A personal trainer is a fitness professional who creates safe and personalized exercise programs to help individuals or groups meet their health and fitness goals.

“A personal trainer combines their fitness expertise and motivational skills and the interpersonal relationships they have with their clients to help people reach their goals,” explains Morit Summers, a certified personal trainer and co-owner of FORM Fitness in Brooklyn, New York.

Personal trainers can help individuals set their initial fitness goals and provide instruction along the way, adds Cara D’Orazio, a certified personal trainer and owner and fitness instructor at C.G.M. Fitness, Inc. in Huntington, New York.

“A personal trainer is there to guide you toward your goals,” adds Summers. “We can’t do the work for our clients, but we can definitely give guidance and support along the way.”

A personal trainer can meet with their clients in person and/or virtually. “[Clients] get the same workout whether they’re in person or online,” says D’Orazio. “I’m able to tailor [workouts] and provide modifications and corrections [in both settings].”

Why Become a Personal Trainer?

Becoming a personal trainer is a great way to share your passion about fitness with others, says Natalya Vasquez, certified personal trainer and founder of Bridal Bootcamp San Diego. Positively influencing clients’ lives as a personal trainer can also be incredibly rewarding, she adds.

“On the surface, you help people get physically stronger and healthier,” says Vasquez. “However, beyond the physical changes and biometric statistics are intangible results like increased confidence that spill into every other area of a person’s life.”

“A fitness journey can be really scary and uncomfortable, and being a trainer and having the ability to help someone find comfort in the uncomfortable is truly a beautiful thing,” adds Summers.

3 Steps to Becoming a Personal Trainer