Personal Trainers Make House Calls

Fitness fiends who don't like hitting the gym but like a personal trainer's guidance have another option: Hiring a personal trainer who makes house calls.

Training from the comfort of your living room isn't a new concept. Many organizations have been pairing personal trainers with individuals who don't belong to gyms for years.

In some cases, these clients may be too tired to socialize with other gym members or make the post-work commute. Others, who are new to working out, may be too intimidated to go to the gym and train alongside men with rock-hard muscles and women with washboard abs. Most recently, parents are scheduling appointments for their overweight children who are too embarrassed to admit to needing help.

"If you train at the gym, it's like you're on a stage," said Eric Leader, the owner of Everybody's and East Coast Personal Trainers. "As soon as you're standing next to someone who is wearing a "trainer" shirt, you are aware that you're getting watched."

Leader, who has an American Council on Exercise personal training certification began his company four years ago to match personal trainers with clients who would like to be trained at their homes. He now oversees about 40 personal trainers in seven states across the east coast.

At many companies, trainers are matched not only on skill sets, but also by gender. Pre-workout consultations are also required to make sure that both the trainer and the client feel comfortable because of the increased intimacy that evolves from working out in someone's home. The trainers are also able to assess the area they'll be using to train their clients.

Those who screen in-home personal trainers can be incredibly selective, accepting only those with the best national certifications like those from the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

"I don't care how much knowledge you have if you don't have a personality," Leader said. "Personal training is exactly that, it's personal -- you have to be able to communicate, motivate and relate to the client or you're not going to be a good trainer."

Although in-home training can be cheaper (estimates range from $45 to $95 per session depending on the length and where the client lives) because the trainer doesn't have to split costs with the gym, there are some companies that charge more because travel is involved.

When it's time for the first appointment, trainers armed with weights, resistance bands and other equipment, arrive at the front door. Clients give up gym amenities like the latest tricked-out equipment, steam room and popular group fitness classes, but they don't need to worry that their trainer will be distracted and often find working out in the comfort of their own home more convenient and rewarding..

Not sold on inviting a personal trainer to your home? Check out how to pick the right gym for you.