Personal Trainer?

I think an hour a week is good. I also think $75/hour is a bit steep. Try craigslist? I have seen "gym rats" who don't mind picking up a few bucks meeting you at your gym. Can just be "unofficial", and I have seen people go for $20 a session... Usually the house takes a cut of all the "official trainers", so you might have to be sly about it.

Also, a big benefit although a bit less involoved, is just having a workout buddy to meet you at the gym. Forces you to meet them, too, forcing both of you to go out of "guilt"...Very effective. If your buddy is more fit then you, you just scored free workout lessons.

Regarding your second question about becoming a CRNA or Acute Care NP; if you like direct patient care and dealing with a variety of situations, conditions, etc., I'd go for the NP. Also, once your certified, if over time you don't want to stay in acute care, you may be able to move to another area. I say may be able to because I'm not sure. I'm an adult NP but in administration for over 13 years and working overseas, so I'm not sure if an acute care certification would prevent moving into lets say a primary care practice (ala Wal mart style), office setting, etc. If, not you could move with your interests and needs. Seems to me more flexible.

I think the big question in my mind do want to deal with patients awake or asleep and how much interaction do you want, need, and/or enjoy.

I enjoy primary care and a holistic approach and would go back to that if I ever decide to re-enter the practice. That brings up your "lack of knowledge about fitness". Fitness is so much apart of primary care, or should be so learning about exercise both intellectually and practically could be part of your NP practice someday because much of NP practice, as nursing practice is (should be) patient education.

Are you self motivated? If you are, I would say take a few sessions with a trainer to get to know a routine and understand how to work the machines. Then try it on your own. I'm a pretty fit girl and I took a session with a personal trainer and it kicked my butt!! I could barely walk the next day... so make sure not to push yourself too hard the first day. If you're not self motivated, I would say take the group fitness classes offered at your gym, they will teach you how to use the free weights, bikes or whatever equipment that's used in the class. I love my gym's classes... they are usually inculded in your membership fee. I take spinning... great for loosing weight and its low impact and a strength fitness class that uses free weights which gives you lean muscle so that you don't get too "bulky". Here is a great free website for monitoring physical activity and your caloric intake http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/ Good luck with your exercise regimen! :)

Once a week with a personal trainer will set you up with exercises to do, how to do them and one day of extrinsic motivation. You'll need to take what you get out of that one day and motivate yourself to use it several other days a week if you want results. If you need someone "Up your butt" (legit gym term) while exercising for motivation, then you might want to use him/her more than one day/week.

I'm a certified PT. Check with a smaller gym or even a YMCA to find a more reasonably priced trainer. I still do occasional contractor sessions at various gyms, and I will admit, in the city at this one particular gym (next to a rich neighborhood) I charge 70/hr then the gym takes 30 of that. However, at my local gym where I work on the regular basis as an employee... clients are charged only 30/hr.

What I would recommend to do if you're tight on budget. Whichever trainer you sign with him for one month, train one or two times a week, and ask that he run you through full body exercises... then take mental notes on everything... let him just be an initial teacher for you.

My favorite thing is having a nice work out friend or even a small group of friends to be of moral support and also guidance from one another.