Are you into health and fitness? Do you feel a personal mission to help others be healthier and in shape? Do you love the idea of your work uniform including shorts, t-shirts, sweats and sneakers? If so, you could start your own personal trainer business.

Personal trainers help their clients reach their fitness goals. They may specialize in weight loss, cardio or endurance training, training for a particular sport, strength training (weight lifting), or just general fitness.

Some personal trainers specialize in training group exercise classes, such as step aerobics or spinning classes. Some specialize in a particular type of clientele, such as working with diabetics or professional athletes or senior citizens. Some work in gyms or for corporations and some work as independent contractors out of their homes.

Most personal trainers are certified or have bachelor’s degrees in fitness. Training for certifications typically includes learning about anatomy and how specific exercises work, injury prevention and safety steps, and basic nutrition guidelines. Your training program should also include information on legal requirements and liability issues and insurance.

There are a lot of personal trainer certification schools out there, and I cannot recommend a specific one, but I encourage you to research carefully – talk to other graduates, evaluate the curriculum, search the internet and the better business bureau for complaints and issues with a particular school, before you sign up for any program. Just like most things now, there are scams out there, so proceed with caution when spending money!

Personal trainers who are not on salary with a gym or corporation typically charge a per hour fee to their clients. This fee can range from a low of $20 in small towns to around $150 per hour for top professionals in high-demand urban areas, such as New York or Los Angeles. Average hourly fees are in the $35 to $60 per hour range. Then, of course, there are personal trainers who develop and sell popular exercise, fitness and weight loss programs and become multi-millionaires, like Denise Austin.

The outlook for a personal trainer business is very good if you are good at it and you can market it successfully. The population continues to live longer and yet obesity and related illness is ever on the rise. Yet, the number of people looking to lose weight and get in shape is also ever increasing, so the market is there. As with any small business, the more you can target and reach a specific audience, the more successful your business will be.

For more information on building your own fitness business: Click Here to Discover How to Become a Personal Trainer.