DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PERSONAL TRAINER AND KINESIOLOGIST

Written by: Nem
If you are reading this blog post, it probably means you have certain health & fitness goals that you need help with. You thought about or you are actively looking to hire somebody to help you with your health & fitness goals. Ideally, a fitness professional who is knowledgeable about the current issues and obstacles you are facing. 

This might mean you are looking to improve in any of the following areas:

• Body composition - lose body fat, tone and/or build muscle;
• Physical performance - strength, endurance, power, flexibility or sport-specific performance like running, jumping, swimming, etc.
• Overall health - heart health, mental health, metabolic health, joint health, etc.
• Productivity and energy levels.
• Get rid of stiffness, aches, and pains.
• Rehabilitate an injury.
• Manage a chronic disease with exercise. 

You found out that kinesiologists and personal trainers would be the right exercise experts to talk to. However, you are not exactly sure what is the difference between these two professions and who would be the better fit for you and your goals. 

This article will help you decide who to choose by explaining some of the similarities and differences between kinesiologists and personal trainers. 

DEFINITIONS

Both professions use primarily exercise to help their clients reach their health and fitness goals. However, as you shall find out there are some key differences between the two.

Let's start first by defining each profession.  From the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario (regulatory body for the kinesiology profession), kinesiologists in Ontario:
​"...use the latest evidence-based research to treat and prevent injury and disease, and to improve movement and performance. Kinesiologists work with people of all ages and physical abilities in many settings to help them achieve their health and wellness goals, and improve quality of life."

From the Wikipedia page, a personal trainer is:
"... an individual who has earned a certification that demonstrates they have achieved a level of competency for creating and delivering safe and effective exercise programs for apparently healthy individuals and groups or those with medical clearance to exercise."

As you can see, both professions sound very similar, however, there are some key differences.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A
​PERSONAL TRAINER AND KINESIOLOGIST

but There are three main differences between personal trainers and Kinesiologists: regulation, education, and scope of practice.

1. SCOPE OF PRACTICE
Personal trainers are primarily trained to work with healthy individuals only who have no present injuries or health problems. On the other hand, Kinesiologists are trained to work with healthy and clinical population alike. 

This means whether you suffer from a chronic disease, take medications to control your condition or you have joint pain that restricts your movement, kinesiologist can adjust the program to take into account this so you can continue working out in a safe and efficient manner. 

When used properly, exercise can trigger the healing response in our tissues, improve health outcomes when suffering from a medical issue and in some cases completely get rid of the chronic disease.

2. EDUCATION
As mentioned previously, there is a very low barrier of entry into the personal training industry. with most fitness trainers not having even the basic qualifications.  

Contrary to fitness trainers, all registered Kinesiologists need to have a minimum of a 4-year university degree in Kinesiology or a related field as set out by the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario. 

In addition to this, most kinesiologists throughout their career expand their knowledge and expertise by acquiring various personal training certifications, attending exercise science conferences, workshops and mentor groups. 

This means that in the province of Ontario, all kinesiologists can be personal trainers, however not all personal trainers can be kinesiologists. 

3. REGULATION
Unlike the kinesiology profession in Ontario, personal training industry is unregulated. This means that anybody can call themselves a fitness trainer and there are no educational or other requirements in order to start training clients. 

It is true that there are trainers out there who have adequate education and experience, but the majority of trainers don't have even have the basic qualifications (e.g. acquired only online or weekend course).  

Unlike fitness trainers, kinesiology in Ontario is regulated by the College of Kinesiologist of Ontario put in place by the government of Canada. The college ensures that whenever you see a registered kinesiologist, you receiving competent, safe and ethical services from highly qualified and trained exercise professionals. 

Once kinesiologists fulfill these requirements, they must continuously abide by the College’s standards and regulations to keep their professional license. Some of these include:

• Acting in the patient's / client's best interest
  
• Adhering to the College’s Code of Ethics
  
• Practising according to the College’s practice standards and guidelines
  
• Participating in the College’s Quality Assurance Program
  
• Renewing their membership annually

​If you are curious about finding out more about the Kinesiology profession, check out our recent article " Who are Kinesiologists in Toronto and Ontario"

​RECOMMENDATIONS

​If you have an injury, pain, take medications or suffering from a medical issue, then you should see a kinesiologist and not a personal trainer. As previously mentioned in this blog post, kinesiologists are university trained to deal with clinical issues, whereas personal trainers are certified to work with healthy individuals only. 

In case you are healthy and not suffering from any of the previously mentioned issues, then you can see either or. There are many great personal trainers out there, however being an unregulated industry, this means you might be getting a trainer with little or no education and experience. So if you do decide to hire a personal trainer, make sure to do your research so you can be confident that they can help you.

On the other, kinesiologists have at least a 4-year university degree and a regulatory body that protects you and ensures that each kinesiologist meets strict criteria in order to practice the profession.  

In case you are looking for someone who is both a certified personal trainer and registered kinesiologist, then don't look any further! At TO Kinesiology, this is exactly what we offer. 

We are certified personal trainers and registered kinesiologists with a graduate-level university education in kinesiology. We offer in-person as well as online services wherever you are in the world.

OUR APPROACH AND HOW WE CAN HELP

​Our methods are based on science and our extensive experience working with people just like you. Whether or not you have any chronic diseases or joint/muscle complaints, we'll get to the right of the problem to help you move better, lose weight, tone, build muscle or enhance performance. 

We understand that we are all different with unique physiologies and body mechanics and therefore everyone needs a different approach.

Here are some of the ways we can help you:
- In-person kinesiology and personal training
- Online kinesiology and personal training services
- Our full service offering
- Get in touch with us and let us know how we can help
- ​Subscribe to our email list to get our latest updates

Other articles you might be interested in:
- Who are kinesiologists in Toronto and Ontario
- Difference between a kinesiologist and physiotherapist in Ontario

difference between a personal trainer and kinesiologist