Getting Fit Online
How Physical Trainers are Reaching Global Clients Online
Physical trainers may want to brush up on their computer skills with the insurgence of a new trend – online fitness training programs.
Trainers around the world now have the power to a wider range of clientele using online tools such as video conferencing, online editable documents and standard emailing services. Personal Training sessions can utilise video conferencing to instruct and evaluate clients while tailored dietary plans, workout schedules and a record of client activity can be recorded and viewed any time using online editable documents.
The benefits of online training for the client all come down to flexibility. The flexibility to schedule sessions around individual lifestyle, personal training sessions can now be held in the comfort of their own homes (or yards) and provide increased access to their instructors online between sessions.
The flexibility offered through ‘training online’ has created a new market appealing to people who otherwise would not have considered personal training as an option to their lifestyle. Having online access has given clients unprecedented access to a wide variety of the world’s best personal trainers, irrespective of location.
There are also advantages for instructors who chose to extend their clientele and fitness regime via online training such as managing a larger number of clients; unlimited access to online data and the ability to run training sessions in – and from – any location. The biggest benefit comes from time management with the option to pre-record workout.
Despite all of the benefits of online training programs, there are some significant disadvantages for both the trainer and the client that need to be considered.
- No Technique Spotting when Offline:
While the client can train around their own schedule and from the comfort of their own home, they will lose the benefit of having an instructor present to spot errors in their techniques, which can negate their workout and potentially result in injury. Unless all workouts are monitored via video conferencing, this issue could potentially slow training progress. - Progress Evaluation:
If a client is to receive the maximum results from online training programs, they need to be honest and consistent when providing records of their activities and meals to their instructor between sessions. A trainer can only evaluate a client on the information they are given so if a client exaggerates their training records or decides not to record extra snacks in their dietary record, it is the client who ultimately loses. - Client Motivation
Lack of motivation for the client can pose a big risk for failure. In regard to traditional in-person training sessions, if a client feels unmotivated and cancels a training session they have to face the instructor’s criticism at the next session – which can be enough to keep a client from skipping sessions all together. Additionally, during in-person sessions an instructor is present when recording weight and measurements, removing the opportunity for clients to fake progress. For online training sessions to work, the individual client needs to have a high level of motivation to reap the rewards as most of the responsibility to succeed hinges on the effort they put in off camera.
For those clients who have self-discipline and the required technology, online fitness training programs are a viable way to get fit, therefore instructors are going to want to investigate this avenue of training if they want to tap into additional revenue and a larger client base.
At NHFA, technology-based opportunities have already been implemented. We now offer some of our personal training courses online, allowing an even greater access to a successful career path in the fitness industry.
Studying online with the National Health and Fitness Academy allows flexibility in your learning schedule, environment and can be partnered with any of our in-class courses to cater to your ultimate goal as a personal trainer.
Take a look at our range of personal training courses available through our fitness academies located at Robina and Nerang on the Gold Coast and information on our online training courses. We guarantee NHFA will have a course that is a perfect fit!
