Updated August 31, 2021
By Tzatzil LeMair
Fitness training is about improving your clients’ quality of life.
“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.”
Margaret Mead, Cultural Anthropologist, Author and Speaker
Are you a fitness aficionado who has been considering taking your passion to the next level by becoming a personal trainer? If so, you can rest assured the future is bright for fitness professionals as their jobs are not expected to be replaced by artificial intelligence, software or apps, at least not anytime soon.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of fitness trainers is projected to grow 15 percent from 2019 to 2029, which is faster than the average occupation. A growing number of businesses are recognizing the value of investing in the health and fitness of their employees. Likewise, insurance companies are proactively investing in the health of their enrollees. Even the government is joining in by reimbursing more expenses that help individuals stay well. As a result, all three sectors are propelling the growth of health and fitness programs at gyms or other types of health clubs. This trend is expected to increase the need for fitness trainers.
Brad Partridge, a personal trainer and the owner of Forward Motion Fitness, a personal training studio in west Austin, agrees personal trainers are here to stay, “There is enough of an art to training that it would be hard to replace trainers with software.” To Brad, fitness training is about improving his clients’ quality of life. He says it is “less about sets, reps or time and more about the happiness and satisfaction that comes with exploration and mastery of movement.” He adds, “When adults return from a trip and talk about how well their bodies held up hiking or skiing, it feels great!”
Although trends in fitness regimes, gear and equipment fluctuate, Brad believes a simpler trend will continue to grow: pursuing and restoring natural movement. As millennials continue to lead sedentary lives in front of their digital devices, they will be less likely to grow to become adults with strong and well-balanced bodies. As they start to see the serious and lasting consequences of the modern lifestyle, they will seek expert help. Brad teaches people to move better, and states, “When the light bulb goes on, and suddenly, they understand how to squat, bend or create tension, it is very satisfying.”
As long as people need accountability, a plan of action, direction and motivation to improve their physical fitness, the demand for personal trainers will continue to thrive. When asked for advice for future personal trainers, Brad offers the following: “You have to love training, read, take classes from the experts and train anyone who will let you!”
If you are interested in this field, consider enrolling in the Personal Trainer Certificate Program to get started, or reach out to teccoach@austin.utexas.edu for more information about the career.
Tzatzil LeMair s currently the Senior Director of Social Media at Real Chemistry and is a former account director of Sensis TX. A graduate of the Boston University Questrom School of Business, she is an experienced advertising executive and leader in cross-cultural, multi-channel marketing.
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