What Does A Personal Trainer Do?

Each year, the gym and fitness industry generates $2.2 billion for the Australian economy. This creates career opportunities for individuals who have a passion for helping others become physically fit. Before you dive into this field, it’s important to understand what a personal trainer does and if the role is right for you.

What Does A Personal Trainer Do?

Personal trainers play a critical role in helping people reach their fitness and health goals. These goals range from weight loss, toning, improved mobility, injury or illness recovery, or training for a special event like running a marathon. Fitness professionals and trainers are responsible for supporting and guiding their clients through their fitness journey.

Some examples of what a personal trainer does include:

Assessments

Personal trainers assess and record their client's body strengths and overall fitness. This can be done by taking measurements and documenting their weight, body composition, current fitness levels, and special health accommodations (like a physical disability or health condition). This information also serves as a benchmark to check progress over time and will reassess their client periodically.

Customised Fitness Plans

Personal trainers use the information they gathered during their assessment to create customised workout plans designed to fit the individual needs and goals of their clients.

Support & Motivation

Keeping up with a fitness lifestyle can be difficult for some people. A personal trainer is responsible for ensuring their clients stay motivated and working towards their goals by providing accountability and mental or emotional support.

Safety

Personal trainers ensure that their clients are properly trained on how to perform exercises and use equipment safely to avoid injury. If needed, the trainer will recommend modifications or alternatives. They also help provide guidelines on proper stretching, warm-ups and cool-downs, and gym hygiene.

Nutrition Advice

Nutrition can have a major impact on maximising the effectiveness of a fitness routine. Trainers may provide guidance on proper nutrition including caloric intake, water consumption and dietary supplements (protein powders, vitamins etc).

Performance Tracking

Personal trainers will also track their client's performance over time and make adjustments to fitness plans as needed.

Mitigating The Risks Of Being A Personal Trainer

Having a career as a personal trainer can be extremely rewarding as you watch your clients reach their fitness goals. However, there are some risks and mistakes that can happen. Any actions that cause injury to your client (either intentional or unintentional) can result in a lawsuit. You can also be held responsible for any advice that you give your client as their personal trainer. Be sure to visit upcover's instant quote generator to get an estimate on market-leading insurance for personal trainers in seconds, including public liability insurance and professional indemnity insurance for personal trainers.