If you have a hard time stepping away from your computer screen, but want to get a workout, a new website called Wello will help make that possible. Wello offers personal trainers via video chat.

I read about Wello and thought it sounded intriguing -- get an affordable personal trainer without leaving your home, and schedule a session at a time that's convenient for you. Personal trainers at gyms and private studios typically cost a minimum of $75 per hour, plus to get to them can sometimes be a hassle. Initially, I was skeptical about the video aspect of Wello -- can a personal training session be successfully accomplished through video chat? But for about $20 a session, I was eager to find out.

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I had a total of three 25 minute sessions with trainers at different levels of experience (and corresponding prices) -- one with a newer trainer, one with a celebrity yoga instructor and the third with a moderately priced trainer. Wello says some 25 minute sessions will be as low as $5, although the lowest price for a 25 minute session I found was $15. Cofounder Leslie Silverglide said Wello may eventually price trainers based on user reviews rather than that trainer's experience (a smart idea).

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Trainers can view your private profile -- which you create when you sign-up for the site. This is where you write your height, weight and fitness goals (don't worry, this is for their eyes only). This really helps them customize your workout to align with your workout goals and current fitness level.

The training sessions are largely dependent on your Internet connections. My second session had to be cancelled because of the trainer's poor Internet connection. We re-scheduled for later that day but were only able to get through 10 minutes of yoga until it began cutting in-and-out again. The other sessions went well; although I think cardio workouts are best on video chat because when and if you have to adjust the screen, you're already moving so it doesn't disrupt your workout too much. Despite the connection issues, I was able to get some great at-home workouts that were affordable, convenient and tailored to my specific needs, unlike the workouts I get from DVD's.

This is what it looks like:

Of course, virtual personal trainers cannot touch you to correct your form but I found out that if they're vocal and can give good directions, perfecting your form with the help of a trainer is not any more difficult virtually than it is in real life. The gym equipment is what you may be lacking at home, but that's no problem. When you buy your session, you fill out a form indicating what equipment you have at home (in my case, nothing but a yoga mat). The trainers prepare their workouts according to what you have at home.

After you sign-up for a Wello account by entering your name and credit card information, there is some setup involved to make sure your experience goes smoothly: Make sure your screensaver is set to a time longer than your session. Before scheduling a session, check that you're in the correct timezone since trainers are located across the U.S. You can do this by looking under "account settings."

Originally posted here:
Wello: Affordable, Personal Training Using Video Chat [REVIEW]