It’s a crazy time in the fitness industry. I wouldn’t say I have a full handle on the pulse of the industry but I know this much – many personal trainers are struggling to pay bills. This is likely the case outside of lockdown for some Personal Trainers but the outlook is even harder at the moment. Many of the personal trainers and those getting into the field thought it was an easy win, get paid to essentially play and tidy up the weights when needed. I wasn’t thinking the road would be easy, I’d look at the personal trainers in my local gym and see just how hard they worked to build a client base and I saw how hard they were striving.
The levels of customer service clients expect should expectedly be high but if you’re the kind of personal trainer to mock gym attendees unbeknownst to them (to your current client) then you should expect to have very few clients. Because the industry is rightly or wrongly focused more on aesthetic looks and less so upon genuine good health many gyms have seen a mass migration to home fitness even after the gym’s reopened the first time. The gym’s opened but footfall numbers disastrously fell, what does one do?
So what’s the solution? Empathy for clients and customers together with firm knowledge, astuteness in the field, flexibility and good customer service. These are vital aspects of any business; to know the audience and be best placed to help them achieve their goals in a way unique to you. With any business, one needs to portray an image that customers or clients can relate to and having a firm grounding in the knowledge that you can take action upon to generate results is a must.
Moving away from an industry that cares more about looks is a must. Working towards building an industry committed to changing lives for the better through exercise and nutrition, coaching and advice are essential in order for this fitness industry to outgrow the negative images associated with it up till now. This should be a communal mission; its the right of men and women to want to look amazing in all the ways this can be attained but it’s the job of the Personal Trainer to give sincere advice on body image, health and fitness, so the industry is looked at with respect.
These are hard times in so many ways. But when we get out off this period will you as a PT go back to your old ways, selling dreams or helping clients positively change their realities?
I hope this post gave you one or two things to think about. Personal Training, fitness and health are not aspects of life to be looked down upon. When we see amazing transformations in our gyms and/or online we should be inspired and stay committed to helping clients live longer and move better which is part to do with a good PT.
If you benefited from this post share it, like it, comment and tell someone about it. My name is Hanif a Level 2 Instructor and Level 3 Nutritional Adviser helping Men lose weight and feel great. Contact me [Here] with any recommendations.
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