Bodytalk

By Stephenie Karony

Wednesday, September 29, 1999

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Choose your fitness
trainer carefully

Question: How do I go about finding a qualified personal fitness trainer?

Answer: That's a good question, in light of the fact that there are no state or federal licensing procedures in place for personal fitness trainers, there are various organizations that do certify personal trainers.

These include the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and the Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research. These four organizations have legitimate certification programs.

They include textbooks, classes and exams. But even though an individual is certified, it's still very difficult to determine if that person is qualified to work with individuals.

Based on that fact, I've included some guidelines, other than certification, to consider before hiring a trainer.

Once you've determined that they're certified, find out by which agency and for how long they've been certified. Ask if they're legitimately insured and by whom. Have the potential trainer give you some examples of how he or she would design a program specific to your needs.

Ask about their fees and find out if this is a fair rate compared to the local market. Inquire as to any activities in the fitness industry, other than personal training, that they're involved in. See if the trainer will provide you with names and phone numbers of other clients. If they will, don't hesitate to call these individuals and get their feedback. Clients who are satisfied with their trainers love to spread the word.

Q: Please explain the pros and cons of the different dietary fats.

A: Below, I've described the various types of dietary fats, where they come from and what effect they have on the physical body.

Omega-3 fatty acids. These fats are a healthful food choice. Omega-3 helps prevent blood clots from forming, which could cause a heart attack. They are found in all fish, but fatty fish - such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring - are particularly rich in Omega-3. Green leafy vegetables, nuts, canola oil, soybean oil and tofu also contain omega-3.

Monounsaturated fats. This family of fats tends to lower the "bad" LDL cholesterol, and raise the "good" HDL cholesterol that's floating around in our bloodstream. They are found in olive, canola and peanut oils. Other foods rich in monounsaturated fats are avocados, nuts and olives.

Polyunsaturated fats. This family of fats tends to lower overall cholesterol, both HDLs and LDLs. Safflower, soybean, and corn oil are rich in polyunsaturated fat.

Saturated fat. These deadly fats are found mainly in animal products such as pork and beef, and in high-fat dairy products such as butter and whole milk. Non-fat dairy foods are free of saturated fat.

Saturated fats raise blood levels of cholesterol and are the number one dietary cause of coronary artery disease.

Trans fats. Trans fats are polyunsaturated fats that have been hydrogenated. They are solid at room temperature, which makes them easier to cook with. They have the same effect as saturated fats on blood

levels of cholesterol; they raise it, and thus are a risk factor in heart disease.

Hydrogenated fats. These fats are chemically altered by adding hydrogen atoms to the hydrogen-carbon molecules that make up fatty acids. They contain substantial amounts of trans fats.

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Stephenie Karony is a certified health
and fitness instructor, a personal trainer and the author of
"Body Shaping with Free Weights." Send questions to her at
P.O. Box 262, Wailuku Hi. Her column appears on Wednesdays.