I first heard about Virtufit thanks to a Skype pole that Jonathan Mosen had tweeted about. Marc Thompson is a personal trainer who uses Skype to train his clients. I was excited by this service. I am blind and getting to the gymnasium is a problem given my schedule and the lack of independent transportation options. Moreover, I did not want to spend the money on a gymnasium membership.

I have tried face-to-face exercise instructors before. I have usually given them up in about a month. The primary problem is the lack of communication skills of the teacher(s). Yes, I live in the land of Yoga but many teachers here lack the skill to communicate adequately. In addition, I needed something intense since I wanted fast results.

we had a test session where we tested the technology. I was surprised how much he was able to see even via an off-the-shelf webcam.

my biggest concern was accuracy of postures. I prefer to exercise independently but I am never certain if I am doing it correctly. A face-to-face instructor would show me the position by feel. Marc was able to instruct me verbally. This is his greatest strength. He is a good communicator and is able to describe postures and positions accurately. In addition, he checks for correctness of position.

I have now done about 5 sessions with Marc. His routine has varied but the 30 minutes I have spent have been some of the most physically intense in a long time. I did not require any special equipment. We used my elliptical trainer, an exercise mat and my dining chair.

as for the mechanics, each session lasts for 30 minutes. You need to have already completed your warm-up routine. Be warned, you don’t get a rest if you ask for an intense workout like I did. You can see the payment options on his website. My final advice, go with a definite objective. The current rate is $30 for 30 minutes.