Why Become a Personal Trainer?

  • A personal trainer has several options when it comes to work making it both rewarding as well as a flexible work option.
  • A personal trainer may decide to start her own business providing consultancy services (meaning flexible hours), or be associated with a gym, fitness or leisure center. You have to a great extent the freedom to plan your day. With the health industry growing by leaps and bounds, the opportunities here are many.
  • If fitness and being in the gym excite you, then being a personal trainer is just what you will enjoy doing. It allows you to work in an atmosphere that is both inspiring and satisfying.
  • As a trainer, you would be working with people of varied age groups and also different walks of life. You can really make a difference to the lives of people with the education and knowledge that you possess.

Pre-Requisites for Being a Personal Trainer

There are several pre-requisites to being a personal trainer. When the health of your clients is your business then it definitely comes with a whole lot of responsibilities. You are the role model, the leader that your client is going to look up to. You need to be knowledgeable and extremely good at your work to create the solid trust that is needed to build those strong bridges in the client –trainer relationship.

  • A trainer should be an excellent leader and also possess very good communication skills. You are the brand ambassador of the fitness program you recommend and so you lead by example. It is important to communicate the program to the client effectively and keep the lines of communication open.
  • Training and certification is not mandatory here, however, with immense competition that exists it would be best to have a certification from a reputed institute. Knowledge and also certification play a very important role; in fact, they are the building blocks of your personal training career.
  • To get certified from a reputed organization you need to enroll for the program, take the exam, and attend the lectures and practical sessions. The programme offered by most institutes covers everything from physiology, anatomy, first aid, biomechanics, nutrition, supplementation, cardiovascular system and regulations, sports injuries, fitness testing, weight training, core training and also other aspects related to health and fitness. Certification creates credibility as the client is sure that you are qualified to take up the task.
  • Understanding the individual needs and designing the exercise and diet plan as per individual requirements is essential. With every step, you are building a relationship of trust and so there must be both involvement as well as professionalism displayed at every stage of the process.

Rewards

The financial rewards for a trainer are handsome to say the least. You may work for a salary with an organization like a gym, a health center or a leisure center, or be a freelancer managing your own business. Private training sessions too are an avenue worth exploring. Personal trainers must be flexible as each person is different and so are the goals. Achievement of the milestones by the client is also the achievement of the personal trainer thus, making it an extremely satisfying career choice.

Conclusion

The increasing number of health and fitness videos on the internet and television channels only goes to prove the immense growth experienced by the health industry. The industry is seeing growth by leaps and bounds and there is space for anyone who is passionate, educated, trained and experienced.

Go ahead and make a difference to the lives of others and also to your own. 

Watch this space for an interview with a personal trainer.