Becoming a Personal Trainer
Libby Remi provides advice on how to become a Certified Personal Trainer.
You are really into your health now if you could only get paid to live this life! Well, you can. By becoming a Certified Personal Trainer, you can get paid to help others get in shape and lead a healthy lifestyle. However, much more goes into the profession than just what you see in the gym. So, you hang out in the gym all the time, and you are in shape.
Like any profession, being a personal trainer has nuances, challenges, and things you must understand. I. In this article, I want to cover two of the biggest questions I get asked:
- How long does it take to become certified?
- Where should I work once I am certified?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Certified Personal Trainer?
The short answer is about three months. It incorporates the workshops you must attend, the online coursework that many courses require, the hands-on training in the gym, and the exam portion. That said, in many cases, gyms will hire you without a certification. However, they will make your employment contingent on receiving your trainer certification within your first three months.
Suppose you are graduating from college with a Kinesiology or Exercise Science degree. While receiving your degree, you will be coached on taking all the required tests and managing your clients. In that case, the process will be much more streamlined: finding a job and completing the certification process.
Where Should I Focus my Attention Once I am a Personal Trainer?
The first place people look at conventional health clubs, and there is nothing wrong with that. It is where you will find the most motivated people looking to get in shape who could help. Regarding "needing help", studies show that one of the main reasons people join a gym and never go back is because they do not know what to do once they are there. They feel out of place and do not know where to begin. They do not know if they should focus on an aerobic, anaerobic, or possibly a mix.
Most will have no idea what either of those routines is. Personal trainers are there to fill this gap. They give the client a mentor/friend/trainer who knows what they are doing and how to guide them. Even better, the need for personal trainers in this sector is rising, as is the number of gyms opening up in our health-conscious climate. However, they will make your employment contingent on receiving your personal trainer certification within your first three months. Ensure you get personal trainer insurance from a reputable provider like Insure4sport.
Another place to look is in retirement communities, nursing homes, and assisted care centres. With the growing baby boomer population starting to retire, there will be a very, very large need for individuals to design programs and help the elderly population looking to stay in shape. What is more, this is a segment of the population that needs assistance and is receptive to it. Their bodies are not as healthy as they used to be, their fitness goals may have changed, and they may not understand the best way to care for themselves anymore. If you are successful, you can carve out a niche in this market.
Finally, and in perfect symmetry, look to the youth. With schools having more difficulty acquiring public funding, the gym classes have, in part, suffered. We are leaving kids exercising less and in higher need of people who can help them get in shape. Community churches, summer camps, and child daycare often use trainers to help keep children active and healthy. Some theorize that this has a lot to do with the childhood obesity epidemic that we see today.
All the statistics on careers within the personal trainer sector are promising. There will always be groups and individuals willing to pay good money to stay healthy, not just in terms of the physical workload but also in terms of motivation and understanding healthy diets and lifestyles.
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- LIBBY, R. (2012) Becoming a Personal Trainer [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article077.htm [Accessed 31/3/2025]
About the Author
Remi Libby graduated from the University of Dayton with degrees in Kinesiology and Political Science. He is a certified personal trainer for individuals in the Chicago area and volunteers his time in youth initiatives at summer camps and the Special Olympics.
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