Time saving ? booking a personal trainer saves you time. Instead of wasting hours in the gym, running, cycling with no specific goal a trainer will ensure you use your valuable ?spare? time optimally, carefully planning and implementing a fitness plan specific to your needs and wants.

Fitness testing ? any good fitness training company like Mint Condition will insist upon a thorough fitness evaluation. This will set the benchmark for your fitness plan and will screen you for any concerns that may need further investigation by a doctor or other medical professional, potentially saving you from injury or worse.

Planning ? careful planning is the key to any fitness programme. Whether your goal is sports specific or not a plan is imperative. Your trainer will develop short, medium and long term goals and will utilise some kind of ?periodisation protocol? to gradually improve your fitness without over-training or burnout.

Motivation ? a great personal trainer will motivate you to achieve those goals once thought impossible. Some think of a personal trainer as a fitness psychologist, understanding your every weakness and strength and pushing you directly and indirectly to an improved level of fitness and well-being.

Never miss an appointment ? the very nature of a fitness trainer means that you are booked in to a diary. Therefore, its hard to miss and appointment without changing or cancelling. Cancelling could incur a charge, and you are also letting down your trainer. We are all very used to our days being scheduled; why not schedule your fitness too.

Pay only for what you get ? with a traditional gym you pay a relatively small amount of money every month to use (or not) the facility. If you use the gym every week you will get great value for money. However, the gym industry knows that you are very unlikely to use the gym every week, if at all! They commit you to an annual contract and hope never to see you. That were a personal trainer is different, you pay only for what you get. Surely it's far better to pay for something that you are using?

Access to the latest exercise science ? personal fitness trainers are continually updating their knowledge base through attending courses, reading journals and by being members of the relevant industry body. With a good trainer they will constantly ensure your programme is optimised to the latest science and research giving you the best results available.

Goals ? goals are the most important part of any fitness programme. They are the reason you first pick up the phone to a gym or personal fitness trainer. Your fitness trainer will help you fine-tune these goals and clarify the possible and impossible. Giving you realistic fitness, weight-loss goals for example helps both you and your trainer see progress throughout your programme.

Training partner ? your trainer will become an essential training partner for you. Although most exercises will be completed without your trainer they will be with you all the way. Working as closely as possible to optimise your body position and movement patterns throughout your workout. They are also a shoulder to cry on when things don't go to plan, and someone to congratulate you on your success too.

Safety ? a safe workout is essential. A personal trainer has a professional responsibility to ensure your workout is carried out in a safe manner. From firstly evaluating your fitness and screening for any medical problems through to making sure you are wearing suitable footwear and are lifting correctly at all times. They will act as your guardian throughout your time working out in the gym. They will also by qualified in CPR and first aid should anything untoward happen.