In similar fashion to any other customer-facing position, personal trainers will encounter a range of people throughout their careers. While every person will have different aspirations, goals, histories and attitudes, the overarching role of the personal trainer doesn’t really change – to help promote physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.
There is a common misconception that personal trainers only work with those seeking peak performance. While this is an option, these people aren’t the only ones in the community seeking support through activity. This is why at the Australian Fitness Academy, our courses incorporate insight across the spectrum, allowing graduates to create interactive programs that meet the requirements of many possible clients.
With this in mind, here are four demographics that a personal trainer can support throughout Australia.
1) New mums
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 299,700 births were registered across the country in 2014. While this is slightly down on previous figures, this is a strong number compared to other western nations.
Babies bring a lot of joy and happiness to new mums, but this is sometimes associated with a new set of stressors and the change in lifestyle can be at the detriment of their fitness levels or strength and conditioning. As such, personal trainers are often in demand from new mothers who are looking to get their pre-baby shape back and engage with the fitness community. In fact, health and fitness is often a good outlet to concentrate on their own bodies after a pregnancy.
Personal trainers will need to be sure that new mothers are in good health before starting a training program. It’s also important to let new Mums know that they need to take things at their own pace and not feel pressure to live up to any ideals.
Any program should include pelvic floor exercises and other movements designed to recondition the body after delivery. Overall, personal trainers can provide great motivation for new mums and support them in their journey, regardless of their end goal.
2) Athletes
As one of the groups most commonly associated with personal trainers, athletes will probably make up the smallest percentage of your clients initially. With clear ambitions that require a professional to monitor their progress and develop more complex regimes, whether they are looking towards the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, international competitions or domestic meets, athletes are always working towards a new challenge.
The relationship between personal trainers and athletes can flourish during the off-season. Coaches and trainers work closely with athletes during the season, before personal trainers step in and ensure the person retains a certain level of fitness before pre-season starts.
3) Children
As the next generation of Australia, the health of our youngest must be close to the top of the agenda. Based on ABS figures, the number of children between 0 and 14 years across the country grew by more than 47,000 in the 12 months to June 30 2015. This was a rise of 1.1 per cent.
However, with 25 per cent of Australian children overweight or obese, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, action must be taken now to prevent these kids from failing health when they are older. This is where personal trainers can help to make a real difference.
While personal trainers won’t be forcing a child to bench-press weights, they can still produce a personal training programme that leads to improved health, fitness and overall well-being. Most important with children is fostering a love of movement and having fun with different activities such as sports, athletic activities, running, hopping, skipping, jumping, playing and more!
4) Disabled Australians
As mentioned in a previous article, more than four million Australians are registered as disabled. Whether they suffer from Down’s syndrome, a hearing impairment or a lost limb, fitness and exercise remains an important part of life for this demographic. For a disabled person, reasons to engage with a personal trainer might be to simply improve their fitness and health levels, work towards a particular event or to remain active in the community.
For personal trainers, it is important to understand the disability in more detail and tailor a training program to meet their physical capabilities and ambitions in the long term. Of course, this will most likely include talking to medical professionals or other support personnel for more information.
Becoming a personal trainer is a rewarding occupation, allowing you to meet a wide-range of people in the local community. If this sound like a good pathway for your career, contact the team at Australian Fitness Academy today.