Personal training is a career path that is fulfilling in many ways. Not only does it keep you fit but it helps train others in their fitness goals, hopefully leading them to a more fulfilled life that’s healthier than it was before.

However, just like any other career path, becoming a personal trainer isn’t something you can just achieve overnight. It takes a knowledge of the body’s anatomy, as well as training that’s both hands-on and textbook-based.

If you’re looking at exploring a new career path in personal training for 2023, then here are a few tips on how to get started.

The benefits of a career path in personal training

Before you get the intel on what’s needed for a career path in personal training, what are the benefits?

From a personal perspective, you’ve got the flexibility to set rates of your own, rather than having a set paycheck each month. Not only that but you can earn a significant amount of money depending on how many clients you get and how reputable you become for your work within the world of personal training.

Adding skills in nutrition can also be handy to have as a combination to offer to your clients. After all, your diet is just as important as the results you get from working out.

As a profession, being able to see clients reach their goals and defy their own expectations of the change that can be created, is a very fulfilling job to have.

Tips to explore a new career path in personal training

Now that you know the benefits you can reap when becoming a personal trainer, what should you do next to explore this new career path?

Evaluate your current skills and qualifications

What current skills and qualifications do you have? It’s important to be aware of what skills and qualifications you’ll need in order to become a personal trainer. It might be that you already possess some soft skills that are required for a career of this nature.

Chances are though, you’ll need to consider gaining some qualifications in order to offer your services on a professional level. This not only ensures you’re offering professional services but you’re a trustworthy trainer for your clients to spend money on for their own fitness journey.

Choose a regulated training provider

Training comes in many different forms and as a personal trainer, you’re going to want a mixture of textbook training and physical experiences.

That means looking for a regulated training provider who’ll give you the right tools and qualifications needed to pursue this career seriously.

For example, one that offers Active IQ industry-leading qualifications is going to be the best option in most cases. There are plenty of personal training courses online worth exploring, but do your research in detail to find the right one.

Gain practical experience

It’s a given that practical experience will be needed when it comes to personal training. For yourself, it’s important that you’re a role model to your clients, whether that’s incorporating a workout into your daily routine every day or specializing in a specific type of fitness such as bodybuilding for example.

Practical experience is needed in order to make you appealing to clients who might want to look like you or recognize that you yourself, work out. A personal trainer that doesn’t care about their own fitness, isn’t going to be a suitable choice for many.

Try to gain some practical experience in personal training, even if that means offering your services to friends, family and work colleagues to begin with. Even if you’re not fully qualified yet, it’s good to get that experience in and who knows, they may end up becoming clients themselves once you’re ready to go pro.

Work for a gym or fitness centre

Once you’re qualified, it’s a good idea to set yourself up in a gym or fitness centre. This is important because it provides you with a home base for your personal training, while also putting in a bit of money in your back pocket if you’re working for the venue itself too.

Working for a gym or fitness centre offers that bit of stability you might need when being newly qualified as a personal trainer too.

Put feelers out for private clients

To help acquire those first few private clients, you need to be willing to get out there and chat with those in your workspace and outside of the workplace too. Building a client base is going to take time but it’s well worth networking right now.

A career path as a personal trainer is one anyone can achieve with these tips in hand. Explore a career as a personal trainer for 2023!