals with whom he’s developed professional relationships. Jackman says referring physicians give him basic exercise goals for each patient. Jackman then evaluates the patient’s fitness status and designs a specific program that the physician reviews and approves. Regular reports on patient progress are part of the process, he says. “Physicians really seem to appreciate that,” he says. Personal trainers can provide exercise prescription details that are often not taught in medical schools,
