With the increased focus on health and wellness amongst the general public, a career as a personal trainer in BC is becoming more and more popular. However, many people are confused about how to become a personal trainer in the first place.
Reasons to Become a Personal Trainer
If you enjoy health and fitness, like impacting people on a daily basis, and like an entrepreneurial job with flexible work hours, then personal training may be the right career path for you.
Every day on the job, you’re helping people reach their health and fitness goals. Whether they’re athletes training for peak performance or the average Jane/Joe trying to lose weight, you can help them achieve their goals. More often than not, the people you work with become more like friends than clients.
You also get to meet some pretty interesting people in this industry. The clients you train will come from all walks of life with interesting stories and experiences they can pass on to you. Who knows, you might even get a great piece of marketing advice to take your business to the next level from the retired executive you train first thing Monday mornings!
Another key reason to become a personal trainer is flexible work hours. With the ability to choose your own work hours instead of punching the clock, you’ll never miss another family event or your kid’s sports game.
That said, with great power comes great responsibility. This job is definitely for those with a little bit of self-motivation and an entrepreneurial streak. With nobody looking over your shoulder, it’s up to you to set your own schedule and make things happen. It’s not for everyone but if you can do it, your earning potential is practically limitless.
How to Become a Personal Trainer
Not everyone can become a personal trainer. Just because you’re a fit and athletic does not mean you’re qualified to train people. There’s a lot of specialized knowledge involved. Why? Many of the exercises can be dangerous if performed improperly. Without a comprehensive knowledge of the human body, you won’t be a very good personal trainer.
In BC, the first step to becoming a personal trainer is to get BCRPA Certified as a Fitness Leader. This involves taking the Fitness Theory course and passing the Fitness Theory exam. After that, you’ll need to take a specialization in Weight Training.
After that, if you choose to pursue a credential in Personal Training, you’ll need to take more specialized programs and another Personal Training exam to update your registration.
That’s the general overview of how to get registered but if you have any additional questions about this process, industry, or career – don’t hesitate to reach out and ask.