You’re stressed out, feeling uneasy but know you need to make a change. Your livelihood is on the line!

Should you raise your rates or keep them where they currently are? Are you making a big mistake if you raise them? Or is this what you are supposed to do? What’s the best plan of action for yourself and your business?

These worries and questions are normal when you are running your own personal training business. While your business should always focus on providing the best and most effective fitness training, it’s also imperative that you structure your income to reflect your worth (and needs) as well.

Check out these three key points if you are currently facing this situation in managing your own training fee structures:

While you are living out your passions as a fitness professional, helping your clients become healthier and happier – with it, this lifestyle can still bring numerous demands. Unusual hours, physical work, and varying client personalities can drive any fitness professional to crave a much-needed vacation. That being said, it’s normal to worry about your clients and their needs if you were to take even a short break. The fear of losing a client as a result of taking time off is also not uncommon, since you understand the importance of maintaining their fitness goals consistently. Every fitness professional has had or presently has these same concerns when attempting to go on vacation. Below are some tips to ease these anxieties, so that you can enjoy some rest and relaxation.

I can only imagine how being a good mother has got to be one of the most difficult jobs for anyone to take on because you place your children’s needs in front of your own. Therefore, defining a “good mother” equates to being selfless to her own desires; however, a new mom needs to make time to take care of herself, too. New moms need to realize that they would only be better at being moms if they were more physically and mentally fit. While these moms may have zero time for themselves – there are plenty of exercises they can do at home, actually with their infant, to benefit their health. Enclosed are three exercises for new moms to perform to help get their workout in without having to leave the comfort of their own home or little ones. 

Beyond the regular weekly training session(s), it’s important for the fitness professional to be aware of any other exercise activity in which their client is also participating daily. It’s critical that the fitness professional and client share an honest, open approach with consistent communication to achieve success together in reaching the client’s fitness goals. Without this trusting understanding, the fitness professional and client will not be able to achieve success together. Therefore, having all of the personal information below will help the fitness professional design the best-customized routine for their client:

I am a new and introverted trainer who recognizes the value of digging deep in conversation with my one on one clients, but sometimes has a hard time coming up with conversation topics. What are some good questions to always have on hand to get the conversation going, but not remain too surfacey?

When you’re an introverted individual, it can be very difficult and even uncomfortable to begin conversation with another person, especially when you don’t know the person very well. Additionally, because personal training is very personal – it’s important to have open and honest conversation with your client. However, this dialogue must obviously remain comfortable for both parties and the client’s privacy must always be respected.

How can I stress the importance of not drinking alcohol to clients who want to lose weight?

As fitness professionals, we likely have had to talk with our clients about the subject of alcohol and the metabolic consequences of drinking alcoholic beverages. Drinking alcohol may be a part of our culture, but it doesn’t have to result in weight gain for our clients.

These tips below will help guide you and your client on the importance of not drinking alcohol for those who want to lose weight.

Is it recommended to “stretch out” clients once they are done working out? Is there a certain protocol when doing so?

Stretching your client can be a great service that you provide in your sessions. Partner stretching creates dynamic resistance and intensity that static stretching alone sometimes cannot provide. Also, some of your clientele might not be stretching as frequently as you’d prefer, perhaps because they don’t feel confident stretching on their own, they don’t have (or make) the time to stretch, or maybe they just don’t want to stretch. While studies on various kinds of stretching have shown mixed results, stretching your client can have a multitude of positive effects on their workouts in regards to the prevention of the injuries, increased range of motion (flexibility), enhanced coordination, and improved blood flow. Below are some important tips to remember on the correct protocol of stretching out your clients.