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Personal Trainers

Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits

Many personal trainers start out by teaching group classes at a gym in yoga, aerobics, spinning, or weight lifting to gain experience and to build a clientele for personal instruction. Personal trainers should also seek to learn about new trends in the fitness industry.

A passion for physical fitness and knowledge of health and nutrition are the most important assets of personal trainers. You should be able to explain things clearly, recognize progress, and encourage it. Patience and the ability to motivate clients is also critical. You should be comfortable working one-on-one with people of all ages and in all physical conditions.

Those who seek to build their own personal training business will need to develop business skills such as marketing and business and financial management.