Nov 12, 2006 11:00 pm US/Eastern
Is Your Personal Trainer Properly Trained?
by Dr. Mallika Marshall
BOSTON (CBS4) ―
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Our investigation found most personal trainers are certified. The problem is, there are no standardized education requirements for personal trainers.
CBS
For anyone just starting out, walking into a gym can be intimidating. That's why Dianne Doherty hired a personal trainer when she wanted to lose weight. "I was doing great… I lost 30 pounds... I felt great."
But these days, walking her dog is about the only exercise she can handle. "Two-and-a-half years of surgery… walkers, casts, night splints... crutches... it was just miserable."
Doherty has scars from two painful surgeries to correct damage to her feet. She blames her trainer -- so does Carla Nazzaro. "I think I was pushed... and I think I was using equipment that I shouldn't have been using."
Carla ended up with tendonitis in her shoulder.
As a physical therapist, Pat Agostino of People Fit in Woburn sees people like Dianne and Carla all the time. "Things like the shoulder and the knee are very prone to injury."
But he says finding a good personal trainer isn't easy. "It's like trying to hire any other professional... You want to know what is their education background."
But that's where it gets tricky. Our investigation found most personal trainers are certified. The problem is, there are no standardized education requirements for personal trainers.
Several Web sites offer certification for a couple hundred dollars and a few hours of training.
But that may change. There's a bill at the State House with Dianne Doherty's name on it that would require licenses for all personal trainers in Massachusetts. "Hair dressers are licensed, plumbers are licensed… These personal trainers are dealing with your livelihood and your life," said Doherty.
The Dianne Doherty bill is expected to go to committee hearings sometime this spring. CBS4 will keep you posted.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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