Personal trainers and soft skills – why they matter
June, 2024
Personal training isn’t just about having a solid core knowledge of how to help someone get fitter.
I’m a big believer that the best personal trainers are those that can connect with their clients. It’s all well and good showing someone how to use exercise equipment properly or tell them how to eat better, but soft skills are important too.
Why do soft skills matter when you are working as a PT? Let’s find out.
Communication is Key
Being able to communicate properly with your clients is a crucial skill to have as a personal trainer.
What I mean by this is not only giving instructions clearly but also listening to their concerns, goals, and feedback.
Rather than simply giving someone a workout plan, a PT should also explain the benefits of certain exercises, and provide constructive feedback to help them understand and follow their fitness regime more effectively.
Showing empathy
I also think that personal trainers should connect to their clients on a deeper level.
Starting a fitness journey isn’t easy. Many people have anxieties about exercise and a good PT can help to break down these barriers that client’s have of body image, general apprehension, or frustration with slow progress.
It’s all about creating a positive environment and understanding why people have these anxieties and frustrations. This will help massively to adapt your approach to each individual client rather than having a ‘one size fits all’ outlook.
Motivation and Encouragement
Motivation is one of the things I see so many clients struggle with.
In the beginning, everything is usually fine, but motivation can wane over time especially if they hit a fitness plateau.
So, it is important that personal trainers are able to provide a high level of encouragement to the people they work with. By celebrating small victories and setting achievable goals, trainers can maintain a client’s motivation and help them overcome obstacles. Keeping clients engaged is vital, not just for them but to maintain your own client base as well.
Being adaptable
This ties in with that I said above – you can’t have a ‘one size fits all’ approach with your clients.
A personal trainer needs to be adaptable in how they approach each person because they will have different fitness levels, goals, and potential limitations. This includes tailoring workouts to meet individual needs and modifying exercises on the sport if required.
So, soft skills like problem-solving and thinking quickly are important for dealing with things such as an unexpected injury or adjusting plans due to a client’s busy schedule
Soft skills matter for personal trainers
Soft skills are as important as anything else in the PT world.
Being able to connect to people, be empathetic, communicate clearly, motivate clients and be adaptable to their needs, are crucial.
A good PT will be able to tell you what you should do to reach your goals but a great personal trainer will use their soft skills to make sure you get there.
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