What are the pros and cons of being a personal trainer?

• Flexible schedules. A lot of personal trainers don't work on set schedules. They might determine their weekly schedule in advance and make adjustments if necessary.

  They also often must collaborate with their clients to schedule a time that works for both parties. Unless employed by a gym or health club, personal trainers can dictate their hours to a great degree.

• Healthy lifestyle. As a personal trainer, exercise and keeping physically fit is part of your job. Personal trainers advise clients on healthy eating practices and other healthy lifestyle options, meaning they often use these methods themselves.

  Anyone interested in staying fit and healthy will find value in this profession.

• Fulfillment. Personal trainers get help people become more active and physically fit. Seeing their development and being instrumental in it can be very rewarding for those in the field.

  Personal trainers can feel a sense of pride when they know they have pushed someone towards achieving a healthier lifestyle or a specific fitness goal.

• Potential compensation. This can be considered both a pro and a con because the average salary of a personal trainer in the United States is only $35,909 annually.

  However, some can achieve higher earnings depending on their location and the clientele. Those who can market their services to wealthy individuals can earn much more than the average personal trainer.

Cons:

• Random hours. While being a personal trainer does enable you to have flexible scheduling in certain scenarios, it also means you might have to work odd hours.

  Some clients are only available at night, meaning you might have a full day and night of personal training or a long gap between clients. Some can acclimate to this work schedule.

• Minimal benefits. Many personal trainers are freelancers meaning they don't get employee benefits packages as many other occupations do.

  This also means that most of them have to pay for their health insurance and save for their retirement on their own. Enlisting the help of financial planners and advisors can help in this area.

• Poor job security. Many personal trainers do not have long-term job security. Many have the experience of a client only working with them until the client reaches their fitness goal. Then the personal trainer must find another client to keep their income stable.

• Personal training is a young person's trade. While personal trainers can have long careers, the older you get, the more difficult the job will likely become.

  Certain personal trainers even find it hard to keep their fitness as they get older since they spend so much time focusing on the fitness and health of others.