Skills are just as important as qualifications when it comes to becoming a fitness instructor or personal trainer – at least one that’s successful, in demand, and looked up to by clients and students.
After all, fitness instructors are teachers and role models, so it goes without saying that being a fitness instructor requires a specific, yet diverse, skillset centered around working with and for others.
Having these skills will increase popularity and, as a result, how many clients or students a fitness instructor has. Fitness instructors in today’s world can even earn celebrity status due to their popularity!
If becoming a fitness instructor or personal trainer is your dream career, here are 10 skills every fitness instructor should have in 2022. If you can check all of these off, rest assured that you’re heading for success!
1. Sociability
This might be a given, but it’s worth hammering home. Fitness instructors need to have good social skills and communication skills, simply because the job revolves around working with clients and students.
Fitness instructors have to be outgoing and friendly – both in person and online. That includes relating with people of all ages and backgrounds, and accepting all that seek your help or attend your classes.
2. The Ability To Motivate And Inspire
Of course, fitness instructors need to be able to motivate and inspire – not just individual clients, but entire group classes.
This comes naturally to some people, yet for those who are shy or find it difficult to stay motivated themselves, it’s a skill that has to be worked on.
Still, if you’re passionate about fitness and helping others, motivating and inspiring others should come instinctively.
3. The Ability To Energize A Room
Fitness instructors who teach group fitness classes, in particular, need to have the ability to energize an entire room. And if you’ve attended or watched a spin class, you’ll know what we mean.
If you plan on becoming a fitness instructor, you’ll need to be able to bring the energy every single day – even on days when you’re not on your A-game.
4. Social Media Savviness
Most fitness instructors are on social media, simply so that they can engage their clients and market their brand, whether that’s a company they work for or a self-run group fitness class.
As a result, social media skills are needed in 2022, but not just the ability to use it, but use it effectively for marketing, audience engagement, and reputation management.
Of course, the better your reach, the more prospective clients you can earn.
5. Empathy
As touched on above, fitness instructors should be accepting of all clients and students that want help or attend the classes.
Fitness instructors need to be empathetic and understanding of all fitness levels and goals, with a natural desire to help.
This also includes making your fitness studio a welcoming space where students and members feel comfortable, safe, and happy.
6. The Ability To Assess Clients
For personal trainers especially, the ability to assess clients is important. This includes assessing their current fitness level and capabilities, as well as what is required for them to achieve their goals.
No two clients are the same, so personal trainers need to know what’s best for different individuals.
This can also apply to fitness instructors who teach group classes. To ensure each student is successful, it’s important to assess each one and guide them where needed.
7. Extensive Fitness And Nutrition Knowledge
This might also be obvious, but fitness instructors should have extensive knowledge about fitness and nutrition, in general.
This includes understanding different exercise routines and styles, as well as the best nutrition plans to suit different individuals.
You might be an expert in one field, but the best fitness instructors are versatile with good, all-around knowledge about physiology, different training styles, and exercise routines.
8. The Ability To Assess Injuries
In the event that a student or client suffers an injury, fitness instructors and personal trainers need to know not just how to deal with that injury there and then, but how to help the individual recover over a necessary time frame.
Due to this, a good—or at least basic—knowledge of physiotherapy is simply part of the job.
9. Timekeeping And Organization
Fitness instructors often have to manage multiple classes a day, up to five or six days a week. The same applies to personal trainers who have to fairly manage different clients and appointment schedules.
This makes good timekeeping and organization another important skill to have – no matter whether you want to become a fitness instructor or personal trainer.
10. Always Willing To Learn More
Last but not least, fitness instructors should always be ready to willingly learn more, which includes learning from other fitness instructors as well as learning from students themselves.
Like any career, there’s always more to learn. And by keeping an open mind, you can ensure that you’ll continuously grow as a fitness instructor who’s offering nothing but the best for your clients and students.
Final Word
If you checked off all the above skills, there’s a good chance that you are, or will become, a successful fitness instructor!
It’s a career that’s harder than it looks—it has to be said—but with the right skillset and the right amount of passion, it’s a role that can be highly rewarding – especially if you see helping others as your main calling. Visit all our articles at RateYourBurn.
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