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You want to become a personal fitness trainer during the COVID-19 pandemic? Yes, it is still possible to become a personal fitness trainer during the pandemic. It is also ideal because instead of people coming to gyms, the personal trainer came personally come to the client’s house and have a one-on-one fitness session depending on their agreement.
Here are the steps you need to follow to become a personal fitness trainer:
- Earn a high school degree. Yes, it is only proper that you would need to finish your high school degree before entering into any profession. It also gives you credibility and enough basic knowledge to any field.
- Complete AED/CPR Certification. Unexpected incidents might happen during a fitness session especially with senior citizens, so a personal trainer must complete a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automated external defibrillator) certification programs. These programs teach trainers how to recognize when a client is having a medical emergency, handle cardiac or breathing emergencies and act swiftly to help a client until professional first responders arrive. AED and CPR certifications are required by nearly every national personal training certification organization.
- Choose your specialization. Apparently, there are plenty of personal trainer specializations that you can choose from when you are to embark on this path. Here are some of the examples to name a few:-Strength and conditioning coach-Group exercise instructor-Fitness manager-Senior fitness specialist-Youth fitness specialist-Weight loss transformation specialist-Bodybuilding specialist-Corrective exercise specialist-Health coaching
- Prepare for certification. Once you have selected your specialty, it’s time to prepare for your personal trainer certification whether Certified Personal Trainer from the American Council on Exercise or National Academy of Sports Medicine. Training options include everything from exam prep courses to multi-session training classes, undergraduate degrees in exercise science to graduate degrees in kinesiology. Once you pass your certification, it’s time for the next step.
- Apply for jobs and build your portfolio. Of course, once you’re complete with all your certifications, it’s now time to apply for jobs to build your resume/portfolio. It’s good to start small and earn your experiences to eventually land a bigger job opportunity.
What Personal Trainers Should Not Do
I thought it's also essential to include this in this article so that you'd know what the limitations of being a personal trainer are. If you find one of these limitations to be something you don't find yourself NOT doing, then I guess being a personal trainer isn't for you. According to an article from the National Federation of Professional Trainers, while personal trainers often assume multiple roles with their clients that sometimes includes being a coach, their own cheerleader or confidant, there are some responsibilities that personal trainers should avoid. Note that these can be subjective topics, but, as a general rule, these recommendations are in your best interest as a certified professional:
- DO NOT Give medical advice, physical therapy advice or attempt to make a medical diagnosis.
- DO NOT Create specific meal plans and/or dietary recommendations that include portioning and/or timing of meals and/or supplementation
- DO NOT Provide body massage to clients, or any similar service that can be construed as inappropriate touch.
- DO NOT Serve as a psychological counselor to clients or become intimately involved in personal client relationships.
- DO NOT Have a romantic or inter-personal relationship with a client.
- DO NOT Push your own preferences for fitness goals on clients who do not seek out those same goals.
- DO NOT Allow your credentials, liability insurance and other trainer business standards/practices to lapse.
I hope this article has helped you with your road to becoming a personal fitness trainer. Do you have comments/suggestions? Drop them in the comments below and let's discuss it.
