Becoming a personal trainer is one of the most fulfilling career choices that a person can make. You will be channeling your passion for fitness, health and personal improvement into a role where you can have a positive impact on the lives of other people. After a year of lockdown, we all need to be thinking about improving our physical fitness. For example, there has been a startling rise in the numbers of young people with diabetes during the pandemic.
However, as you may have already suspected, it isn’t as simple as turning up to the gym and asking if anyone is looking for a personal trainer. There are several different niches and requirements that you need to know about if you are serious about going on this journey. Here are the most important.
You Will Need Qualifications
The first thing to be aware of is that you are entering a highly competitive space when you decide to become a personal trainer. It is not enough to have a good reputation (although that is important, and we will get to that in just a moment). You need to make sure that you have the training and the qualifications to back it up. Now that we are all getting back out there, you can look at taking in person classes, but you should also note that there are plenty of online and virtual courses that you can take.
You Will Need To Work On Your Brand
You can’t make a living as a personal trainer by working with friends and family. Sooner or later, you are going to have to figure out how you can build your reputation and get your name out there as a personal trainer that people want to work with. Your first port of call should always be the gym that you want to work from, if you want to be working at the gym. If they are interested, they will be able to go over everything from hour availability to rules with you. Next up: social media. If you are serious about personal training, then the chances are good that you have already put a lot of your work and your journey on social media. Now it’s time to take things up a notch.
Think about what people who are looking for a personal trainer will want to see. They will want to see evidence of a work ethic, they will want to see the kind of training that you can help them with, they will want to see that you can get results, and one of the most important things to remember is that they will want to see your personality. What kind of a personal trainer are you? What kind of people do you want to be working with? Are you someone who is going to help someone who is already in excellent condition stay that way and keep improving? Or are you someone who wants to help people get healthier? Make sure that, whatever your personal goals are, you communicate them on your channels.
You Will Absolutely Need Insurance
Working on your brand is important, but arguably the most important thing that any personal trainer starting out needs to know about is insurance. You need to be prepared for the eventuality that someone may injure themselves under your supervision in space that you do not own. This is where fitness insurance comes in. Fitness insurance can keep you covered in the event that someone accuses you of causing physical or emotional harm during one of your sessions.
You Need Work On Your Personal Skills
Finally, one of the most important niches that you need to keep in mind if you are thinking about becoming a personal trainer is that every client is different. Each one will respond to different kinds of motivation and pressure, and it is vital that you sit down with each one before you start working together to see if you are the right fit. We have all been through a tough time this past year, and mental health needs to be something that you are aware of. Be honest, be open and be willing to adjust your methods to suit your clients.
