Yes, a personal trainer is worth it, for the right person at the right time. Not for everyone, and not forever.
I'm a personal trainer, so you are entitled to raise an eyebrow at that answer. Here is the honest version, from nine years of coaching and 300 clients. A good trainer is worth paying for when the thing standing between you and your goal is something a person can fix: knowing what to do, doing it safely, and doing it consistently when life gets loud. If the gap is something else, that money could work harder for you somewhere else.
Here is how to tell which side of that line you are on, and how online and in-person training compare.
When a personal trainer is worth it
- You keep starting and stopping. If you have restarted the same plan more Mondays than you can count, the missing piece is usually a plan that bends and someone who notices, not more information.
- You don't know where to start. A trainer turns a thousand opinions online into one plan for your body and your week.
- You want to lift and want your technique checked. Learning good form early saves months of guesswork, and the niggles that come with it.
- Your life is complicated. Shift work, children, travel, a body that has changed. A plan written for someone else will not survive it.
The thing I hear from almost everyone who comes to me for coaching is some version of this: "I know what to do. I just can't seem to do it consistently."
My answer is always the same. You don't have a knowledge problem, you have a systems problem. Most of us could pass a basic nutrition quiz by now. Protein? Important. Vegetables? Great. Walking? Excellent. The trouble is that real life insists on getting in the way. Work runs late, the kids need something, your energy is hanging on by a thread, and suddenly you're eating toast over the sink at 8pm. Closing the gap between knowing and doing is the part of a trainer's job that is worth paying for.
When it probably isn't, and what to do instead
A personal trainer is probably not worth it if you already train consistently, know your way around a plan and are still making progress. It is also not the right buy if the cost would add stress to your month. A strained budget is a shaky foundation for a new habit.
There are good options in between. So you can see the whole range, here is what I offer:
- Fit Living App, £17.99 a month: live classes most days of the week plus an on-demand library, with a 7-day free trial. See the Fit Living App.
- Group coaching (Level Up), £39 a month: a 12-week programme you can start at any time.
- Accountability coaching, £95 a month: one live 1:1 session a month, WhatsApp support throughout the month and your programme in the Coach Lashara app. See accountability coaching.
- 1:1 online personal training: £195, £385 or £540 a month for one, two or three live sessions a week.
For what online coaching costs across the UK, and what you should expect at each price, read how much an online personal trainer costs in the UK.
If 1:1 isn't the right fit for you yet, the app or a lighter level of coaching can be the better first step, and you can move up whenever it makes sense. A good trainer should be as happy to point you toward the cheaper option as the dearer one.
Online or in person: which suits you
I worked only in person for the best part of four years, so when someone tells me "I can't exercise online", I understand. Then the pandemic moved my business online, and when everything reopened I chose to stay. Working online connected me with people I would never have been able to coach otherwise, in Scotland, France and the States. It kept me consistent too: the live classes are still my own best source of accountability.
In-person training buys you an hour with someone beside you: a fixed time to turn up, hands-on adjustments and nowhere to hide. Start in person if you know you only train when someone is waiting for you in the room, or if you simply prefer having a coach physically there, and you live near one you trust.
Online training buys you the whole week rather than the hour. The plan, the check-ins, the changes when work goes sideways, and a coach you can message on a Tuesday night. My live sessions are on Zoom and always on camera, so I still watch every lift and correct your form as you go. It comes on holiday with you, fits around the school run, and doesn't depend on living near a good trainer.
Online tends to suit you if your weeks change a lot, you travel, or you want support between sessions as well as during them. Neither is better in the abstract. The better option is the one you will actually use.
How online coaching with me works, week to week
My 1:1 clients work from the Coach Lashara app. Your week's training sits there, built around your goals, your equipment and your schedule, alongside the habits we are working on and short coaching lessons on the why behind them. You record each workout as you go, so we can both see what you are consistently doing.
Depending on your plan, you have one, two or three live 60-minute sessions a week on Zoom. Between them there is WhatsApp support for the things that come up midweek, like a hotel gym, a swapped exercise or a week that has fallen apart. Each week you check in, we look at what actually happened, and the plan adjusts when life changes rather than being abandoned.
Sophie started with 1kg to 3kg dumbbells and worked her way up to a 50kg deadlift. In her own words: "I feel strong and empowered and really happy." You can read her story in full. That is not a promise of what will happen for you, because everyone starts somewhere different. It's a picture of where consistent, well-planned training can lead.
How to choose a trainer who is worth it
- Ask about qualifications. Mine are Level 3 Personal Training, a 350-hour yoga teacher training, NLP Advanced Life Coaching, Nutrition Coaching, UKSCA Weight Lifting and TRX. Any trainer should tell you theirs without hesitating.
- Notice whether they ask about your life before your plan. Your week decides what will work.
- Ask what happens when you miss a week. The answer tells you whether the plan bends or breaks.
- Ask what is included. Check-ins, nutrition support and the app your plan lives in should all be clear before you pay.
And the one thing I wish more people checked: whether the coaching is building your independence. For me, the whole point of coaching is to help you trust yourself. To know what to do, to understand why you are doing it, and to keep going even when nobody is checking whether you completed your workout.
A good trainer will also tell you when you don't need them.
Questions people ask
How long should you stay with a personal trainer?
As long as you are still learning and progressing, and no longer than you need to. A good trainer's job is to make you more independent over time, so moving to lighter support once the habit is built is a good sign, not a step back.
How often do people usually see a personal trainer?
Once or twice a week is typical, with the rest of the week's training done on your own. Online, the live sessions are only part of it: the plan and the check-ins cover the days in between.
Is 2 PT sessions a week enough?
For most people, yes, especially with a session or two of your own between them. What happens between sessions matters more than the number of sessions.
Can a personal trainer check my form online?
Yes, as long as the sessions are live and on camera. That way your coach can adjust the weight or swap an exercise in the moment, rather than after you have already done it wrong for a week.
What age is too late to start working out?
There isn't one. You start from where you are, at any age. If you have a health condition or haven't exercised for a long time, have a quick word with your GP first, then build up gently.
Talk it through first
The easiest way to find out whether a trainer is worth it for you is to talk to one before you pay anything. My discovery call is 15 minutes and free. If I'm not the right fit, I'll say so, and point you toward what would be.
You can see how 1:1 coaching works on my online personal training for women page, or compare every option on work with me.