Fitness professionals absolutely CAN offer online training for their clients, but you don’t HAVE to and you certainly shouldn’t until you’ve prepared yourself accordingly. With most gyms and studios around the globe still closed or operating at lower capacity, the market has become somewhat saturated with everyone from local personal trainers to the biggest celebrity fitness brands in the world offering their services online. It can certainly be overwhelming and make even seasoned fitness professionals feel pressured to jump on the virtual bandwagon.
Whether you are already offering virtual workouts or are trying to decide if it’s the right fit for you, here are some considerations that will come in handy even as our industry returns to business as usual.
Reacting vs Responding
When the gyms first closed, we saw a slew of fitness pros jump onto virtual to offer workouts seemingly from a place of shock, fear and of missing out on an opportunity. Our industry went into reactive mode. We’re now moving towards responding, which means we’re giving ourselves time for much-needed reflection.
You’re ready to go online once you’ve reflected on what truly makes you happy about being a fitness professional and how you can help and serve others achieve better health now more than ever. Consider the incredible relationships you’ve built with your clients; they care about you and will appreciate the opportunity to connect with you in a way that may not involve sets and reps. You can serve them by demonstrating the empathy you have for their needs which includes their physical, mental and emotional health.
Content vs Context
One-way streaming workouts, for example, using social media platforms, is content. We are inundated with it more than ever and it’s available for free. This also includes tips, WOD, recipes, words of encouragement, etc.
Two-way workouts where you can see your clients, you’re aware of their needs and goals as well as they’re injuries and challenges is context and should be priced accordingly. You can provide valuable feedback using virtual platforms. As we navigate through this crisis we are constantly challenged to adapt in situations that were normally routine; your clients are craving the familiarity of your services and will value the opportunity to work with you directly.
Remember that the energy required to offer virtual workouts is vastly different to training or coaching in person and can be way draining. Don’t overcommit yourself to too many; you’ll succeed in this endeavor by being as mindful about your self-care as you are of your clients and showing up on video as your authentic self.
