Becoming a leading personal trainer takes time, self-development, motivation, and critically, the right PT qualifications. What happens after qualifying, in terms of building a client base, making a decent living, or even building a fitness empire (if that’s the ultimate goal) is entirely in the hands of each individual trainer.
There’s no immediate blueprint for success but one of the ways PTs can make sure they’re staying ahead of the curve and being that ‘go-to’ trainer, either online or on the gym floor, is with continued professional development (CPD).
Let’s take a look at a few popular course options:
Pre and Postnatal Professional Development
You don’t have to go that far back to a time when pregnant women were advised to put their feet up and take things easy. No one’s going to argue that rest is highly important for mother and baby and prolonged over-excretion should be avoided, but nowadays, pregnant women are encouraged to remain as active as possible, for as long as they possibly can.
This is where a pre and postnatal course comes in and it provides the first great opportunity for personal trainers to expand their client base on our list. PTs can expand their horizons by learning about nutrition and pregnancy; exercise guides for pre and postnatal clients; childbirth and much more. At the end of this course, PTs will be able to confidently and effectively work with pre and postnatal women, just as they would any other client.
Sports Massage Professional Development
Getting sports massage qualified provides the perfect opportunity to provide an end-to-end service for clients. Not only can PTs help clients strengthen, tone, and increase fitness on the gym floor, but for those inevitable aches and pains that creep in (whether it’s from training or just spending too much time in an office chair), massage is great for getting people back on their feet.
Just like with PPN, sports massage also lets you cast a wider net when it comes to the clients you can work with. As well as those you see day to day in the gym, athletes and sports teams are always on the lookout for qualified massage therapists. Plus, the door gets opened to marathons, triathlons, and mass-participation events like Tough Mudder.
If massage seems like a good CPD fit for you, then check out these choice sports massage courses.
Exercise for Disabled Clients Professional Development
We can all agree that exercise should be as inclusive as possible, yet recent reports reveal that only 18% of disabled adults engage in physical activity for more than 30 minutes a week (this is compared to 38% of non-disabled adults). With this course, personal trainers can truly make a difference and provide an incredibly valuable service for those that need it. You’ll come to learn and understand a range of disabilities and impairments including spinal injuries, learning difficulties, amputation, cerebral palsy, hearing and visual impairments and amputation.
Using this knowledge, you’ll be able to safely programme and supervise exercise programmes for disabled clients and in the process make yourself incredibly in demand.
If you’re a personal trainer looking to develop your skillset and widen your client base, get in touch to learn more about HFE’s industry-leading range of personal trainer courses and CPD opportunities.
Written by Josh Douglas-Walton, marathon runner, fitness writer and red bush tea drinker.
