If you can’t think of anything better than heading down the gym for a hot date with the squat rack, or pulling on those running shoes to pound the pavement, why not consider a career in health and fitness?
Yes! You really can turn your passion for a healthy lifestyle into a lucrative career. Here’s how to become a personal trainer…
Prioritising health
More people than ever before are prioritising their health and wellbeing and as a result, gyms UK-wide have seen a huge increase in membership uptake. In fact, 1 in 7 people are now a member of a gym or health club!
In 2018 alone, there was an increase of 4.6% in the number of fitness facilities in the UK as a result of the extra demand for a local place to work out. There are now over 7,000 gyms in the UK for the first time, with the number of gym members reaching the 10 million mark and an industry value just shy of £5billion!
As you can imagine this has created a huge demand for qualified personal trainers within the fitness industry.
So why consider a career switch into this booming sector?
It’s widely reported that being a personal trainer is one of the most satisfying careers to work in. In fact, 57% of personal trainers say they never feel they are stuck in a career rut. They cite personal satisfaction, low stress and flexibility as the top reasons for loving their jobs. So, if you’re unhappy at work or are being dragged down by the 9-5 work pattern, it’s time for a change!
That doesn’t mean this is an easy career by any means, the life of a personal trainer can be really demanding; your clients will want to train early in the morning before they start work or late at night when they finish. You’ll also have to fit in time to write up meal plans, training programs and update your website and social media platforms to gain a public following and attract new clients. If you don’t mind a little hard work for a great pay-off (both financially and in personal satisfaction) this is the career for you!
Find out more about the day in the life of a personal trainer
Sounds good, right? There aren’t many careers out there where you can make such a difference to someone’s life: as a personal trainer you’ll get to help your clients achieve a happier, healthier lifestyle that will not only benefit them but everyone around them too!
So, how do you become a personal trainer?
First things first, you need the right qualifications behind you.
To become a person trainer in the UK you’ll need an industry recognised Level 3 diploma in personal training. So how do you get one?
There are many options available to you and the choice is ultimately yours, but many people opt to study a course with a training provider who offers online or flexible study time. This means that you can fit your course around your other commitments, even allowing you the learn while you earn rather than taking time out of your career to study in a college or university. And that’s not where the benefits stop: the best training providers offer career support to help get your CV up to scratch and find you jobs ready for when you’ve graduated. The best training providers really make it easier than ever to start your career in fitness!
Find out how a PT E-learning course will work for you.
A Level 3 Diploma in Fitness Instructing and Personal Training will cover everything you need to know to safely and confidently train your own clients. You’ll learn essential skills about nutrition, human anatomy and physiology and how to plan and deliver personal training sessions to clients. Once you’ve graduated you’ll be able to work in a gym, health centre or as a freelance personal trainer.
Personal trainers in the UK can expect to make around £19,000 a year, however this can change greatly depending on your location, your qualifications and the size of your client base. In a career like this, you get out what you put in, so with a little hard work and determination, there’s every opportunity to make upwards of £30,000 a year!
Want to boost your earning potential? It’s worth studying CPD courses such as bootcamp workshops, kettlebell training and studio cycling (spinning). Courses like these help you to specialise in certain areas of training, not only giving your existing clients varied training options but also opening up your business to new clients too.
Here are the top CPD courses all personal trainers should cover
Depending on your career goals, you can really stand out from the crowd and become gain a Level 4 Diploma in Strength and Conditioning. This puts you in the top 10% of personal trainers in the UK and will allow you to work with and train professional sports teams and athletes!
Ready to get started on the journey to becoming a personal trainer?
[learn more about our personal trainer courses here]