Your skills working with people and your passion for athletics may make you a great candidate to become a personal fitness trainer. Before you go down that road, however, it is important for you to do a bit of research as to what life as a trainer will be like. If possible, visit a professional fitness trainer at a local gym or fitness center to talk to him or her about the day to day life of a trainer and what steps were needed to get properly certified and prepared to become a personal fitness trainer.
Once you have decided that this is the right path for you, it will be important to research the different methods by which you can become a personal fitness trainer. Many trainers get an advanced degree in a field such as kinesthetics, athletic training, or even some medical fields. This may not be necessary for certification as a trainer, but it will almost certainly enhance your chances of getting a good job with a gym, fitness center, or other establishment looking to hire a professional trainer. Once you complete your education, you will need to take some certification exams that will probably need to be renewed periodically.
You may be able to become a personal fitness trainer by enrolling in a course specifically designed to train you in this field. Be sure to do a fair amount of research to find a reputable institution with good reviews from past participants. Ask trainers at the local gym or fitness center for recommendations on training programs to get you started in the field if you are unsure of which program to choose. Be sure to consider your budget for attending such a program, as the costs can vary from program to program. Another way to get trained for this job is to take a job at a gym or fitness center and work with current trainers who can share their experience and techniques with you. You will still need to become certified, but shadowing a trainer can help you decide if this is the right career for you.
You may choose to start your own business after you become a personal fitness trainer; if this is the case, you may want to consider taking some business courses at the local community college to prepare you for the business end of fitness training. You may be passionate about fitness, but running a fitness business requires a different skill set altogether; being prepared for the business end will ensure your investment of time and money does not go to waste.
