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Study reveals that yes, remote personal training effectively boosts your fitness

Could convenience be a key to consistency? Is online coaching for your at-home workouts the way to go?

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man drinking protein shake on a yoga mat with a laptop
Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels

Our world has been shifting and becoming more digital, with so many events, jobs, classes, and more now available online. Going remote doesn’t have to take the personal out of personal training. As a Certified Personal Trainer at PureGym Norwich, Claire Phippen points out, “With so many people now comfortable using apps, and with the legacy of ‘remote work’ that’s carried on since the pandemic, it’s no surprise virtual fitness solutions have become much more popular in recent years. Research has shown that remote personal training is an effective way to get results, so it can be a great way for people to have more structure in their fitness in a more convenient way. This can also cut down on cancelled sessions due to travel-time constraints and other reasons, which is, of course, beneficial for both the trainer and trainee!”    

Hugh Hanley, the Group Director of Personal Training at PureGym, adds: “It’s great to see more people using personal training to help with their fitness goals. Over the last few years, we’ve seen most of our PTs begin to offer online coaching as an additional service to help support clients who can’t get to the gym, with many people opting for a blend of in-person and online coaching.” The research supports this, showing that remote personal training really can boost your fitness. Let’s check out some of the research.

Research highlights the effectiveness of remote personal training

man sitting remote personal training workout at home laptop exercise
Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels

In a study published in the journal Sports, researchers compared the effectiveness of three different training programs consisting of a total of 15 workouts:

  • Supervised livestreaming (online coaching in real-time)
  • Unsupervised following a video recording (replaying a video recording)
  • Unsupervised following a written program (using a written workout program)
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The study involved young, healthy males who completed three workout sessions per week. The researchers evaluated changes in muscle fitness, physical activity levels, and anthropometric and cardiovascular variables.

The results

man doing push up using online coach laptop computer
Gustavo Fring / Pexels

The results revealed the following:

  • There was no reduction in body weight.
  • Waist size decreased by an average of 1.3 cm.
  • All groups showed improvements in muscle fitness.
  • Only the livestreaming group (supervised personal training) showed enhancements in overall cardiovascular fitness and variables, such as the resting heart rate, which dropped by about 7 beats per minute.

The takeaway

Man squatting with laptop workout
And.One / Canva Pro

All groups in this study showed improvements in muscle fitness, so it’s worth staying committed to your workouts, and you’ll see results whether you use a written workout program, a live coach, or replay a video recording. That said, the study showed that only the livestreaming group that exercised with a real coach online saw improvements in cardiovascular variables, such as resting heart rate, indicating better heart health overall. Supervised training wasn’t just effective, it was the most effective option in this particular study.

Steph Green
Steph Green
Steph Green (Steph Zee) is a singer-songwriter and professional writer with over 12 years of experience in healthcare and… Read Full Bio
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