We’ve all sat at our desk, our thoughts desperate in attempts to drone out the office drag, laying longing stares out the window and dreaming of dramatic career change. And for those of us who live for the gym and can’t go a day without working out or being active, the obvious choice is out here – in there, in fact. Yep, we’re talking about personal training.
In recent years, the demand for personal trainers has grown significantly as people become more health-conscious and fitness-focused.
Indeed, the trade is booming; expanding like the muscles PTs are managing. Walk into any coffee shop in London and you’re bound to find one using it as their personal office, writing up their clients fitness programs and meal plans. As a nation, it seems we have a real hunger for getting fit, and where’s there’s passion and drive, there’s also money to be made. Especially in the capital where clients are abundant and personal trainer courses are plentiful. With this in mind, here are 4 IDEAL reasons to become a personal trainer.
DO SOMETHING YOU LOVE
To all the burger flippers, data enterers and shop floor fillers; we’ve all been there and wished we hadn’t. Life needn’t – and shouldn’t – be this way. With the amount of hours spent at work rivalling (and usually far outweighing) those spent on hobbies and in bed, it’s imperative that employed, paid hours are used doing what you love. If not, a huge portion of life is wasted…
Read: 5 IDEAL ways a personal trainer gets you fit faster
A BETTER WORK/LIFE BALANCE
Running with a theme, P.T’ing may well grant you access to the holy grail; a better work/life balance. Yes you’ll have loads of laundry from all the sweaty gym clothes, and yes, you’ll see workout regimes in your downtime, in everything (pull ups on the tube, anyone?), but you’ll also wrestle control of your hours, and as such, be free when you want, to do what you want – even that Pilates teacher training course you’ve been dreaming of.
And if that free time takes you back to the gym, then so be it. Personal trainers are generally self-employed. While you’ll be at the behest of your (fingers crossed) many clients, you also reserve the right to pick and choose which hours you’ll spend working.
HELP PEOPLE
It’s a primary motivation of some of the most revered professions around; teachers, doctors, charity workers……that helping people brings far greater reward than the financial. And while personal trainers might not get given the same credibility by careers advisors, the same can be said of what drives them; a desire to give back. Part coach, part cheerleader, part nutritionist, there’s ample room for the altruistic, for improving people’s lives and creating a healthier, happier society.
If you’re passionate about this particular element of your fitness journey and want to expand your career options, then perhaps the best path you can choose is to become a Certified Group Exercise Instructor, which can open up new opportunities in the fitness industry. This additional certification allows you to lead group fitness classes and provide a wider range of services to your clients, enhancing your skill set and marketability.
KEEP FIT
It’s not exactly an industry secret; part of the P.T job is to look fit and project that obsession with fitness onto others. It’s pretty much guaranteed, then, that through the course of your working day, when demonstrating workouts, when participating alongside your clients, and in any cheeky, snatched moments of downtime, you’ll be keeping yourself in prime physical condition. Result!
HOW TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD
In 2020, there were over 23’000 registered personal trainers in the UK. In order to stand out from a fairly crowded field, it’s well worth investing in self-development.
Simply put, those who have invested in their education and taken a personal training course are likely to attract more clients than those who haven’t. Be aware that as modern demands change, holding a generic qualification in personal training isn’t always enough. Should you be working with a particular demographic of clients, you may need specific qualifications tailored to their needs.
Pregnant women, for instance, are now actively being encouraged to exercise throughout pregnancy, but a personal trainer would need to hold a pre and post natal certification to be able to work with them. Or, when working with clients with disabilities, an Active IQ Level 3 Award in Designing Exercise Programs for Disabled Clients or equivalent qualification will be necessary.
All of this will equip you with the tools required to train a diverse range of clients in a responsible, safe and effective way, benefit both their progress and your career.