How often should you train with a personal trainer?

Also if you want to lose weight. What the Dutch Health Council and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advise, and three realistic set-ups with what they roughly cost.

What the guidelines say

In 2017 the Health Council of the Netherlands published the physical activity guidelines (Beweegrichtlijnen). For adults they come down to:

• at least 2.5 hours per week of moderate-intensity activity, spread over several days (think brisk walking or cycling);
• muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least twice a week, combined with balance exercises for older adults;
• and: sit less.

The RIVM uses exactly these points to measure whether people in the Netherlands move enough.

What does that mean for sessions with a trainer?

A personal trainer mainly helps with the strengthening part: the right exercises, the right technique and gradually heavier. The hours of moderate activity you mostly do on your own. Three common set-ups:

* Monthly amounts according to Trustoo (2026). More on prices in what a personal trainer costs.

If you are a beginner, once or twice a week with a trainer is usually enough to learn good technique. What matters most is keeping it up. A fixed day and time helps.

And if you want to lose weight?

• A healthy pace: the Nutrition Centre advises about half a kilo per week. It often goes faster at first, then slower.
• A realistic goal: 5 to 10 percent of your weight is already a healthy start. At 80 kilos, losing 8 kilos takes about 16 weeks.
• Food makes the biggest difference. Training helps and is good for your health, but losing weight mainly works by changing what you eat.
• Weigh yourself at most once a week, on the same day (Nutrition Centre).

Do you have a medical condition, or do you want to lose a lot of weight? Talk to your GP or a dietitian first. A personal trainer is not a doctor or dietitian.

How to make it easy to keep going

• Fix a regular time. On Gymies a trainer can set up a recurring session: the same moment every week.
• Only buy a pack once it clicks. Start with one session; a class pack on Gymies is then valid for 12 months.
• Train together. In a group class you pay less per person. How a group class works.
• Know the cancellation rules. On Gymies you see them before booking; they are the same for every trainer.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Health Council of the Netherlands (Gezondheidsraad), Physical activity guidelines 2017 (summary, Dutch)
• RIVM, Lifestyle monitor: physical activity (Dutch)
• Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum), Afvallen met gezonde voeding (Dutch)
• Trustoo, Wat kost een personal trainer? (updated 7 September 2026)