- Cruise Ships. Many cruises now offer personal training for guests. Cruise Ship Job Finders allows you to search a variety of cruise lines for different jobs.
- Spas/Resorts. All-inclusive resorts sometimes hire personal trainers or fitness instructors to teach exercise classes. Cool Works, ResortJobs.com and Spas at About.com are websites that provide job listings for parks, resorts, and spas.
- Corporate Fitness. One of the fastest-growing areas of fitness and health is in the corporate sector. There are many companies across the U.S. that offer corporate wellness packages for companies wishing to improve their employees' health. See Corporate Wellness for information on jobs and other industry information.
Independent Contractors
Most personal trainers work for a club as an employee or work as an independent contractor for themselves or in association with health clubs. If you're just starting out, you might want to become an employee of a club such as 24 Hour Fitness. This will allow you to gain experience while not having to worry about running your own business, which can be complicated. Some clubs offer in-house training for either certified fitness trainers or people in the process of getting certified. To find out if this is an option, call the local health clubs in your area and speak to the hiring manager about personal training opportunities and the application process.
If you decide to go out on your own, you'll have to create your company as a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. The legal requirements for setting up your business differ from state to state, so make sure you find out about your state's laws beforehand. You will also need liability insurance which will cost from $200 to $500 a year. You'll need insurance whether you train people in their homes or in a health club. If you're an employee of a club, they will typically provide insurance for you.
Many independent contractors opt to train clients in more than one health club. In this case, you will have an agreement with each club that allows you to train members at their facility. This agreement will include a flat fee per month or year to use their facility, or a portion of what you receive from each session. You will decide what to charge your client, which should be based on what other trainers in your area charge for their sessions. To find out what other trainer's charge, find a listing for personal trainers in your local yellow pages and call them. Ask them what they charge for personal training sessions and what packages they offer. Your prices should be competitive with other local trainers and will be anywhere from $25 to $70+ depending on where you live.
As you can see, there are many opportunities for personal trainers in the fitness industry. As our nation becomes more sedentary with technological advances (like computers!), the need for personal trainers and other fitness professionals grows. Fitness is a big business these days! Not only is it rewarding to help people reach their goals and become healthier, it is an opportunity for success. Do you have what it takes? Take the quiz to find out!
