By Erica Moe | Get Fit

Don’t want to be caught on one of those YouTube fitness video parodies? You laugh, because you know what wrong looks like when you see it. But what does doing it right feel like?

If you need some guidance with that, a personal trainer can help.

A personal trainer is like an academic tutor in that the outward sign of progress is a better test score. But the actual change is on the inside.

Let’s go beyond the benefit of learning techniques to create an effective routine to reach your goals. Go beyond the trainer challenging you to be consistent and accountable. It is so much more.

Feel the power

One of the benefits of hiring a personal trainer, just like you would a tutor, is that you learn information on what to do and how to do it. Learning technique and form can make a difference in meeting your goals. The trainer can educate and explain why you should do each exercise. The ability to get all of your questions answered is invaluable. Knowledge is power.

Feel empowered

Besides making a difference in your habits and changing your body, consider a personal trainer your coach. With your coach’s assistance, not only should you feel the change on the outside, but also on the inside. You can feel the power of knowledge making a difference. Research shows that working with a personal trainer increases self-efficacy. A professional can provide you with positive feedback that can increase your confidence and encourage you to take on new challenges.

Feel safe

Exercising with a personal trainer is like having a built-in spotter overseeing your routine. Literally having a hand to support the weight can allow you to push yourself further than when you are alone. Your trainer can give you personalized feedback to reinforce using the correct form that will help you avoid injuries and maximize your efforts. Proper use of the equipment provides a feeling of safety, which is priceless.

Enjoy it

Exercise should be an enjoyable experience. My hope is that your personal trainer will have you yearning for exercise as much as wanting a massage or going to happy hour. It may not be easy, but your workout can be considered an exercise in self-acceptance and learning to love your body as it is.

Hermelinda, 61, started working with her personal trainer, Amy, six months ago.

“The benefits are amazing. Having Amy show me what to do — it has completely changed me. My running got so much better, too. I just did a 10K, and I did really well! I feel healthier. I feel more energetic. I am investing in my health.”

Just do it

A personal trainer provides more services than simply a workout. Your trainer is an educator, entertainer, coach, accountability partner and role model. Personal training can take many forms, one on one, partner or even small group sessions. Make an investment in yourself. Feel the difference inside and out. Take advantage of the free session included in any package purchased at the YMCA in April.

— Erica Moe, M.S. is an ACSM-certified exercise physiologist who writes on behalf of the Mission Valley YMCA where she is fitness director.