Know their differences so you can choose the right offering for you!
As the world is likely well settled into the virtual way of doing things, it is time to consider virtual training vs. in-person training. How can you expect virtual training to differ from in-person training? We have come up with a definitive list of pros and cons to compare the two offerings. By the end of this article, you should feel confident in what style of training will suit your lifestyle.
Virtual Pro: Workout Wherever You Are
Sometimes the commute to the gym takes too long. Sometimes you’re out of town visiting family. When travel for work and vacations restarts, you may be away from the gym on an unpredictable schedule.
With virtual training, all of these scenarios are no longer a barrier to meeting with your trainer. Sure – the equipment or space may vary, but a skilled personal trainer can work with any space and all equipment.
Consistency is key when you are working towards a goal. In this case, virtual training vs. in-person training means you can keep your training schedule consistent vs. working it around your unpredictable schedule. This will lead to more consistent results – and who doesn’t like consistently seeing results from their efforts?
Virtual Con: Receiving Feedback Through a Screen
It is great that you can workout wherever you are, but what about when you want to learn a new exercise? One of the many benefits of working with a personal trainer is that they can provide you with instant feedback on your technique. They can also provide specific cues to help you to perform exercises as safely as possible.
An example of this would be the pushup. When you lower your body to do a pushup, you want to keep the body as rigid and straight as possible so you move as one unit – instead of the hips, head, and chest moving in 3 different parts.
A trainer can catch this, and poke or guide specific areas of the body to give you an external cue while working out. These external cues can be very helpful for people who find it difficult to connect the mind to their specific muscles.
With that said, a skilled trainer will be aware of your individual fitness level and will only program exercises that are effective and safe for your current fitness level. This is why assessments, and providing as much verbal feedback to your trainer as possible is important.
Related Article: How To Make The Most of Your Virtual Training Sessions
Virtual Pro: Your Program at Your Fingertips
Virtual training puts all elements of training online. It requires a trainer to provide absolutely every piece of necessary information to the client via the online training platform. This means that you’ll see your workout program, your measurements, and any other important information on your phone, tablet, or laptop.
For those of you who like to know what to expect from workouts, or who like to check back to measurements, this is a great benefit to you. If you are someone who enjoyed a specific exercise from a past workout but can never remember – well now you have it on hand. You can practice it and perfect it, and ultimately look forward to more exercises in your workouts.
In this virtual training vs. in-person training showdown, virtual training gives you greater access to your training data. You have always been able to request your programs and measurements from your trainer. In this case, however, they are delivered to you right away.
Virtual Con: Technical Difficulties
Ever hear the expression “technology is great… when it works.”? This can be true and frustrating in virtual sessions. Sometimes the wi-fi cuts out, or devices run out of battery. You can even get a call during your session, which will take you out of “the zone.”
Virtual training is great when all of the technical pieces can fall together easily. Here are a few tips to avoid any technical difficulties:
- Be sure that you are somewhere that has a reliable wi-fi connection or you have enough data to support the session online.
- Always charge your devices before the session, have the devices plugged in and charging during the session. Streaming and video calls can use a lot of battery in a short period of time, so always be prepared for that.
- To avoid getting unnecessary calls, put the training appointment in your work calendar so no one from work calls unless it is an absolute emergency.
- You can also put your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb Mode’.
- If you really don’t want to be bothered, there’s always airplane mode. This will allow you to keep wi-fi on but turn off all other phone functions.
Where there’s a will, there is a way (to make our devices work when we need them to).
Virtual Pro: Workout When It Suits Your (Kid’s) Schedule
Although our training sessions are efficient and just 30 minutes, sometimes the appointments available just do not work. You may have a newborn, or kids that need someone home with them. Now you can workout when it works in your/their schedule.
Not only will it suit your schedule, but you’ll also be just a few steps away from the kids. Whether they are taking a nap or playing with friends, you can have the peace of mind that you’re only a few steps away if they wake up or need your help.
In this virtual training vs. in-person training case, virtual training takes into account that kid’s schedules are unpredictable. As a parent to young children, their needs come before yours 99% of the time. Virtual training lets you be available to them while also tending to your health.
Virtual Con: Distractions
On that same note, sometimes having the dedicated gym space is exactly what you need. Getting out of the house/office and taking 30 minutes to really focus on yourself might be important to you. In this case, virtual training may add an element of unwelcome distraction to your training sessions.
If you wanted to try virtual training but were worried about distractions, try to schedule sessions when the kids have a playdate. Or, if you have a partner/spouse, have them watch the kids so you can focus on your session. As a last resort, you can always schedule your calls in the evening after the kids have gone to bed.
Virtual training is an exciting new way to train. It allows frequent travellers, new parents, and busy-bees the opportunity to fit their sessions into their life in a way that works for them.
You may have realized from this list that virtual training is not for you, and that’s okay too! In-person training will always be an option for clients of Free Form Fitness.
Author: Riley Pearce
Director of Social Media and Marketing
riley.pearce.fff@gmail.com
