PERSONAL TRAINERS are developing new market niches for physical exercise instruction. And a mass market is emerging too, as trainers no longer serve only the luxury market.
Personal trainers design exercise programs for clients based on each person’s health history, capabilities and fitness objectives. Many provide group instruction for activities such as indoor studio cycling, one of the fastest growing programs at health clubs.
Trainers teach clients how to use gym equipment and maintain proper physical shape to avoid injury. They also may offer advice on nutrition and sell diet supplements.
During the ’90s, personal training has been the strongest growth segment in the fitness market. Only seven or eight years ago, trainers were considered a luxury. Now they’re viewed as a necessity at health clubs for those seeking exercise instruction, according to the International Federation of Personal Trainers, Lafayette, IN.
These days, personal trainers’ client rosters include more than just fitness enthusiasts. People who need follow-up to physical therapy, cardiac patients and those who have suffered injuries will request their services.
Demand for trainers with appropriate skills was projected to double last year in the post-rehabilitation market. This can be attributed to healthcare providers increasingly prescribing exercise as treatment for a variety of medical conditions, according to a survey by IDEA Health & Fitness Source, a San Diego trade group representing more than 8,000 trainers.
The most common reasons why people hire trainers are to improve muscle tone, control weight and ensure adherence to exercise programs, IDEA notes. A typical client is a 41-year-old woman.
* Various associations and agencies have certified more than 60,000 personal trainers in the United States. No universally accepted standards or qualifications for personal trainers exist as yet.
* Seventy-seven percent of personal trainers are men. Their average age is 38. Thirty-two percent have completed postgraduate studies. About 42% hold a bachelor’s degree.
* Some forty-six percent of personal trainers work at health clubs, 38% at clients’ homes, 18% at personal training facilities, 8% at wellness and recreation centers and 5% atcorporate locations.
* Only 37% of trainers work full time, defined as putting in at least 25 hours per week. Fees charged range from $20 per hourlong session to more than $70. The average fee is $41.
* Eighty-eight percent of personal trainers are among the most satisfied workers in the United States. A Gallup poll indicates a 71% work satisfaction rate among Americans in general, while American Demographics magazine reports that 50% to 61% of Americans are satisfied with their work.
* Self-employed full-time personal trainers earn $33,800 annually on average. Salaries for full-time trainers who work at health clubs, gyms and the like earn an average of $29,900 a year.
* Personal trainers report that the majority of their clients (74%) are women. Eighty-one percent of clients are healthy adults. Amateur athletes represent half of all clients. About 25% of these individuals have special needs due to illness or obesity.
* As personal trainers age, they typically derive greater satisfaction from watching the progress of their clients. Among trainers 41 years old and up, 86% note they were pleased to see clients improve. Seventy-five percent of trainers younger than 30 felt the same way.
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