If your health is important to you and you enjoy exercising to stay in good physical shape, then being a personal trainer may be a good career path for you. Along with allowing you to work out and be paid for it, you can also teach others about getting and staying in shape. Here are some of the qualifications that you need to become a personal trainer.
Basic Qualifications
The qualifications for taking personal trainer courses can vary depending where you’re taking the courses. Most institutions require students to be at least 15 years of age and no longer attending secondary school, whether you’ve left or graduated. You also must be an Australian resident and a resident of the state or territory where you’re taking your training.
Become Certified
Even though you may be well versed in fitness and nutrition because you’ve been training for years, you need to be certified to work as a physical fitness trainer. There are several schools and organisations through which you can study to become certified. Some of the certifications available include:
- Certificate III Gym Instructor
- Certificate IV Personal Trainer
- Diploma in Sports and Recreation Management
Having a Certificate III may allow you to teach as a gym instructor, a fitness instructor, or a group fitness instructor in a gym setting. If you want to be a personal trainer, then you need to have both the Certificate III and Certificate IV for personal trainers.
Most institutions offer additional classes to gain further information or to specialise in an area of fitness training. You can take classes on nutrition, how to perform assessments of clients, and corrective training, among others. Classes can be taken on campus or you may be able take them online when it’s convenient for your schedule.
Certificate Recognition
Although it isn’t a staunch requirement, you should get your certificates at institutions that are recognised by the two fitness associations in the country: Fitness Australia and Physical Activity Australia. These organisations help set the standards for personal trainers throughout the country and they can lend some credibility to your education when you’re trying to find a job and find clients.
Get Some Experience
After you’ve taken the courses and have your certificate, you should look for a job within the industry. A gym can be a good place to start, especially if they allow you to bring in outside clients. Many gyms have trainers who they pay to be on site to train their clientele but others allow outside trainers to bring in clients to exercise with.
Being a personal trainer can be a rewarding career as you can help people improve their health and reshape their bodies so that they are happier and gain more confidence in themselves.
