Side Hustle Spotlight: Fitness Trainer

Blog | March 22nd, 2022

The term, side hustle, is becoming more common in households across the country. Rather than opting for a part-time job, this method of bringing in extra cash often focuses on a hobby or favorite pastime of the individual.

Forbes reports that almost 30 percent of the population in the U.S. works with a side hustle for various reasons. Of course, extra money is one of the main reasons, but it isn’t the only cause for starting a side hustle.

If you enjoy being healthy and active and love sharing your knowledge to help others, offering fitness trainer services in your spare time can be lucrative.

How to Get Started

Before starting a fitness trainer side hustle, you will need to do a little homework and research:

How much time can you dedicate to this part-time activity?
Do you want to train a specific demographic, such as women, or only provide group fitness classes?

Will you be investing any money into start-up costs?
Is partnering with a local gym an option, or will you run your side hustle on a contract basis?
Decide on the best training courses to complete to obtain certification.

Once you figure out how to begin your business, it won’t take long to start bringing in clients and watching your side hustle expand.

Training and Certifications

There are dozens of online fitness training courses available for individuals interested in this industry. This route is especially profitable if you cannot take time from a full-time job to attend in-person classes at an education facility.

Some accreditations will have better recognition than others, but some of the more popular ones that can help bring you clients include:

National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

Action Personal Trainer Certification

You can also take an introductory fitness trainer course and build on the basics as your clientele grows and advance your knowledge and skills. Additionally, First Aid and CPR are also terrific educational resources, especially when engaging in physical activities with others.

Having valid liability insurance is one critical aspect of operating as a fitness trainer for your side hustle. There can be serious repercussions if your clients get hurt, and insurance will help protect you and your business.

Suppose you want to partner with a local gym or fitness center. In that case, valid liability insurance is necessary for them to consider having you operate a training business on their property.

Expected Return

Starting a side hustle as a fitness trainer can be relatively easy to do and may not require much start-up costs. After obtaining certification and liability insurance, you can take clients immediately and charge anywhere from $30 to $90 per 1-hour session.

Offering your services to three people on Saturday and three more on Sunday can bring you home an extra $180 a week alone with practically no overhead.

However, if you partner with a local gym, you may have to provide a percentage of your session fees or obtain a short-term contract to operate your fitness training business on their property. Even so, what you can make will significantly make it worth your while if you enjoy hitting the gym and sharing your knowledge with others.