Online personal training might vary from site to site or trainer to trainer. Generally, though, it’s just as it sounds. Users are given a personalized training program to perform in the comfort of their own homes, gyms, hotel rooms, etc., without the supervision of a trainer.
For some, this can be a deal breaker. A major selling point of personal training is the personal attention, after all. However, there are plenty of benefits of online personal training, including convenience and cost, which explain why it has taken off.
It’s easy to guess at least one of the reasons why online personal training has become very popular: It’s extremely convenient.
Rather than schedule an hour with a trainer, say, a week in advance, a client can log on and start the workouts when he or she has time. This makes it ideal for someone on the go, whether they’re a businesswoman who travels 75 percent of the time or a stay-at-home dad who can sneak in an hour while the kids nap.
It’s also great for those with an aversion to working out at the local gym. A personalized session in private provides all of the benefits without having to actually go anywhere.
Online personal training takes the guesswork out of choosing a trainer, too. It’s possible to find reviews of a personal trainer at the local gym, or a friend could recommend a great trainer he or she worked with.
However, it’ll be much easier to find online reviews of trainers who maintain an online business; where else would their clients go to provide feedback? Good reviews can give potential clients peace of mind before paying for a training package.
On that note, clients will most likely pay a lot less for online personal training sessions than they would for in-person sessions. That’s because trainers who are great at their job get attention and, therefore, a flood of wannabe clients. This drives their prices through the roof, and those with normal incomes simply can’t afford the new bottom line.
Online trainers can afford to charge less for their virtual services because their physical presence isn’t needed for the workout. This means their guidance is provided at a fraction of the price - the trainer can even dole out online services while also taking clients in person and charging more. That seems like a good deal for everyone involved.
That also explains why online training has renewed the passion for the business in many trainers. As much as its popularity has to do with the clients, online personal training has taken off because so many trainers want to get involved. In fact, the internet has made a career in personal training something that’s convenient to attain. Many reputable programs offer online certification courses, which would give a personal trainer the credentials to start their own online business.
The reasons above -and the many testimonies of those who train or are trained online- seem to show online personal training isn’t going anywhere. In fact, with the increasing popularity of cell phones, tablets and light-as-air laptops, it makes sense the rise of online personal training will continue.
Fortunately for trainers or clients who prefer in-person sessions to virtual ones, the gym-centric training session won’t be going anywhere, either.
In fact, the need for personal trainers is expected to continue to grow for the next several years, according to the Department of Labor.
The only thing trainers should expect of the future is their services won’t simply be devoted to in-person, one-on-one training. Because online personal training has provided clients with a way to slash prices, gyms will have to adapt to changes to remain competitive with their virtual competition.
That means some trainers will likely have to provide semi-private training sessions, in which they give members of a small group a personalized routine to perform while the trainer supervises everyone. They might have to lead group fitness sessions, too.
This is the role the personal trainer has always played, though. Adapting to plateaus, rises, and falls should be second nature. In the case of the fitness industry, whether online or in-person, there’s nowhere it’ll go besides up.