MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Clients should take a hands-on approach when choosing a personal trainer. Here, Paula Sampel gets guidance from trainer Kirstin Piquette in a morning workout at Seattle Fitness Club in Pioneer Square.

Locating a trainer usually isn't the hard part. Many people rely on recommendations from family, friends or co-workers. Some go through local fitness clubs, whose employees sometimes also work on the side, devising and monitoring exercise programs in homes, clubs or studios dedicated to one-on-one or small-group training. Some let their fingers do the jogging in the Yellow Pages, stopping at "Personal Fitness Trainers." Some go through companies that match personal trainers to clients, and some get referrals from fitness organizations, these days often via the Web.

What's so tricky about that?

Well, the fitness industry, as most infomercials repeatedly demonstrate, is largely unregulated and unmonitored. This has at least two significant repercussions.

First, just as anyone can call himself or herself a "nutritionist," it takes no special training, certification, licensing, lifestyle, strength, wind, dietary habits, body-fat percentage or bloodline to call oneself a "personal trainer," "aerobics instructor," "fitness columnist" or any variation thereof.

Second, there are, by one estimate, at least 250 fitness organizations - an industry within the industry. Many offer training, testing and certifications, each to its own standards. Some certifications can be had with just a few hours of study in order to pass a test; for others, the test can't even be taken unless you have a related college degree. Some charge for the workshops, charge to be certified, charge for continuing education to maintain the certification, and charge members to be listed on referral lists.

This, of course, is nothing new to medical professionals such as doctors and nurses. But those fields are regulated by government and umbrella organizations.

There are fitness certifications for weight management, weight training, step training, yoga, kickboxing, indoor cycling, group exercise and water exercise. In recent years, some groups have established programs for training seniors, people with disabilities or chronic illnesses, or other specific populations. Many trainers obtain those credentials in addition to the more wide-ranging ones.

One question is whether the average Joe can tell anything from the resulting potpourri of acronyms that might appear after a trainer's name: AFAA, AAAFP, AAHFP, AAAI/ISMA, AAHPERD, AAALF, ACE, ACSM, AFPA, or, presumably, any of 239 others.

(Of course, even a rÀesumÀe with widely regarded degrees and certifications does not guarantee an effective personal trainer. And other folks might be so well self-educated and such competent teachers - or both - that they are effective despite having never taken a formal class or passed a structured test.)

In an attempt at some standardization, a large group that does not offer certifications has begun a four-level, trainer-recognition program based on education, certification and other factors. Unfortunately, this group's name might only add to the confusion: IDEA.

One short list of select certifying organizations emerges from the insurance industry. Murria Frick, a San Diego agency, insures about 5,000 personal trainers ($100 to $200 each for $1 million coverage). President Jeff Frick says those they give equal credit in determining coverage are the American College of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise, Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, National Strength and Conditioning Association, National Strength Professionals Association, National Dance-Exercise Instructors Training Association and the Cooper Institute, as well as The Pilates Guild and accredited universities that offer master's degrees in physical education or a similar field.

A conversation with a prospective personal trainer could, then, include questions about his or her background, education, certifications, insurance coverage and experience. It should also include questions from the trainer to you: health history, medications, blood pressure, lifestyle, goals.

Warning flags might be trainers who push sales of supplements or exercise equipment. Personality and temperament count, too; one person's treasured trainer might be another's dreaded taskmaster.

With all that information in hand, though, the search for a personal trainer comes full circle with one last question, suggested by Frick:

"Ask them for three people they've worked with."

Tracking down trainers

One local company that screens self- and doctor-referred clients and matches them with fitness specialists and classes is FERN (the Fitness and Exercise Referral Network; 206-406-2799; www.exercisereferral.com). Trainers with nationally recognized certifications are interviewed to help match them to clients. The service is free to exercisers; a fee is charged to trainers for client referrals.

Web sites for some certifying organizations:

• www.acsm.org (American College of Sports Medicine; 800-486-5643)

• www.acefitness.org (American Council on Exercise; 800-825-3636)

• www.afaa.com (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America; 800-446-2322)

• www.nsca.com (National Strength and Conditioning Association; 800-815-6826)

• www.nspainc.com (National Strength Professionals Association; 800-494-6772)

• www.cooperinst.org (Cooper Institute; 800-635-7050)

• www.ndeita.com (National Dance-Exercise Instructors Training Association; 800-237-6242)

An extensive list of other fitness organizations and their sites can be found at www.fitnesslink.com/fitpro/proassocs.html.

Training via the Web

A growing number of personal trainers offer their services via the Web. If you've tried any of them, I'd like to hear about your experiences. Please e-mail me at mmartin@seattletimes.com, write to P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111 or telephone 206-464-8243.

Molly Martin is assistant editor of Pacific Northwest magazine.