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Personal Trainer/Exercise Professional

Kaiwhakangungu Tinana/Mahi Ngaio

Personal trainers/exercise professionals provide expertise, knowledge and structured support to improve and maintain health and wellness through physical activity.

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Secondary education

No specific secondary education is required for this job, but biology, health education and physical education to at least NCEA Level 2 are useful.

Study fields

Study levels

  • Up to NCEA Level 3
  • Certificate
  • Diploma

Useful experience

Useful experience for personal trainers/exercise professionals includes:

  • communicating in group settings 
  • work in areas such as nutrition, physiotherapy or physical education
  • public speaking
  • customer service work.

What you will do

Personal trainers/exercise professionals may do some or all the following:

  • assess clients' health and wellness and design exercise programmes for them
  • explain and demonstrate safe exercises, weight training and class routines
  • give advice on nutrition as well as injury recovery and prevention
  • help out at the exercise facility, which can involve cleaning and reception duties.

Personal trainers may also:

  • market and promote their services
  • discuss lifestyle and exercise goals with clients
  • take clients for personal training sessions
  • make bookings and keep accounts.

Skills and knowledge

Personal trainers/exercise professionals need to have:

  • skill in exercise prescription, nutrition and wellness
  • an understanding of how to prescribe and demonstrate safe and effective exercises
  • an understanding of anatomy and physiology
  • knowledge of first aid
  • knowledge of exercise equipment and how to operate it correctly.

Personal trainers are often self-employed, so they need to have:

  • sales and marketing skills
  • the ability to develop and maintain their own client base
  • business administration skills.

Group exercise professionals also need to have knowledge of choreography and how to lead exercise classes.

Pay

Exercise professionals usually earn

$24-$70

per hour

Personal trainers usually earn

$45-$90

per hour

Job opportunities
Good
Chances of getting a job as a personal trainer/exercise professional are good due to increasing demand for their services.

Industry

Sport and Recreation

Personal trainers/exercise professionals provide expertise, knowledge and structured support to improve and maintain health and wellness through physical activity.

Similar jobs in this industry

Entry requirements

There are no specific requirements to become a personal trainer/exercise professional.

However, many employers prefer to hire personal trainers/exercise professionals who have, or are working towards, a qualification. A range of personal trainer/exercise professional qualifications are available from polytechnics, universities and private training establishments.

You can also complete a personal trainer/exercise professional apprenticeship and gain a New Zealand Certificate in Exercise (Level 3 or Level 4).

Te Mahi Ako oversees personal trainer/exercise professional training and apprenticeships.

Most employers require you to be registered with the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs).

With over 3,500 exercise professionals registered with REPs (as at August 2022), over 84% of the industry are REPs registered (4,146 fitness instructors Census data 2018).

Chances of getting a job

Health benefits of exercise drive demand

Demand for personal trainers and exercise professionals is expected to continue to grow as exercise is increasingly viewed as essential to good health.

Online exercise training and wearable devices such as fitness watches are also expected to increase the demand for personal trainers and exercise professionals. 

According to the Census, 4,146 fitness instructors worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Small range of employers for exercise professionals

Exercise professionals can work for:

  • large gym chains
  • exercise centres
  • fitness clubs.

Self-employment common among personal trainers

Many personal trainers are self-employed.

Personal trainers can:

  • work for exercise centres or gyms as an employee
  • hire a space at a community hall, exercise centre or gym, and work independently
  • set up a business in their own premises
  • become franchise holders.

Find out more about training

Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs)
0800 55 44 99 - info@reps.org.nz - www.reps.org.nz
Te Mahi Ako
0508 475 455 - info@temahiako.org.nz - www.temahiako.org.nz/

Progression and specialisations

Personal trainers/exercise professionals may progress to set up their own fitness or personal training business.

They may specialise in areas such as:

  • Zumba
  • Pilates
  • yoga
  • weightlifting.

Working conditions

Personal trainers/exercise professionals:

  • usually work shifts, including early mornings, evenings and weekends
  • usually work in exercise facilities, recreation centres and community settings
  • may need to travel to meet clients.

Physical Requirements

Personal trainers/exercise professionals need to have good general health.

Useful personal qualities

Personal trainers/exercise professionals need to be:

  • patient, friendly, supportive and professional
  • able to lead and motivate others
  • organised and adaptable
  • good at problem solving
  • good communicators.

Related Wintec courses

Industry

Sport and Recreation

Personal trainers/exercise professionals provide expertise, knowledge and structured support to improve and maintain health and wellness through physical activity.

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