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- Work with individual clients to help them improve their health and fitness
- Personal trainers are often self-employed and may do this work alongside other jobs as they build up business
- You'll need good levels of fitness, relevant qualifications and insurances to become a personal trainer
As a personal trainer, you'll talk to clients to find out about their fitness level and health history.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Set short-term and long-term goals and plan programmes to reach them
- Educate, motivate and coach clients to help them follow their programme safely and effectively
- Give advice on health, nutrition and lifestyle changes
- Help clients with their workouts
- Check and record clients' progress, using methods like measuring heart rate and levels of body fat
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You might work full-time as a gym instructor and do personal training outside your normal hours.
You'll often work early mornings, evenings and weekends to suit the needs of your clients. If you're self-employed you may rent space in a gym, set up your own facilities, or visit clients in their homes.
You'll need
To be a personal trainer, you'll need patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations, sensitivity and understanding, the ability to work well with others as well as on your own, customer service skills, knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses, and physical fitness and endurance.
Direct application to become a personal trainer or opening up your own business is possible if you've got qualifications and experience as a fitness coach or gym instructor.
You could take a college course to help you get into this career. Courses include a Level 2 Diploma in Instructing Exercise and Fitness, or Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training.
You could get into this job through a personal trainer advanced apprenticeship.
It's usual to have a certificate in first aid that includes cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
You'll also need to pass enhanced background checks, as you may be working with children and vulnerable adults.
CAREER PROSPECTS
You could take further instructor courses to learn new skills to offer clients, like yoga, Pilates, nutrition or aerobics. With further training, you could also work with people recovering from illness or who have medical conditions.