Personal trainer

Lauren Novak

Early mornings, late evenings and lots of time in the gym. It may sound torturous to many but these three things characterise a job in the fitness industry, says personal trainer Kristy Jones-Ellis.

The upside is the opportunity to achieve good work-life balance, the 28-year-old says.

“It’s early mornings and late nights and you might get large gaps in the middle of the day,” she says.

“But once you’re more established you can do the hours you want.

“The flexibility of hours means you can even incorporate two jobs.”

A love of all things physical and good people skills also are essential, says Ms Jones-Ellis, who works at Life Personal Trainers.

“You’ve got to be switched on to the client,” she says.

“People who are good with people make good personal trainers.”

An Australian Bureau of Statistics survey released in 2006 found more than one-third of South Australians do no exercise at all.

While 35 per cent of SA adults were sedentary, a further 38 per cent exercised only at low levels, such as walking.

Just 22 per cent had exercised at a level that caused a moderate increase in heart rate over the two-week reference period and only 5 per cent performed vigourous exercise that caused a large increase.

It is estimated less than 10 per cent of adults work out at a gym.

In light of these facts, Ms Jones-Ellis, who has a personal trainer herself, says introducing people to exercise and pushing them to achieve their fitness goals is especially rewarding.

“These people are paying a lot of money for an hour of your time,” she says.

“I really enjoy going to somebody else to be pushed so much harder too.”

While the industry can be lucrative as well as fulfilling, it’s a long way to the top.

“You might start with one client and you’ve just got to keep building and building – financially it definitely doesn’t happen straight away,” Ms Jones-Ellis says. “Most of the time you’re part-time or casually employed or you’re a contractor but you can also work for yourself.”

Aspiring fitness gurus can train at university, by studying a degree in human movement or sports science, or obtain a Certificate IV in fitness at TAFE or the Australian Institute of Fitness.
Trainers also must be registered and insured, before working for themselves or another business.