How To Become a Fitness Instructor in India

In the 21st century, the present generation has considerable awareness about having a balanced exercise regime and lifestyle for staying healthy body, mind and spirit! Today you can find a gym, fitness centres, fitness clubs, fitness equipment and more in universities, apartments, schools, clubs, etc. Fitness training in India is increasingly becoming popular, where fitness trainers are getting the opportunity to exploit the training market. 

So, if you want to know how to become a gym trainer in India or become a certified fitness trainer, this article is for you. It explores the exponentially increasing market for fitness trainers and how to become a fitness trainer.

Why Fitness Training?

The person who is health conscious gets the proper diet, plenty of exercise, sunshine, fresh air and has a healthy mind that goes with a well-toned physique. Most of these are sadly out of reach today due to the pandemic, busy work schedules, and lack of facilities to train at. That’s why fitness schedules with a professional gym trainer make so much sense and bring in the following benefits: 

• You get appropriate fitness equipment and a certified fitness trainer who can teach you on its proper usage.
• You can be part of a group that has common goals, group routines and enjoy the company of like-minded people.
• You can choose a schedule that suits you, and the fitness trainer ensures your diet is also monitored.
• You can specifically work on muscle groups that may need repair, depending on your specific needs.
• You get the latest techniques in training and technology in fitness machines.
• During pandemic times, appropriate COVID 19 protocols are followed to ensure you stay safe.
• Your trainer is a certified professional or a REP, i.e., a Registered Exercise Professional.

Essential qualities of a fitness instructor: 

The essential traits required for a course for gym trainers are:

• To stay safe and remain fit, you first need to get into shape yourself to set the right example.
• You can become a personal trainer who enjoys making fitness training innovative and enjoyable for others.
• You will need to be proficient in the skills of basic fitness programs across disciplines like yoga, gym workouts, dance, as a means of exercising and more.
• You will have to interact with various age groups and have excellent communication skills to make your clients do what you want them to do.
• It is best to take your training programs online while catering to various groups, thereby maintaining  COVID-19 protocols by avoiding people gathering in confined spaces.
• You will need to know the body muscle groups and diets to cater to varied clients.
• Your work ethics and safety standards need to be exemplary.
• A never-say-die attitude, endurance and high energy levels go a long way.

2023 Fitness Trainer demand: 

Gone are the days when only the elite hired personal fitness trainers. The Indian fitness trainers today earn well and cater to the exponential growth in beginner-level programs. Such beginner programs cater to everyday people who wish to stay healthy. No longer can trainers be unaware of the diverse needs of customers. 

A certified trainer becomes essential to the fitness program since the clients may have a horde of diets and related illnesses. Yes, even those who do not fall into the regular gym-goers group seek a fitness instructor to overcome their health issues. The youngsters are starting to join gyms earlier, and the older groups too, are not shy to exercise and enjoy a healthy outlook. Thus, the demand in 2023 for fitness trainers with the right attitude, facilities and knowledge is very high. Wondering how to become a personal trainer? Read on.

Tasks of a fitness coach:

The fitness trainer/coach’s responsibilities include: 

• Helping people achieve their fitness/ health goals, increase their stamina, immunity and diet with appropriate exercise regimens to stay in the pink of health.
• Develop the person’s physique, exercise schedules, and offer wellness and diet guidance.
• Developing post-session training schedules to continue to remain healthy.
• Motivating clients to stay invested in training and meeting their expectations and goals. 
• Ensure the customers use the fitness equipment correctly and maintain the equipment well.
• Manage and train both individuals and groups effectively.
• Stay updated with changes in the personal trainer course in India, fitness profession, equipment and technology to ensure the clients get the best.

Also Read: Top 10 Cities for doing business in India

How to become a fitness trainer?

The steps to a successful career as a fitness trainer are-

• Develop the requisite trainer skills: Being a fitness trainer and exercising with dedication may not be for everyone. Excellent communication skills, basic education and cross health-related training, a fit body, empathy and sufficient business skills must be a necessary requisite for a fitness trainer.
• Take a certification exam: Invest in yourself and take a certification course from a recognised institution. REP, i.e., a Registered Exercise Professional (REP) course is considered a must in this case. Such exams will give you the ability to handle a wider range of training programs across age groups with confidence and skill. It will also help expose you to cross-field training programs. If you want to choose your area of specialisation better, keep in mind that certification includes realistic written and practical assessments that can help you decide. A certificate from the K11 School of Fitness Science, Integrated Fitness and Sports Institute etc., can aid in this process. 
• Do the first-aid course: This is a mandatory condition for fitness trainers and sports coaches.
• Choose a specialisation area: Today, you have areas like Pilates, kinesiology, group training, nutrition, human anatomy, physiology and biomechanics to learn and specialise in. Cross-training in dance-related training, weight lifting, yoga etc., can also be your speciality in advanced training on the subject.
• Accumulate on-the-job training: Since exercise has more doing than preaching, work experience is a must to become a professional gym trainer. Companies and clubs prefer experienced people as their trainers. Fresher trainers should gain some experience at local gyms or serve as assistants to trained professionals to learn the ropes and get some practical experience. Consider joining a forum or association of fitness trainers.

Gym trainer courses:

Though initially, personal trainers did not need any qualifications, following the Western trends, personal trainers now need an array of certifications to be designated as a ‘certified trainer’ or ‘REP’. To protect the public from unfit trainer methods or unhealthy practices, the government bought in the certification of trainers to improve the fitness industry. Such qualifications also help the trainer by qualifying them for a career in fitness training and specialisations. Want to know which personal trainer certification in India is worth it?

Some of the top Trainer Certifications in India are from:

• K11 Academy
• Golds Gym Fitness Institute
• Reebok Fitness Studio – Linking Road (Conducts Reebok University (RU) programs)

What are the different levels of certification?

There are 4 levels of certifications in the process of how to become a gym trainer are:

• Level 1 Physical and Fitness Activity Certificate is a primary certificate that teaches you how to become a gym trainer. It covers the basics of healthy eating, fitness, exercise, and fitness/gym industry principles. You are still a novice and cannot practice as a fitness trainer.
• Level 2 Gym Instructor Certificate is the starting certification in how to be a gym trainer. It covers fitness concepts, skills and scientific theory. It has physiology, anatomy, fitness principles, planning and safety rules.
• Level 3 Personal Trainer Diploma is the minimum diploma in becoming a personal trainer and covers nutrition, fitness programming, physiology, anatomy, techniques to assess fitness, business skills, etc. 
• Level 4 Advanced Certificate or Specialist Personal Trainer Certificate allows you to specialise in how to be a fitness trainer and certain areas while helping broaden knowledge in the specialisation. It also adds to your morale, earnings and makes you more employable as a certified trainer. The areas of specialisation are:

• Cardiac rehabilitation.
• Diabetes and Obesity Control Course.
• Lower Back Pain Management.
• Conditioning and Strength Training.
• Physical activity programmes for persons with mental conditions.

The plus and minus of being a fitness trainer:

The Pros of being a personal trainer are:

• A professional gym trainer in India can earn from 30K to 50K INR per month depending on the gym’s size and type. 
• As you get training experience, loyal clients and appreciation for client transitions, client testimonials begin to grow, and so do the earnings. 
• You can train celebrities and their physique, thereby gaining rapid recognition.
• Personal satisfaction and happiness come when people who train under you reach their personal goals and fitness targets. 
• Along with these, one of the perks of being a certified trainer is getting to experiment with group therapy workouts, introducing cross-training manoeuvres, and enjoying the workouts in a safe environment.

The Cons of being a Fitness Trainer:

• Typically starting salaries are meagre.
• You will need several certificates to be a qualified, certified trainer.
• You need to follow the best practices related to COVID-19 or the consequences could be dangerous.
• You need to always maintain your physique and fitness to sustain a career as a fitness trainer. 

COVID-19 Protocol at gyms:

Here are the simple rules of the protocol to be followed at the gyms:

• At the gym, arrive and leave as per your time slot only.

• Use your water bottle, linen and supplies.

• Sanitise and carry a sanitiser with you.

• Wear arm sweatbands, gym shoes and gloves when working out.

• If you are unwell, don’t go to the gym.

• Practice social distancing.

• Don’t wear masks when exercising.

Also Read: How To Start Gym Business In India?

Conclusion

Becoming a fitness trainer provides you with more than a decent pay and benefits from building a great physique. It is rewarding to achieve personal goals and healthy attitudes of the group training under you. Although being a fitness trainer needs certification, it pays to invest in yourself and build the right spirit of entrepreneurship and confidence. The pandemic has reminded people that they must invest in health and immunity. Thus, the demand for personal trainers can only grow. Are you aware that an app like Legal Tree can help make your business easy to monitor and accounted for? It takes the grind out of manually tracking, accounting and analysing your business. Try it today!