Find a personal trainer near Raleigh, NC

If you have fitness goals that you’re having trouble accomplishing on your own, hiring a personal trainer can be worth the money. People rarely regret getting in shape — even if it costs money. Personal trainers create accountability, as you’ll have to confess to them if you don’t stick to your training schedule. They’re trained to push you just hard enough, and they take your body type and goals into account when creating a fitness plan.

How often you should see your personal trainer depends both on your budget and your fitness level. If you’re new to the exercise routine, maybe start with one to three visits per week to establish a good routine and understanding. Talk to personal trainers near you to figure out the perfect cadence for your personal training sessions.

Expect to pay between $35 and $90 per hour for a personal trainer near you. The length of the session, as well as the number of sessions you book in advance, will have an impact on the price. You can often get lower prices per session by booking more of them. Group training also tends to be less expensive than one-on-one training, as is going to the gym instead of having the trainer come to meet you. Trainer certification is also a factor — trainers with more certification are likely to charge more.

It's important to do your research and get cost estimates from several personal trainers near you before you hire anyone. 

Also read, "How much does a personal trainer cost?"

Search for personal trainers near you online, and identify the ones with the highest ratings. Read their customer testimonials, and look at customers’ before-and-after photos (if available). It’s also important to find out whether the trainers sought professional training and certification, if they can adhere to your schedule and if they can train you at a location that works for both of you.

Finally, contact several trainers for cost estimates. This way, you can hire a trainer who not only provides great services but also fits within your budget.

A personal trainer is tasked with working with a client to achieve fitness goals. Personal trainers may take clients in a small group or do one-on-one training. Their focus is on fitness goals — muscular capacity, working on cardiovascular endurance, improving flexibility, and even recommending diet changes and at-home exercises. Personal trainers may work with clients in the gym or at their homes, depending on their preference.

Kickboxing is great exercise. It works your whole body and really gets your heart pounding. Kickboxing combines upper- and lower-body movements like roundhouse kicks and uppercut punches that boost calorie burning. The type of kickboxing you do will determine how much exercise you get. Kickboxing training that takes place in a martial arts studio will involve kicking and punching a sandbag or sparring with a competitor, both of which will sharply increase the amount of exercise you’ll experience in a kickboxing session.

Comparatively, a study by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) found that women doing group fitness cardio kickboxing burned between 6.45 and 8.3 calories per minute, or approximately 350-450 calories burned during an hour-long class. This is roughly what you can expect to burn with jogging or similar exercise, but ACE says that cardio kickboxing offers the added benefits of increased strength and flexibility, sharper reflexes, and improved coordination. Whether you’re training to fight competitively, learning kickboxing as a form of self-defense, or taking cardio kickboxing at your local gym, you’ll get a full-body workout with positive health benefits.

Fitness boot camps are a heart-pounding way to boost your fitness level. Boot camps are led by a fitness instructor and are based on the concept of military boot camps — intensive workout programs to get new recruits into shape, quickly. Fitness boot camps encourage camaraderie, and the group momentum helps participants get through fast-paced intervals of cardio, isometric training, strength training and endurance drills. Classes may range anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, and usually meet multiple days per week. Boot camps often run a specific duration of time, say four to six weeks, which creates a team-like environment for class members. Other boot camps run year-round and students purchase package pricing for classes, similar to subscriptions that allow them a set amount of classes per week or per month.

Boot camps can be held indoors at a gym, outdoors in a park or on a beach, in a backyard — anywhere there’s room for running, jumping and sweating. Some instructors also provide DVD and online boot camps. You can also find boot camps tailored to your heart’s desire, such as bikini boot camp, or boot camps for new mothers. Boot camps offer an intense workout and are usually led by energetic instructors pushing you to do your best, but unlike military boot camp drill sergeants, fitness boot camp instructors typically don’t use intimidation or punishment to spur you on. Check with your doctor before starting a boot camp if you have health concerns, and always let your instructor know ahead of time if you have injuries.

The cost of fitness boot camps depends on how often you go, the package you are purchasing (or if you are paying a drop-in fee), the location of the bootcamp, the equipment the instructors provide, and the background and reputation of the instructor. Smaller towns and areas with a lower cost of living typically have lower rates for boot camp services than big cities and regions with a higher cost of living. If you’re paying per class on a drop-in basis, expect to pay anywhere from $12 to $25 or more, depending on the region and the instructor. When you purchase a package of classes, typically the more you buy at one time, the cheaper each class is. The same boot camp class might be $20 for a drop-in student, $15 for a student who pays for 10 classes per month, and $10 for a student who pays for 30 classes a month. Studio space can also affect costs, so if your boot camp takes place in a high-end gym with top-of-the-line equipment, the prices will likely be higher than a class that meets in an outdoor space with limited or no equipment. Shop around to find the right type of boot camp class and the right instructor for you.