5 key skills you need to be a fitness instructor

Written by Lizzie Learn On 27th Mar 2022

ach job and career demand different traits for the right candidate. Not everyone is cut out for all jobs, each individual has different qualities that deem them ideal for a particular job. The same is true for the job of a fitness instructor.

There are certain traits that an ideal candidate must possess to become a successful fitness instructor. In this article, you will learn about all the qualities that are ideal for a fitness instructor and then learn about the five most important ones.

Qualities that a fitness instructor should possess?

To be a good Fitness Instructor you need to do a self-evaluation of your interests, qualities and skills.

There are many more qualities that different people may look for in a fitness instructor, but those listed above are the most important.

5 key skills that a Fitness Instructor must possess

Now that we have listed the most important qualities of a fitness instructor, we can look at the five most important skills that a person must possess to become a successful fitness instructor and teacher who can motivate their clients to greater health and fitness levels.

Passionate about fitness and health

To be a great fitness instructor, one of the most important traits that you need to possess is a passion for your job. If you are not interested in physical exercise yourself, you will never be able to motivate your clients to be physically active and fit. So, to be a physical fitness trainer, you have to be very fit and healthy yourself.

Your clients would likely follow by example and you have to set the example for them to follow. If you are not completely into exercising, fitness and health, then do not become a fitness trainer. No one is going to believe in you or your skills if you are not a living, breathing example of what can be achieved through physical training and a healthy diet.

Knowledge and Experience

You do not necessarily need diplomas, degrees or certificates to become a fitness instructor, though they do come in handy when you first start out. What matters more than these academic qualifications is your knowledge and experience as a fitness instructor. Your knowledge of fitness routines, workouts, diet and nutrition is what will help you stand out as a great fitness instructor. So continue to enhance your knowledge of the field and keep up with the changes that happen regularly in the fitness field.

When you know your job and have experience on the job, you will instinctively know how to handle a client and what they require for optimal benefit. You will be able to deal with all sorts of clients and fitness demands that may be thrown your way. This is what your reputation will be based upon.

Extrovert and engaging personality

One half of an independent fitness instructor's job is to market their service. Unless you can market yourself effectively, it will be hard for you to find clients to sustain yourself in a highly competitive field. You need to have a friendly and outgoing personality to be able to engage your clients and to sell yourself. If you are affable, your existing clients are more likely to sign up with you again and also give you recommendations.

Along with being affable comes a big responsibility of being discreet. Do not gossip about your clients with others no matter how tempting it may be. You could lose your reputation and your clients if you choose to talk about their personal affairs with others.

Cautious and careful about client's health and safety

It may be essential to push a client so that they can meet their fitness goals. Some people need to be cajoled and motivated into sticking to their routine. However, you need to know the limits of your clients and learn when to pull back and stop applying the pressure. Too much pressure could lead to injuries and health issues.

A good instructor should know when a client has reached their limit and give them a break before pushing on again. The health and safety of the client is your responsibility. It will hurt your reputation to have client injuries due to your shortcoming.

Creative and motivated

A fitness instructor has to be creative to be able to devise new exercise routines for their clients. People get bored of doing the same routines over and again. To keep up the motivation, you need to be able to provide a variety of routines and avoid boredom. New routines also help to work out different parts of the body and you need to change them from time to time.

Creativity comes in handy when you are providing a service at your client's location. You may not have all the equipment you need and may need to improvise with what is available. If you are creative and have plenty of ideas, then you will never be short of equipment to exercise with.

Keeping up the level of motivation is another tough job that all fitness trainers have to deal with. You need to be motivated to motivate your clients. Do not let there be a gap in communication with your client. Sometimes there may be a disconnection, you need to recognise the symptoms and overcome them with empathy and understanding.

Your clients are your bread and butter and you need to have a great friendly and mutually respectful relationship with them in order to retain their business. So do evaluate yourself and see if you are fit for the job before embarking on the career path of a fitness instructor. 

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