Fitness getting more personal as people hire trainers

As her wedding anniversary approached last year, Michelle Fischel decided it was time to get serious about losing weight.

But instead of signing up for a traditional exercise class, the Palm Coast resident decided to take the plunge and get a personal trainer.

"In the first six to eight weeks, I dropped a dress size," Fischel said recently during a weekly visit to Bodez by Tasso Personalized Fitness Center, 1140 W. Granada Blvd.

Personal trainers, who design individual workout programs, are not just for the rich and famous anymore. Locally rates range from $20 to $55 an hour.

Personal training, fitness assessment, strength training and stretching exercises have become staples at fitness facilities across the United States, according to a 2003 survey by the San Diego-based IDEA Health & Fitness Association.

"The increased interest in personal training suggests that consumers are realizing that noteworthy results in exercise come from systematic and structured fitness plans developed by qualified experienced professionals," Len Kravitz, an association spokesman, said in a prepared statement.

Bodez owner Tasso Kiriakes, a longtime proponent of personal training, no longer offers group exercise classes at his facility.

"It was a decision that we made. For others it (exercise classes) still works," Kiriakes said during a recent interview.

His clients can still come to just take advantage of the club's exercise equipment or participate in Healthy Inspiration, a women's only weight loss and lifestyle program that combines diet and exercise.

"Most people who go to fitness centers do so for weight loss but they are not always sure how to work out properly," Kiriakes said.

The American Council on Exercise, a workout watchdog group, seems to support that statement. The council estimated 50 percent of people who start an exercise program quit within the first six months.

"Not having the commitment, motivation, and/ or knowledge of fitness can be a big barrier to sticking with your exercise routine. A few sessions with a well-trained, certified fitness professional can help refine and recommit yourself to your workout program," the council said in a recent article at WebMd.com.

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