Personal training can be a fulfilling and rewarding career. That’s not to say that everyone will want to stay within the same career path as everyone else. Others will be looking to explore other jobs personal trainers can do.
These days, more and more people are beginning to understand the value of fitness and wellness. Because of this, there’s an increasing demand for personal training services. It’s estimated that the personal training career will grow by 15% over the next 10 years.
This means that there are a ton of other opportunities out there than just the traditional concept of personal training.
Generally, personal trainers are fitness professionals who work with their clients on a one-on-one basis to help them stay fit and healthy.
However, not all personal trainers are interested in providing the exact same type of service or working within the same setting.
If you think that traditional training sessions aren’t the right fit for you, but you’re passionate about promoting health and wellness, you’ll be excited to discover that there are many other jobs a personal trainer can do.
In this article, we’ll explore a number of other jobs for personal trainers so you can find the next best career path for you.
What Other Jobs Can Personal Trainers Do?
We all know that traversing the path to becoming a personal trainer is not easy. Fortunately, all your hard work pays off as you’ll have gained a variety of skill sets as a personal trainer—client management, client service, program design, marketing and sales and much more.
But what if you want to make a career change from personal trainer to something else that still leverages your experience? You simply need to seek out other jobs which require the same skill sets.
What other jobs can a personal trainer get? There are too many to list. Here are a few ideas:
Yoga Instructor
The yoga instructor job description is very similar to that of a personal trainer in the sense that you’ll be working directly with clients through various movements that require strict form. Because of this, you already have the client-related skills needed to get the job.
However, keep in mind that the yoga industry is competitive, and you will be required to undergo a 200-hour training program before you can become a certified yoga instructor. Besides this introductory course, there are a ton of other training options to pursue further yoga specialties like Bikram, Anusara, lyengar, and many more.
It may seem like a long way to go, but if you’re passionate about yoga, this is one career you may want to check out.
Martial Arts Instructor
Personal trainers are often excellent martial arts instructors and vice versa.
This is because these professions require a very similar set of skills—in-depth knowledge of body mechanics, fitness conditioning, ability to work with and communicate well with clients of all levels, and working with students one-on-one.
Similar to being a yoga instructor, you would need to take additional courses or training, and have considerable experience in the practice.
If you wish to teach other people how to properly defend themselves in awkward and dangerous situations, transitioning into being a martial arts instructor may be the right move for you!
Physical Education Teacher
Physical Education teachers help students become physically fit and active, so their goals are almost the same as those of a personal trainer.
If you’re a health and fitness advocate, leading students to a healthy lifestyle is the way to go. Being a Physical Education teacher can be incredibly fulfilling if you enjoy working with young adults.
When planning to transition into teaching Physical Education, one of the biggest things you need to consider is the amount of education you still need.
To be a physical education teacher, you typically need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree. You may also need to attain a Master’s Degree if you want to cater to certain populations such as collegiate athletics and stand out from the crowd.
Celebrity Personal Trainer
If you don’t want to work in gyms and fitness centers, but you enjoy a personal trainer’s work setup, one job that you can try is becoming a celebrity personal trainer.
A celebrity personal trainer is a fitness coach that works with famous singers, actresses, social media influencers, politicians, and other public figures to keep them fit and maintain their camera-ready figure.
There are no specific educational requirements to become a celebrity trainer, but keep in mind that this is a highly-desirable and competitive industry, so you will need to have connections who will introduce you to these high-profile clients or have an outstanding resume with a higher education and be the expert within a specific niche.
The trick here is to keep on networking. You just might get lucky and the referral of one of your clients leads to a celebrity, which turns into more celebrity client referrals and so on.
Group Fitness Trainer
If you find one-on-one personal training to be a bit tedious, you may want to try out group training instead. The good news is there are plenty of types of group fitness options that you can choose from. Here are a few ideas:
Zumba Fitness Instructor
If you love you’re a great dancer or love creating choreographies, teaching a Zumba class could be a great option for someone like you. Zumba incorporates intense cardio and upbeat dance moves into an energetic fitness class.
To become a certified Zumba instructor, you need to undergo Zumba I instructional training. If you wish to teach a different age group—kids or older adults or seniors, you’ll have to take Zumba Jump Start Kids + Kids Jr. and Jump Start Gold correspondingly.
Spinning/Stationary Cycling
If you’re into biking and dancing, you can combine your passions by being a spinning and cycling instructor. Spin class is stationary cycling mixed with beat-heavy music and energetic movements.
Be prepared for a workout as most spin instructors complete the class along with students!
Many spin studios will rent out their studio space to you or you can contract on with them to teach a set of classes each week or month.
HIIT and Aerobics
If cardio is your thing, teaching high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and aerobics to a group of clients will get your heart pumping.
Since you’ve already obtained your CPT personal training certification, you’ll only need to obtain a specialty group training instructor certification. Is it completely mandatory? No. However, remember that you’re also likely able to use it to fulfill your continuing education requirements.
Online Personal Trainer with Your Own Brand
With online personal training trending like never before, it’s now possible for personal trainers to build their own brand and cater to their clients without working in a fitness center or a gym.
However, since online personal training has become quite popular the challenging part is to market your brand to stand out and to build a name for yourself in the industry.
You’ll also need to excel at interacting with clients remotely as being an online personal trainer comes with its own set of challenges. It’s not always intuitive how to cue a client’s movement pattern without being next to them in person to assist with their positioning.
Personal Trainer Jobs on Yachts or Cruise Ships
Helping people on vacation to stay active and stick to their fitness routine is fun because the clients are generally enjoying themselves and having a good time. If you’re looking for a job at sea, you should look for personal trainer jobs on yachts or cruise ships.
The great thing about this option is you’re also able to travel while you work while meeting ever-changing or elite clientele.
Holiday Resorts
Another option to consider is personal trainer jobs at holiday resorts or hotels. With clients on vacation and enjoying their time, there’s plenty to be excited about.
Keep in mind that clients come and go, which can be a challenge since you won’t be able to create the same type of rapport as with a stable client base.
Consider Relocating or Moving Altogether
If you simply want to have a change of scenery or wish to relocate to a new residence, you should know that there are many places you can work aside from a gym.
Your options are no longer limited to traditional personal training. Wherever you go, you can find personal trainer jobs worldwide. After all, the mechanics of movement science do not change based on which country you’re in or the language you speak.
Conclusion
As you may have realized by now, traditional personal training is not the only route for you since there are plenty of available opportunities and other jobs for personal trainers.
You can even move to the other side of the world and take your fitness professional skill sets with you.
When choosing which career path to take, always take into consideration your expertise, the amount of time you’re willing to invest in this career path, the amount of additional education and training required, and, of course, your passion for it.
