As a Personal Trainer, you already know how varied your job can be. But how many people realise that a good Personal Trainer is often a Life Coach, trusted Advisor and health consultant all rolled in to one?
Gone are the days when Personal Trainers simply walked the gym floor, counting reps and showing clients how to programme the treadmill. Today's personal training clients demand a holistic approach to fitness, seeking improvements in sleep, stress management, hormone health and blood markers. As a result, PTs have an impressive range of skills, backed up by in-depth training which spans health, nutrition, training, physiology, human performance, and the delicate area of psychology.
Perhaps you don't realise it yet, but you are far more than a Fitness Coach to your clients. Have you ever asked them how they view you, what they'd say your role in their life is, or how they describe you to their friends? You can bet it's not simply "my PT".
The expanding remit of Personal Trainers is one reason behind the growth and reach of industry skills training. These days, freelance and in-house Personal Trainers are likely to carry out CPD in fitness and nutrition, but also in sports psychology, endocrinology, communication skills, motivation, the psychology of weight loss and even advanced methods such as NLP.
Whether you train total beginners, weight loss clients, or high end competitive athletes, your value lies in much more than your ability to programme a workout. Here's a list of roles you play in your clients' lives (how many of them do you identify with today?)
Accountability: you provide your clients with a plan, a structure, and someone to check in with. They're more likely to stick to their goals when they have you to report to!
Confidante: have you noticed how your clients trust you enough to talk about their feelings around body image, confident, dreams and goals, even personal relationships?
Expert advice: remember that you may be the only person in your clients' lives who can advise them on training, nutrition, health and wellness.
Educator: you keep your own industry knowledge up-to-date, and your clients know they can turn to you for the latest advice and techniques.
Emotional support: losing weight, getting fit, building muscle or training for sports can be an emotional roller coaster. You're there on the frontline with your client.
Life coach: health, diet, fitness and physical wellbeing are integral parts of your clients' lives. Everything you teach them affects their sleep, lifestyle, relationships, self-confidence, body image and future health. You are therefore so much more than a Personal Trainer. Your input affects almost every area of their lives.
Remember, you're not just helping your clients get physically fit. As a Personal Trainer, you're an important part of their lives, motivating and inspiring them as they reach their goals, and encouraging them to get in tune with their mental wellbeing.