Sometimes, it's easy to lose sight of why someone would want to become a personal trainer. I get that, especially if you are working in a busy gym where it seems you are being pulled in all directions. It's easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees. To help bring back your perspective, here are five forgotten reasons and benefits to becoming a personal trainer. I hope these also help those who want to become a fitness trainer.
1 Low Barrier to Entry
Personal trainers ARE members of the health care system – and very important members, too. But, unlike other healthcare workers, fitness trainers only need a high school diploma or GED to become certified.
Education of Health Care Workers
| Professional | Education Required |
| Doctor | MD, DO |
| Nurse | LPN, RN, NPR |
| Physical therapist | MS, DPT |
| Chiropractor | DC |
| Personal Trainer | HS, GED |
While I understand how some may perceive this as a negative, for the individual who wants to become a personal trainer and who is dedicated to a life of service, it means being able to get their foot in the door and make an impact on others without spending thousands of dollars on advanced training. This is good news for those who may have the deck stacked against them.
Because some fitness trainers may not make knowledge a priority, this makes it easier for educated personal trainers to rise to the top and be noticed by others. The more people who notice you, the more referrals you get and notoriety you may receive.
2 You Make The Biggest Impact
Consider the length of time the average health professional sees patients:
- Doctor: about 3-5 minutes per office visit
- Physical therapist: maybe 10 visits per year -if you're lucky
- Chiropractor: most people don't see chiropractors
- Nurse: often limited to time in the hospital/mini-clinic
In contrast, personal trainers see their clients 1-3 times a week for 30-60 minutes per session- sometimes for years. This means fitness trainers -more than ANY other member of the health care system has the potential to make the biggest positive impact on the lives of others.
This is a powerful responsibility and necessitates the fitness trainer devote him/herself to learning as much as they can after they become certified.
While some may choose to pursue advanced credentials like becoming a master trainer, or spend money on various certifications, this isn't always necessary. While some gyms may pay more to trainers who have more letters behind their names, less expensive avenues to staying educated include:
3 You Prescribe The Most Powerful Drug on Earth
Did you know personal trainers prescribe a drug? It's true. The drug is called exercise. I'm not kidding. Exercise is the most powerful medication on Earth. As proof, here are just some of the benefits of regular physical activity:
- Reduces heart disease risk (#1 killer of Americans)
- Reduces cancer risk (#2 killer of Americans)
- Reduces stroke risk (#4 killer of Americans
- Helps reverse type II diabetes
- Reduces the risk of Alzheimer‘s disease /dementia
- Improves the lives of people with HIV/AIDS
- Reduces cellular inflammation
- Raised nitric oxide levels
- Raises testosterone levels
- Improves the microbiome
- Activates healthy genes
And all these benefits occur simultaneously!
Some research even suggests as little as 15 minutes of exercise a day might lengthen human lifespan by 3 years!
As a fitness professional, you prescribe the most powerful drug in the world. It has a wide range of positive effects with very little side effects.
4 You Get To See Changes
Because you often see your clients for months – and sometimes years – you are able to witness the improvements in their activities of daily living (ADLs), health and quality of life. For me, the biggest impact comes from working with those who are on the low end of the health spectrum, such as those who have trouble getting up from the floor or from a chair or toilet seat.
Your ability to see how someone's health gets better proves to you you are making a difference in the lives of others. This is an advantage over healthcare workers who may not get to see the fruits of their labor.
5 Your Learning Never Ends
Some may think I'm crazy but I actually love the fact I never learn it all! Even after over 20 years in this business, I still don't know everything. Every day is a new opportunity to learn more so I can help more people. There's nothing better than to be able to make a difference.
Thank you for this. It really helps put into perspective the role of personal trainers and the benefits of the service being provided that go beyond exercise.
Thanks so much, Camilo, I’m so glad this helped you. See the personal trainer section of this website for lots of other information.
Joe I also want to echo what Michelle said. I loved reading this! You give me hope that what I am doing matters. I espeically want to agree with points 2 and 3. Exercise is SO powerful and yes, because we spend so much time wiht people we have a greater ability to share our knolwege with them. I didn’t know how short the average doctor visit was. Thanks for that statistic. 🙂
Stephanie, thanks so much for taking the time to write. I am SO glad I was able to give you hope. You ARE making a difference.
Thank you. Loved reading this.
Thanks, Michelle, I’m glad. I love the look of your website too 🙂