Try Online Personal Training

Permanent weight loss is usually impossible without exercise, but where to start? Weights or Cardio? How many days a week and for how long?

That's typically where a personal trainer enters the scene, designing fitness routines, making sure exercises are done correctly and offering motivation. Now there's training via Internet and the phone. Such coaching has become enormously popular in the past few years, spawning a mini-industry of tailored but flexible workouts.

Some programs offer customized, downloadable regimens based on an online questionnaire, with little or no trainer interaction; others provide extensive one-on-one phone coaching.

Many online sites allow people to plug in information and track their workout and diet progress. A gym isn't even necessary, since a great workout can be done at home or at a park.

When choosing a program, the key is to know exactly what it is you want to achieve. Some people want more of a relationship, while others are more into technology.

Here are a few tips for making this hybrid form of training work.

Is the trainer certified? Make sure the trainer has current certification from a reputable organization, even if you're referred by a friend or relative you trust.

Cheaters never win. Remember that you don't have license to cheat just because your trainer can't see you. You'll only be wasting your time if you don't give the process your all.

Set parameters. Establish how often you want to interact with your trainer and by what means — e-mail, text messages, phone, etc. Ask how progress will be measured, beyond shedding pounds.

And check some more. It cannot be stressed enough that when selecting an Internet-based training program (one that doesn't offer one-on-one training), check it out thoroughly to see if it meets your needs, is within your budget and has a qualified staff behind it.