Being a personal trainer is an important job. People who don’t know where to begin their fitness journeys flock to you for advice and guidance about what steps they can take for their personal growth. What you have to say can add value to their lives or harm them in the process.
That is why not everyone can be personal trainers because not everyone knows the healthy way to lose weight or remain fit and active. Some people claim to be knowledgeable about the topic but can only provide others with surface-level information that can easily be taken from the internet.
To become a personal trainer means that you understand all the intricacies of fitness and how it’s not a one-size-fits-all process that can apply to everyone. If you really want to excel in this field, you have to be willing to adapt to any situation and create specialized training for your students—even if doing so means becoming a student yourself.
All the best teachers were once students themselves, and some continue to be one in the pursuit of lifelong learning. The world is always changing; every day, there are new things to be learned, and it’s up to you if you want to pursue them.
Be an Exercise Professional
As mentioned earlier, not everyone can be personal trainers. But that statement is much deeper in the sense that one would have to be a licensed or registered practitioner before they can provide service that can help others in need.
Before you can apply to become an instructor or personal trainer in fitness centers, you must be registered as an exercise professional to get insurance and work in the industry. Doing so can establish your credibility as a professional rather than just a fitness enthusiast.
Even if you’re going to open a business where you offer your personal services to your clients, you will still need the registration to operate legally. Of course, this will differ from the previous registration because instead of being an exercise professional, you will be considered a sole trader.
Nonetheless, registering to become an exercise professional in the fitness industry will grant you a national recognition of your qualifications, online presence that can establish your credibility, and access to cutting-edge education to further your career.
Being registered under the Australian Register of Exercise Professionals like Fitness Australia can show your potential clients that your services are at par with other experts in the field. You can also assure them that you follow the industry guidelines and standards set by the governing body.
Keep Your License to Train
After you have registered as an exercise professional, you are now free to offer your services to the public without fear of operating illegally. One of the best ways to make your mark in the industry is by joining an established fitness center before you go and open your own business.
It can be easy to build a customer base that you can offer your personal trainer services to, especially if you have the skills to match your charisma. However, you should know that the registration is not a one-time process but one that has to be renewed every two years.
To maintain your Fitness Australia registration, you will need to complete a minimum of 20 continuing education credits (CECs) every two years. You can get CECs from taking accredited courses, attending workshops and seminars, or self-directed learning, among others.
This requirement makes sure that every registered exercise professional is committed to providing service to the community that is up to the industry’s standards and regulations. Partaking in such programs can also help further your career through ongoing professional development.
The Importance of Continuing Education
In your time as a personal trainer and exercise professional, you will encounter many students that require you to have different training methods. You will also see how one person differs from another in terms of their body’s needs and functions.
No two people are the same, and that’s why what works for one person may not work for the other. This is why it’s essential for you to continuously educate yourself about the intricacies of the industry and how you can adapt your skills to accommodate the needs of your clients.
You can’t develop one training module and hope that it can work for all your clients in the way it does for you because that isn’t how this works. To become successful in your field, you must never stop honing your skills, discovering better methods, and exerting the effort to put yourself in other’s shoes.