When considering training in this modern world it can be hard to know what’s going to fit you best - Remote? In person? Paid? Free? There’s a lot to sift through between gyms and instagrams and tiktoks and apps to decide in order to find what will fit best for your lifestyle, fitness level, and personality. Before becoming a Future Performance Coach, I loved chatting with potential new clients and have always been passionate about helping them find what was best for them. If you’re connected to a good trainer, the focus should be you and what’s going to work best for you. Period. I’ve also created content and coached at each of the levels we’re talking about today, so I’ve considered each level of person this content has been created for and these are honest opinions based on experience. The first part is really understanding your WHY for looking into fitness and training now. Some common reasons are usually: Improving Health or Wellbeing Moving Better or Relieving Pain Wanting to Create a Better Routine Liking Challenges or Learning Something New Aesthetic Goals like Losing Weight or Gaining Muscle (Toning / Body Recomposition) Take some space really quick if you aren’t really sure why you’ve Googled and landed here. Now that we have you WHY, we need to know what you NEED in order to be successful, which is a little bit harder depending on your exercise experience, but even if the answer is “I don’t know” you may resonate with: Accountability to do the workouts Guidance in what to do when you workout Someone to get you excited about your workouts Less thinking for you, you just want to show up and do what you need to hit your goals Rewards (like badges for completion, it’s more motivating than you think) Help with things non-workout related like habits, sleep, stress or nutrition Alright, now that we have a WHY and some NEEDS, let’s dive in to how to pick what will be best for you. I want to preface this by saying that no matter what you chose, whether it’s a winner or not, you’ll learn and it will help you make the best next decision for yourself in order to get to your goals. Let’s start with Free because it’s free, and we all like the sound of that! Benefits: There are a lot of apps, downloadable programs and samples that you can pull from to make a pretty solid program out for yourself. I did it in college while I was learning about fitness, so it’s possible. You can pretty quickly find reputable trainers, websites and companies, so access is definitely there. I tend to recommend apps because they are a little better at tracking progress, even through AI and giving some of those external milestone rewards/badges to let you see how far you’ve come and motivate continued progress. Lastly, it’s flexible. You don’t have to be anywhere at any specific time, so you can really fit this into your life whenever works best for you. Oh and did I say free? Haha Negatives: You have to work. Between personal research, reading reviews, picking a program and crossing your fingers that you don’t have to make changes for injuries or special considerations, it can be really unmotivating and take a lot of time. It’s more likely that you’ll find something, not love it, fall off after 2 weeks and then take another month or so to figure out a new thing to try. The ability to start right away may be there if you stay motivated through the research. Notes: If your WHY was anything that had a special consideration, I really don’t recommend “Free” because you need to move safely, and if you said “YES I need accountability” I hate to break it to you, but you’ll probably need to accept that you’ll need to pay more for someone’s time to keep you on track and work with you on the hard days. You ignore that group chat, you’ll ignore an app nudge from a computer. Trust me. If you really aren’t sure about anything, Free is a great place to get your toes wet and do some reflection on what you like and what you don’t. Just please don’t continue to move if you feel anything other than muscle soreness from activity. Up Next: Paid Programs , but not necessarily constant contact. Think: Instagram program or potentially a more specified site. Maybe you’ve been side-eyeing this person’s program but haven’t pulled the trigger. It’s not AI generated and certainly not free. You may even get some extra perks like a downloadable food list or videos of that person demonstrating the exercises. Sounds nice, right? Benefits: Probably a specified program with regressions and progressions (I wouldn’t pay for it otherwise), you may get more than just workouts, you can potentially communicate with that person on the program they’ve created and get feedback if needed. It can also be really motivating to have a face and a name of someone tangible and engaging in ways that inspire you. Another thing is the flexibility. Because you aren’t locked into a day and time with a trainer, so you can really go whenever you want and make the program fit your life. Negatives: These tend to be a smidge generic because they’re selling to the masses (if they offer 1:! Coaching remotely, we’ll tackle that next), so even if there are progressions and regressions or equipment options, it’s not going to be truly custom. Programs are also generally pre-planned in phases (as they should be) but there’s not always much clarity or flexibility if life happens, and even if you can contact the coach, they may not get back to you fast since you aren’t paying for 1:1 coaching. Notes: GREAT if you have a little experience, need a little guidance, have a very standard schedule. If you’re like “My life is a tornado,” or you need ot be able to communicate with someone, this and free may not be it for you. Leveling up based on price: Remote/App Coaching. This is where I live! HI! I currently do Remote Coaching for Future , and though our membership is pretty structured on contact and expectations, there’s a range out there depending on what you feel like you need. Shameless Plug: I love Future because I’m able to check in with my clients almost daily if needed, but especially on workout days to make sure they are on track, seeing progress, and achieving their health and wellness goals (outside of just workouts). Most of my clients have the general health and wellness goals, love that we work on stress, sleep and healthy eating, and thrive off the relationship we build in order to stay accountable. Not all remote coaches do that, and that’s okay too! You may not need or want me in your inbox daily, and there’s someone out there for you, I’m sure of it! Benefits: You get the contact and individuality you’re craving. Conversation happens more frequently with your coaches, you’re paying which is an extra layer of motivation because no one likes to waste money, and your program is custom. They’ll be able to help you adjust and modify based on what life throws your way and help direct you to the right person to help if you need something different or more. Having someone’s time and attention will run you a little higher cost-wise, but if you’re looking for guidance and results, it’s worth the price. You just have to decide what is important to you and what price fits your budget, which is why those qualities from the start are so important! Additionally, just like with our other two options above, you have flexibility. Since most of your workouts will be guided through a remote program, you can really make this fit your life however you need rather than being locked down to a day and time with a trainer, which means you will also get more for your money from that trainer. For example, rather than 1 hour a week for $60 (which is pretty fair for a trainer, and totaling out around $240/mo) you can get a month of training (as many workouts as you need or as the trainer has agreed to create, for the same or less. Notes: Pay attention to what they offer and the level of accountability they offer, as well as individuality of programming or how often they make changes. Good coaches / trainers will be up front about what you’re getting and be able to clearly explain that to you. Also, remember that having a trainer isn’t forever. As a coach, my goal is for my clients to develop a routine and understand their training enough to one day do it on their own or confidently be able to choose a program that fits them and their goals.Your life and circumstance will evolve, and your trainer should be considerate of that. Negatives: It can work, but be challenging if you have an injury that needs a very specific kind of care, or very specific limitations. Not all online platforms can handle those needs, so reaching out and asking before investing money is always a good idea (back to a quality company or trainer being able to tell you whether or not they can actually assist you or have someone on staff that can). Another negative is that not all remote platforms will offer a way to video chat, record form, or communicate with your coach outside of chat form, which can limit the amount of feedback you get from your coach and potentially increase your risk for injury. And last but not least, In-Person Training. Benefits: I used to in-person train clients, and though this one will probably cost you the most up-front, it is an excellent way to get acquainted with a new gym or group of people, it will allow for hands-on manipulation if you struggle with visual or auditory learning, and may be the best option for those with more complex needs when it comes to their training. While ideally we move daily, with in-person trainers, some may write you a program to follow on your non-training days, and some may not. It’s important to make sure you know what you’re getting upfront, and to ask what your money is going towards so you can make sure the value is there for you. Negatives: Likely the most expensive and least flexible option. You have an appointment at a certain day and time (unless that keeps you accountable - then it’s a plus), meaning your day really revolves around going to the gym versus training fitting into your schedule, and it’s hard to get on an established trainer’s schedule in a peak time slot. Just like when you miss a therapy appointment, you’re also charged if you don’t go or if something comes up. Most in-person trainers maintain a 24 hour cancellation policy and a missed session fee. You’ll also likely get less for the money. Average training sessions cost can run from $50-$150 per session (not including contact outside of the session) and that adds up quickly, whereas online training for a month may cost the same as one session. I’ve laid it all out - hopefully this helps you decide if training is something you want to do, and what option feels best for you. Keep in mind, a combination of a couple of these may not be a bad idea as well, but I would make sure one of them includes at least one trainer you can communicate with and that seems open to working with someone else as a team dedicated to your wellness. If you think training with us is the best way to go - we like the way you think! You can check out our coaches and see if we have someone who meets your needs if I'm not available with a free month on me .