Thursday, October 1, 2026
Just like everything else these days, much of the personal fitness industry lives online. Well-known fitness celebrities are online influencers or fitness app personalities. Many fitness buffs have a favorite trainer on Peloton or iFIT.
Believe it or not, one-on-one, face-to-face personal training with a real-live person is still a thing, and to many, it is the most rewarding way to sustain a fitness journey. While an app can tell you what exercises to do, working with a trainer offers a tailored approach, professional knowledge, and accountability. Imitating someone doing a pushup is not the same as being taught how to execute one correctly.
Most Americans have started and given up on workout regimes. The injuries. The pendulum swings. The mistakes along the way. We can also get frustrated when workouts no longer translate to changes on the scale (reaching the dreaded plateau). Or after a couple of weeks going to the gym, we realize we do not know what to do beyond running on the treadmill or lifting a few weights.
Here in south Snohomish County, personal trainers are helping your friends, neighbors, and family members walk with that little extra bit of confidence or spring in their step. The Beacon interviewed five local trainers to learn more about the art and science of personal training.
The beautiful Pacific
Northwest as motivation
Before getting into the nuts and bolts, we asked local trainers about using our community as inspiration. After all, our slice of the world offers such a wealth of rewarding outdoor spaces we can benefit from when we incorporate wellness into our daily lives.
Breezy Olson of Summit Fitness in Lynnwood said our beautiful environment is one of the things that keeps her exercising. “I love the outdoors and nature. My family and my pup and I utilize all the parks, beaches, nature trails, and hikes that we can. I tell my clients I’d much rather they do their cardio outside instead of inside on a treadmill.”
Similarly, Tina Bagoshvili from Harbor Square Athletic Club in Edmonds, shared: “The Pacific Northwest offers many incredible hiking trails to explore. My workouts in the gym prepare me for hiking season. The stronger I am, the more adventurous and challenging hikes I can take on.” She takes clients hiking to empower and motivate them. ”Climbing to the top of a mountain is tough,” she said, “but reaching the top is beyond rewarding, especially when you get to do it with your community.”
Rick Buyce is a trainer with the City of Edmonds at Frances Anderson Center. “I like to be in the outdoors hiking and doing photography. I am not in the shape I was in my 20s and 30s. Working as a personal trainer helped me recognize the benefits of it for me and for my clients.”
Kelvin Thomas, the founder of Studio 373 in Mukilteo, points to his local community and his love of gardening and woodworking as motivation for him as both a trainer and an active participant in his own wellness.
Inspiration also comes from our community, and Mukilteo, Edmonds, and Mill Creek are all community-minded places. Bobby Sorensen, owner of The Movement Society Fitness and Performance in Mill Creek, puts it best: “Participating in outdoor events like charity runs, school fairs, community festivals, or wellness workshops are great ways to connect with others. When I’m feeling strong and balanced, I’m more motivated to give back and create positive spaces for others to thrive in.”
Wellness at all ages
The trainers agree: There are myths and bad information out there about health and wellness. Personal trainers create fitness and workout plans tailored just to you – your goals, age, fitness level, and preferences. “There are basic things we can do at any age to be healthy,” Thomas said. “Exercise allows us to remain confident that we are physically able to do the things we love.”
Buyce works primarily with 55-plus clients and appreciates the big impact training can have, and it is “a great group to work with, committed to getting work done. I also like to talk to people about their stories.” Buyce happily told the story of a client in her 70s who gained strength and more confidence. “She was an avid walker, but did not do any strength training, and came in for regular sessions to get stronger. She now knows her way around a gym. We tweak her workouts once a month.”
Similarly, Thomas has clients aged from 30 to 89. His Fit Over 50 class helps people maintain strength, balance, and vitality. One client wants to stay fit to continue training German shepherds, while others wanted help overcoming a diagnosis like Parkinson’s. “People may think it is too late for them, but it’s not.”
A little inspiration
The trainers interviewed for this article had more than one inspiring story about clients who had exceeded their trainer’s expectations and their own.
Sorensen recalled clients who once struggled with chronic back pain, barely able to lift weights, now confidently deadlifting 135 pounds. Sorensen and Thomas both pointed to the disbelief and pride their clients feel when they achieve their first strict pull-up, a milestone they thought was out of reach.
Bagoshvili worked with a client for more than a year who was recovering from major surgery. Her first goal was simply to move better, but as she gained strength, her goals progressed. “She has told me that she has never felt healthier in her life, even when she was a college athlete. You would never guess how much she has been through and overcome. She is an inspiration to me in so many ways.”
As inspiring as any of his clients is Thomas’s own story. He came to personal training after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. “In my recovery, I went to the gym and started to get energy, despite the radiation treatment. I had a passion for helping people understand fitness.”
Should I work with a personal trainer?
Having a personal trainer is most successful when it is, well, personal. It can be a long-term journey or a follow-up from recovery or a jumping-off point into a healthy fitness routine. In the words of Bagoshvili, “Personal training is truly personalized to each person and should be used in a way that serves each person best.”
Sorensen believes that “fitness is often seen as an individual pursuit, but it’s so much more powerful when we support each other.” From celebrating wins to getting through tough times, a trainer can be a partner. “It’s about creating a space where people feel seen, supported, and motivated to push beyond their limits – together,” he said.
Often the hardest part about maintaining a commitment to exercise and a healthy lifestyle is motivation. “There are so many obstacles in life that keep us from achieving our health and fitness goals,” Olson said. “If I get to know a person and know what’s going on in their life, it makes it easier to work through those obstacles and help them be successful.”
Incorporating a healthy lifestyle into our daily habits supports myriad personal benefits, from improved physical and mental health, more energy, and a more positive relationship to fitness. Motivation looks different for everyone, so choose a path for your fitness journey and hopefully that will make all the difference.
“People can get motivated for a class reunion or wedding,” Thomas said. “But it is important to set long-term goals, like building strength or maintaining independence.” He recommends you train with someone else, like a spouse, partner, or friend, to be even more motivating than the trainer alone.
Make it your own experience
Finding a trainer who can motivate you is important because habits stick. “When I see a former client who has taken the knowledge and tools they learned with personal training and maintain their success, that makes me love my job,” Olson said. “Personal training may seem like a significant financial commitment, but our trainers suggested asking to establish a cadence or plan that work for your budget.” Also, look around. Group classes, like those at Frances Anderson Center, can be as low as $5.
The road to wellness is not a straight line, and perhaps that is one of the best reasons to consider working with a personal trainer. As Sorensen said, “There are those moments where life gets in the way, motivation wanes, or injuries crop up. That’s when having a fitness coach or trainer can be a game-changer.”
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