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Why people hire a personal trainer
August 10, 2023
As a professional, you’ll already understand the benefits of a personal trainer from your own perspective. But what about people who are hiring a personal trainer, who might not have your level of fitness or motivation: why would they come to you? Understanding their desires and priorities is a vital part of growing your business and maximising your client base.
This blog highlights some of the most common reasons why clients want to hire personal trainers like you. They range from human motivation through fitness goals to help with their wider lives. But what they have in common is that all of them can help you understand your clients, deliver better and more focused training, and give your marketing and communications vital context and perspective.
Help getting started with exercise
Perhaps the biggest challenge with exercise is getting started. Getting the motivation to work otherwise underused muscles, get over the aches and pains that follow the first session, and feel driven enough to persevere can be immensely difficult. There’s also the fact that gyms can be intimidating places for newcomers, who also might not be convinced that they can get value from a personal trainer.
However, marketing yourself as a PT that focuses on those starting out with regular exercise can help them feel at ease, and give them the accommodating support they want without the pressure. It can also help you differentiate your offering in a highly
Improving results
Taking fitness and performance to the next level is probably the most obvious benefit of using a personal trainer, but it’s no less important for it. A good personal trainer will understand what a client wants to achieve, and be able to translate that into an exercise regime that can help them get there. In many cases, a PT can help a client get results far above and beyond what they’d be able to achieve on their own.
Changing old, boring routines
As the saying goes: “familiarity breeds contempt”. If anyone does the same exercises and routine over and over again, then they’re eventually going to get bored. And this is one of the most common ways that people drop out of a regular exercise regime.
If a client doesn’t feel able or willing to shake up their exercise regime, this is where you as a personal trainer are well-placed to help. You can introduce them to new exercises and sessions, and help reinvigorate their enthusiasm for fitness and training.
Kick-starting progress
Anyone who has worked hard on their fitness will know that improvement isn’t regular and constant. There will be times that you make major gains, and there will be times when you plateau, especially if your body gets used to the same exercise routine over a sustained period of time.
A personal trainer is the ideal person to help someone give their fitness progression a vital jump-start. You can introduce new techniques and exercises to change their focus, and give their bodies something different to deal with. This should help your clients find improvements once again.
Avoiding using excuses
You might be a driven, self-motivated person who loves getting out of bed for an early-morning 5k, but this (sadly!) doesn’t apply to the general public. It’s easy to look for excuses not to go to the gym, get on the bike or even go for a walk. This is why many people come to a personal trainer simply so somebody gives them a friendly kick up the backside.
If someone has booked and paid for a personal training session in advance, then they’ll have the drive to make use of it – after all, they won’t want to waste their money and your time.
Nutritional support
Eating healthily is perhaps harder than it’s ever been before, for a number of different reasons. Firstly, unhealthy food tends to be cheaper and more readily available. Secondly, putting together healthy meals tends to take time, which busy working people tend to struggle to find. And thirdly, many people find it difficult to remain diligent and motivated enough to stick to a diet or nutritional regime.
This is where a personal trainer can be instrumental in changing client attitudes, not only through creating detailed nutrition plans. A good PT will also stay in contact with their client out of hours and give them the motivation to stay on the right track with what they eat and drink.
Maximising exercise time
Many people have fitness goals they want to achieve, but struggle to find the time to put in all the training they need. This is especially the case with people that work full-time and have family commitments in the evenings and weekends.
Now, it probably isn’t realistic to expect a personal trainer to possess a time machine – but what you can do is help clients make the most of the time they do have. You can work to devise session plans that are intensive, clearly focused and make use of every minute available to the client. This can help them do more with less, and also makes them feel that they’re getting maximum value for money.
Recovery from injury
If someone has suffered an accident or injury – whether caused by sport and exercise or not – they may well need professional help to recover. This could be something as simple as being able to walk or jog again, right up to helping elite and high-level athletes return to their previous level of performance.
Either way, this isn’t something that people are generally able to manage on their own. This is where a personal trainer can devise specific recovery plans that gradually help clients build up their strength and performance, without risking a relapse by taking things too quickly.
Personalised exercise routines
Every client is different, and what works for some people won’t necessarily work for others. This could come down to their physical attributes, their mental approach, or even just their personal desires and preferences.
It’s the personal trainers that go the extra mile to create session plans that are tailored to individual clients that are best placed for success. If clients feel that they’re getting a personal approach, then they’ll be far more likely to stick with you in the long-term and recommend you to others.
Cutting out bad habits
While some people prefer to do their own thing when exercising, this isn’t always a good thing. Without any direction, it’s easy to fall into certain habits that can be counter-productive: for example, they could put too much emphasis on one type of exercise at the expense of others. Alternatively, their techniques could gradually evolve over time, potentially putting them at risk of injury.
Personal trainers like you are in the perfect position to help them cut out these habits. Even if only going through a few sessions, you can observe their normal exercise routines, spot any problems or flaws, and work closely with them to iron them out.
Focus to meet a challenge
People of all fitness levels are always pushing themselves to meet a challenge. It could be something extreme, like completing an Ironman triathlon, or it could be something simple but meaningful like the Couch to 5K programme. Either way, challenges that require a lot of training beforehand need a lot of focus, as well as a strategic plan to train in the right way.
A personal trainer can provide their services over a fixed term to help a client prepare for their big event. A carefully crafted schedule can help the client ramp up their exercise, so that they peak at exactly the right time.
Get personal trainer insurance with Protectivity
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why a client might want to book a personal trainer with you, and all of them can help you develop positive, trusted relationships.
However, there is a risk that things can go wrong that can damage those relationships.
This is why personal trainer insurance is so important, and at Protectivity we have comprehensive policies that suit your needs. You can get cover for public liability, equipment cover, and even employer’s insurance if you hire any other people to work for you. That way, you can help your clients succeed and grow your business with confidence and peace of mind.
Take a moment to find out more on our flexible personal trainer insurance policies, and how they can support your business.
