Modern fitness professionals need to know a plethora of skills to succeed. Most of these skills are occupationally-based. However, there are some skills that every fitness professional needs to know to expand his/her business. If you don't know these 3 skills, you are setting yourself back from your peers and limiting your potential.
1. CPR - Every fitness professional needs to know CPR. If you have spent much time in a gym, there is a good chance that you have actually witness a person go into cardiac distress or cardiac arrest. Physical exertion increases that chances of a cardiac incident. Also, bad form (like holding your breath when lifting heavy weights) or improper workout order (like laying down to do crunches immediately after wind sprints on a treadmill) can increase the chance of an incident. CPR is a skill that is essential for all fitness professionals. People come to gyms to get healthy and fit. As a fitness professional, you should make sure that you do everything possible to make their experience safe.
2. First Aid - Just like CPR, first aid is a skill that can be necessary in a physical fitness environment. Let's face it, accidents happen. Tell me one personal trainer who has spent hundreds and hundreds of hours in a gym and hasn't seen someone drop a weight on their foot. Try to name one group fitness instructor who hasn't seen a sprained ankle. Is there a kettlebell instructor out there that hasn't seen someone accidentally hit themselves with the kettlebell? Come on! We have all seen these types of accidents. The key is to make the environment as safe as possible and then to know exactly how to address the accident when it happens. No one ever said that throwing heavy weights around (like olympic lifting or kettlebells) is inherently safe... Keeping a client safe isn't all about optimizing his/her form. It's about knowing what to do if something goes wrong.
3. Marketing - Let's face it, you can't help any clients get into shape if you can't get the client in the first place. Most personal trainers, group fitness instructors, water aerobics instructors, etc. go into their field to help people out and get them in shape. Only once they have been in their field for a month or two do they realize that they have just accepted a sales job. And, if they cannot sell their services, they cannot help anyone. Luckily, this problem is not a fatal flaw! You can easily sign-up for a sales class or even listen to a marketing and sales book on tape while driving into work. Don't get immediately discouraged. Look at it this way, if people didn't pay - would they value your services the same? Once they do pay, they are invested in their own well-being. So, you aren't just selling a product, you are selling a healthier way of life.
ASFA has partnered with more than 100 fitness institutions and gym chains throughout the US and internationally. Many of our partners provide our members discounts for their services. To get 20% off a CPR and First Aid Certification, click the link above and enter ASFA20 at checkout. Also, if you are interested in saving up to 20% on professional insurance for your occupation check out our partners: Berxi, CPH & Associates and IFG Group.
