Getting Started as a Personal Trainer
Are you passionate about health and fitness? Do you love to learn about nutrition and feel your best after a good workout at the gym? If the answer is ‘yes’, perhaps you have considered becoming a personal trainer? Helping others get into shape while still taking care of yourself can be an incredibly rewarding career for someone who loves to live a healthy lifestyle and keep moving. If you think this could be the right job for you, here are a few things you will need to do to get started:
Skills
While a passion for fitness is a must, there are various other skills you will need if you want to work as a personal trainer. You will be working with other people constantly in your job, both clients and other trainers and gym staff members if this is your chosen place of work. With this in mind, you must have great people skills and be able to communicate effectively. You will also need to have attention to detail to make sure your client is doing their exercises correctly and safely, as well as being able to identify what the best fitness plan is for them. You will be working by appointment, so time management and great organization skills will also be essential in this role.
Training
If you think your personality is suited to this kind of role, the next step is taking the required training to become a certified personal trainer. You will need to get an AED and CPR training certificate to practice (both are first aid courses). You will also need to hold a high school diploma to enroll in many of the personal trainer education programs. You can train to become a personal trainer through various programs, such as the American Council on Exercise or the International Sports Science Association.
Working for a Gym or Self-employment?
Once you have achieved your training certifications, you can then focus on finding full-time employment. A lot of personal trainers work in gyms or similar fitness centers which can provide regular work. However, you could also explore becoming a self-employed PT and visit people at their homes or hire space at your local gym or leisure center to take your appointments. If you are going to become self-employed, you will need to make sure you buy personal trainer insurance online before you start seeing clients.
Promotion
If you are going to be a self-employed personal trainer, you will need to think carefully about how to promote your business. Create a website and link it to relevant social media platforms so you can promote your services across these channels. You may also want to advertise yourself on relevant online forums and other webpages that your potential clients might visit. Consider offering introductory prices as well, to give new customers an incentive to try training with you.
Becoming a personal trainer can be an exciting job, and it’s a great way of giving back to the community by providing people with the right support to stay fit and healthy. If you think this is the sort of role you will thrive in and find rewarding, consider the points above to help you get started with your career.
