Personal trainers work in a variety of locations; It should be very easy to find one in your area. There is a good chance that many local gyms continue to use a personal trainer to help their clients develop an individual training plan, and there are a number of personal trainers who have started their own businesses in this specific area who should be discoverable through the yellow pages of your phone book or through the use of an Internet search (simply type "personal trainer" and your city and state and you should be directed to any local listings). If you are not successful with the methods listed above there are also a number of features available on the Internet to help you find trainers who are certified or listed with various organizations in your area. Try one or all of the websites listed below to find a trainer near you. National Strength and Conditioning Association: Trainer Locator http://www.nsca-lift.org/trainers/locator/ Personal Trainer Search http://www.personal -trainer-search.com/ TrainersUSA.com http://www. trainersusa.com/ Private Training.com: This is a prefix search; however, not all areas of the country are listed http://www.privatetraining.com/Personal_Trainer_Search.htm IDEA Health and Fitness: PFT Locator http://www.ideafit.com/trainerlocator.asp American Council on Activity http:/ /www.acefitness.org/profreg/default.aspx What to look for The process of finding the right personal trainer for you can be a very complicated process; selecting the first personal trainer that falls into your lap could be a mistake. Remember, you will have a personal (sometimes awkward) relationship with this individual on a regular basis; they are going to be... middle of paper... successful that they cannot allow events to happen along the way; it will be an unpleasant and frustrating process for both of you. Dedication. This shouldn't require much explanation. A personal trainer is someone who intends to stay loyal to their client for the long term. You don't want to start a training program with a trainer who won't be interested enough in the work to help you do your best or who will abandon you halfway. Beyond these personality traits, everyone will be different. Again, working with a trainer is the only way to truly know if the two of you will get along. If you start working out with someone and find out later that you aren't enjoying the training session and dread every moment you have to spend with your personal trainer, don't be afraid to start looking elsewhere.