If you love exercise, helping others reach their fitness goals, and enjoying competition then becoming a fitness trainer could be the ideal career path for you.
Fitness trainers create and implement personalized exercise plans for clients. They can work one-on-one or in group settings like boot camps.
They Help You Set Goals
No matter your fitness level or experience level, working out can be challenging at times. A trainer can help guide your fitness program while setting attainable goals and keeping you motivated throughout.
Trainers should set goals that can be measured to keep track of progress – this might include weight loss, bicep curl reps or how your clothing fits.
Trainers can help keep you motivated by connecting you with competitive fitness events like races or Tough Mudder challenges that will keep the process interesting and fun. Trainers also introduce clients to new workouts and equipment they may try, such as high-intensity interval training or different strength training methods like supersets and pyramid training; this helps prevent your body from becoming too used to a certain type of exercise and leading to injuries in the process.
They Keep You Motivated
Fitness trainers can keep clients motivated through encouragement and feedback, as well as designing workouts that are fun yet challenging enough to justify the investment of both time and energy by their clients.
Motivation to exercise may come in the form of extrinsic rewards (such as running a marathon or appearing on the front of a Wheaties box) or intrinsic (such as feeling proud of their skills and achievements, such as climbing stairs without getting winded, or having more energy to spend with their children). A trainer can assist clients by setting short term goals that are both obtainable and gratifying.
They can also assist in discovering innovative methods of making working out more engaging and enjoyable, from using different equipment or saving their favorite exercise until last to varying the timing of every rep.
They Help You Keep Track of Your Progress
Beginning a fitness journey can be intimidating, but personal trainers are there to provide support and keep clients on the right track. Trainers do this in various ways – taking initial body measurements and conducting assessments are among them.
These measurements and assessments can then be entered into exercise progress graphs that both client and trainer can easily track. This can serve as an invaluable way to keep clients on track, show that their hard work is paying off, and show clients that their dedication hasn’t gone to waste.
Visually seeing one’s progress–whether through changes to body measurements or scale weight differences–stimulated the brain, releasing dopamine and keeping one accountable, while showing real progress toward one’s goals that they hadn’t anticipated before.
They Help You Learn New Exercises
Fitness trainers assist their clients with learning new exercises to increase strength and endurance. Additionally, they teach clients safe techniques for each exercise so that they can complete them effectively without risk of injury.
Training programs for fitness trainers often include internships or practicum courses that enable students to gain experience working with real clients before graduating and finding jobs as personal or group fitness instructors.
Fitness trainers possess an expansive knowledge of different workout routines and equipment. As such, they are able to suggest new ways of challenging their clients’ bodies, which prevent boredom while simultaneously working toward reaching their goals. Furthermore, fitness trainers may offer guidance regarding nutrition or lifestyle changes that will further their health and wellness initiatives.
They Can Help You Avoid Injury
Fitness trainers can help prevent long-term injury by teaching proper stretching techniques and selecting exercises tailored specifically to you and your specific needs. Furthermore, fitness instructors offer advice for managing stress levels and sleeping better – both factors which could negatively affect workout results.
Experienced trainers know how to read nonverbal cues and can identify signs of pain before they escalate. They won’t encourage you to work through pain and can tailor the intensity of your workout sessions accordingly.
Many fitness trainers are certified by respected exercise institutions such as the American Council on Exercise (ACE) or National Academy of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and may even collaborate with physical therapists and chiropractors.
