Healthy Options in a Struggling Economy: Fitness Courses
The average gym member is usually not in a position to hire a personal trainer, especially not in the current economy. However, many people are, and there is still definitely a market for these skills. The income bracket that hires personal trainers is the one least affected by the current economic turmoil, and will be around long after other people have cancelled their gym memberships to save money.
Online fitness courses, whether pitched at personal trainer level or just for the casual enthusiast, are often free or very low cost, and can be a fun, active way to boost your own fitness and give you a set of skills that will always be in demand.
How Being a Personal Trainer Works
There are three main ways to practice as a personal trainer:
1) Employed by a gym
Some more expensive gyms keep a staff of personal trainers, whom they hire out to members on an hourly basis. You will normally receive a flat salary, with certain bonuses or a commission structure, depending on the gym. This is the most reliable way to make money as a personal instructor, but you usually need to have some experience before a gym will consider hiring you.
2) Freelance, gym-based
While many gyms do not employ their own personal trainers, they often allow private instructors to “rent” gym floor space to solicit their own customers. You pay the gym a flat rate, and hang around at the gym trying to sell your services to people. Often you will get contact details of new members, with the opportunity to contact them. Most trainers offer a free introductory session to new gym members, so you will spend a lot of time doing this.
This type of arrangement can often allow you to make much more money than a salaried instructor, but it comes with a lot of unreliability. You will have to be a good salesperson and be very good at networking and marketing yourself.
3) Freelance private instructor
This is the most well-paid way to be an instructor, but also the most difficult to get into. It usually requires several years of good reputation and contacts in order to get high profile clients. Your services will be expensive, but worth every penny. You will work in gyms, your clients’ homes, or out running on roads or doing aerobics in the park. You will never work in the same place two days a week, and you will have a lot of variety and flexibility in your schedule.
A highly skilled private instructor can sometimes maintain a luxurious lifestyle by only working half days, or a few days a week, if they can justify charging enough for their services.
How to Become a Fitness Instructor
There are many entries into this career path, but studying online is becoming one of the more popular. If you are already a fitness buff and you know a lot about nutrition and exercise, you’re already halfway there.
The first thing you will need to do is to get a Diploma in Advanced Personal Training, such as this one from Premier Global Training, a UK-based company. This will lead to an internationally recognized qualification, so it does not matter in which country the school you choose is based.
After your diploma, which is usually a year full time, you will do a Certificate in Gym Instruction, and then finally a Certificate in Advanced Personal Training, which is an NASM certified qualification, and allows you to work as a personal trainer in most countries.
The first level is largely theoretical, but the second two combine theory with practice, and you will usually need to complete some hours on the gym floor, demonstrating your skills to a registered invigilator.
Another option is Fitness Industry Education, which claims to offer one of the lowest priced fitness training courses on the market.
After completing the diploma and certificates, which can take between 2 to 5 years, depending on how much time you devote to your studies, you will be able to work as a personal trainer.
How Much Will I Earn?
The average wage for a personal trainer is around $20 an hour for a trainer with 2 years’ experience, but earnings can grow much higher than this for skilled trainers working on commission structures.
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