As I used to say when I first started out working in a gym ‘This is great you get paid to talk to people!’ and we all love to talk don’t we…

‘Fun’

‘Great for own motivation & fitness. So much better than an office job!’

‘Inspiring…seeing clients overcoming health/other obstacles’

‘Rewarding ….helping clients meet goals & also exceeding their own expectations’

‘Less rewarding….financially’

‘Can be difficult on working hours eg effectively might have to work split shifts or work when others aren’t eg evenings & weekends’

‘Every day is different’

‘Good planning and being multi skilled pt and group exercise will give you longevity and better financial rewards’

‘Hugely Satisfying to see people make changes’

Above are some quotes and what some instructors feel about working in the fitness industry…

Do any of these ring true to you?

Maybe you are not in the industry yet but thinking of it?

It is on the whole a great industry to work in lot’s of fun, can be tiring, early starts late finishes, funny moments of life working with the general public, more confrontational roles because of the general public. (Depending on your job of course)

Some would argue that the pay isn’t great and compared to other industries it probably isn’t but then why do we do it………?

The buzz, the energy, the pleasure of seeing people reach their goals, the self satisfaction of being active and helping others be too. To be honest I know a lot of people that have been in the fitness industry a long time and self employed and still managed to support themselves financially so if you work hard, put the effort in, find your niche, get known for what you do it can work…

It’s a great industry if you want flexibility with home life/childcare you can get to a stage where you can schedule your clients classes around where you need them to be. Don’t get me wrong that may not happen straight away but it can definitely be an achievable goal with your work schedule.

The key thing to being a success in the industry I think is to become reliable, consistent and get good at what you do or what you want to be known for. Learn your trade right from doing gym floor hours or shadowing your favourite group exercise teacher.

Let me know your thoughts…

Claire Baker –