When you started your personal training business, you may have been the most fit and energized person in town. But now that you're juggling a schedule of clients and workouts, plus family responsibilities and other commitments, it can be easy to burn out. Here are eight strategies to help prevent that from happening:
Work on your fitness first.
The best way to prevent burnout is to work on your fitness first. Exercise is the most effective way to keep energy levels high, so if you're tired, try exercising for 30 minutes or more every day. If that sounds like too much of a commitment, try setting aside just 15 minutes each weeknight after work or school--you'll still get the same benefits!
Schedule regular breaks.
Taking regular breaks is essential to staying healthy. Taking a break from work for at least 10 minutes every hour and even more frequently if you feel fatigued or stressed. If you're working out as part of your job (which is likely), then make sure you schedule time for rest between clients.
The length of each break will vary depending on the type of activity involved; for example, taking a walk around the block or doing some stretching exercises could be done in 2-5 minutes, while catching up on emails may take longer than half an hour depending on how long it takes for people to respond to them!
It's important not just because it keeps us alert but also because research shows that taking regular breaks makes us happier overall since they provide an opportunity for self-reflection
Get social support.
If you're feeling burnt out and need some support, get social. Exercise with friends, join a gym with friends or find yourself a workout buddy.
- Join an exercise class. You'll be surrounded by people on the same page as you regarding working out and staying healthy, making it easier to stay motivated in your workouts.
- Join an athletic team or club at your school or work (if applicable). Sports can help relieve stress while also giving you access to great friendships! You'll be spending time doing something fun with other people who share similar interests as yours--what could be better than that?
Find alternative fitness activities that you enjoy but are less intense.
As a personal trainer, you will likely spend a lot of time working out. However, this can lead to burnout if you aren't careful. To avoid this and maintain your energy levels in the long term, it's important that you find alternative fitness activities that don't require as much concentration or intensity (e.g., running a 10K rather than training for an Ironman).
These activities will help balance out the more intense workouts required by your job and give you time away from work so that it won't feel like such an overwhelming undertaking when it comes back up again later in the week.
Avoid clients who make unreasonable demands on your time and energy.
As a personal trainer, you will inevitably be asked to do things outside your scope of practice. For example, a client might ask you to help them find new clothes or cook dinner. Avoid this by clearly defining what services and activities are included in the package deal and what aren't. If a client is making unreasonable demands on your time and energy, let them know they need to be realistic about their goals before signing up for training sessions with you. If they continue making unreasonable demands after being told this once or twice (or more), consider dropping them as clients--it's unlikely that anything good can come from working together if both parties aren't on the same page about what each expects out of their relationship with each other!
Set boundaries.
Before you start training clients, setting boundaries in your personal life is important. You want to stay energized on the job, so make sure you have time for yourself and others who matter most.
- Set boundaries with clients. Only some people will be a good fit for your services as a PT--and that's okay! It's important to know when to say no (and yes). If someone isn't interested in following instructions or showing up regularly, don't feel bad about ending the relationship early on. You want people who are going to benefit from working with you--and if they aren't willing or able right now, then there's no point wasting either of your times trying again later down the line when maybe circumstances change but probably not enough anyway because they'll still just be doing whatever they were doing before which was nothing much at all except eating too much junk food while watching Netflix all day long without exercising at all even though everyone knows exercise helps keep healthy bodies strong so maybe next time try walking instead?
Practice self-care.
Self-care is the act of making sure you're taken care of. We all need it, but it's especially important when working towards your goals and trying to influence others positively.
Self-care activities can include anything from going for a walk or spending time with friends to taking an hour off at lunchtime every day so that you have time to relax without distractions (or even going out for lunch). The important thing is that they help mentally recharge your batteries so that they'll be ready to go when they're full again!
Conclusion
There's no getting around the fact that being a personal trainer is demanding, but with careful planning and self-care, you can avoid burnout. While it may be tempting to work longer hours or take on more clients to make ends meet, these are not sustainable strategies for long-term success. Instead of focusing on quantity over quality, focus on implementing strategies that will allow you to thrive as an individual without sacrificing your health or relationships with others!
