Personal Trainer Career / Job Prospects
What Personal Trainers do:
Fancy a career where you get to work out regularly and encourage others to lead a healthy lifestyle? A personal trainer is a fitness professional who coaches and motivates individuals one-on-one to perform physical fitness exercises including cardiovascular, aerobics, strength training and pilates.
Personal trainers can work from a variety of locations including health & leisure clubs, hospitals, nursing homes, yoga studios, holiday resorts, and from clients homes. They may also teach individuals about other areas of health besides exercise, including nutrition and general wellness.
The main duties of a Personal Trainer include:
- Working with clients on a one-to-one basis
- Assessing individuals health and lifestyle needs
- Detailing personal training plans and setting goals for clients
- Motivating and assisting individuals to achieve their goals
- Working with healthy clients, and the elderly and obese who have medical permission to exercise
- Promoting lasting healthy behavior change
- Training individuals with cardiovascular, orthopedic and other chronic conditions
Education & Qualifications:
Although certification is not necessary, it is encouraged by most employers. Certification is offered by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) among others. Eligibility to take the ACSM and NSCA certification exams require candidates to be 18 years of age or older, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and be American Heart Association or American Red Cross certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED).
Salary & Job Prospects:
Personal Trainers can expect to earn salaries between $19,000 and $60,000 per year. Successful self-employed personal trainers can earn much more. An in-depth understanding of anatomy, biomechanical concepts, exercise physiology, training adaptations and program design guidelines is required to become a first-rate personal trainer. Employment prospects are excellent as jobs for personal trainers are expected to increase due to continued growth in fitness facilities and health clubs.
Below is a list of some of the various types of allied health careers / professions: