Transforming Your Fitness Passion Into Your Fitness Profession

Job opportunities for personal trainers

If you are a person who enjoys staying fit and healthy, making frequent trips to the gym not a hardship for you. Working out first thing in the morning or stopping in after a full day on the job is the norm. You wouldn’t think of changing your daily routine. You’re passionate about fitness, but it may not have occurred to you that you could take this passion and turn it into a profession. If you have the right mindset and personality for it, are willing to put in the time and get the education you need, and if you love working with people and building relationships, it may be time for you to channel your love of fitness into a new career as a personal trainer.

Qualities of a Great Personal Trainer

There are a number of qualities and characteristics that the best personal trainers all have, involving education, experience, and an outgoing personality. You may already have these. If not, they are certainly easy to acquire and develop.

A good personal trainer is genuinely concerned about the health and fitness of their clients/ They monitor technique on an individual basis, making adjustments as needed to keep their clients from injuring or overexerting themselves. A good personal trainer needs to be skilled at evaluating clients as they begin and progress through their fitness program.

As a fitness trainer, it is important to be skilled at communicating. Keep in mind, though, that what is good for you may not work for someone else. Share your knowledge and experience, but always explain every aspect of a program or exercise, good and bad. Clients who engage a personal trainer want someone they can trust to guide them, encourage them, push them, and help them when they need it.

Personal Training Education

While an increasing number of personal trainers hold college degrees in physical education, exercise science, and the like, having a degree is not a requirement to become a personal fitness trainer. To be a personal trainer, you need, at the minimum, a high school diploma or GED plus additional formal training at a vocational school, such as Southern California Health Institute (SOCHi). SOCHi will provide you with the professional personal training and hands-on experience to confidently step into a personal trainer position.

Certification and Continuing Education

Fitness certification is a requirement for personal trainers in some states, and more and more employers are demanding that their trainers have proper certifications. Several professional associations offer certification for fitness trainers, including the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) with whom SOCHi is affiliated. Re-certification is required every two years. Typically, you will need to complete continuing education modules in various relevant areas in order to receive re-certification.

Building Your Career Through Networking

Once you have completed the training and certification you need, begin building up your career by building your network of Contact Us. Make connections with other health professionals. Chiropractors, massage therapists, and sports psychologists are examples of health professionals that you may meet through industry events, workshops, and through your own efforts.

Building relationships will increase your professional credibility and your business.

Clients are a great source for making connections with people in the same demographic that you train. Providing brochures and business cards to civic clubs and organization, as well as attending meetings, offering your services as a speaker on fitness issues, and having special training events, can generate interest and build-up strong connections.

Your individual passion for maintaining your health and fitness may be destined for more. Taking your love of staying in shape and using it to build a career that you can feel passionate about means making the effort to study your subject, taking personal training courses, getting your fitness certification, and fostering a network of fitness-related relationships. Transforming your passion for fitness into a career as a fitness instructor proves it is possible to truly love your job when you work at something you are passionate about.

To learn more about the personal trainer program at SOCHi, please visit our website, or you may request information here.