Combating Trainer Burn-out

I think as a personal trainer, becoming "burnt out" is a major reality in the field. As with any other profession you dedicate all your energies to, the risk of becoming burnt out is always there. I became burnt out in 2004....that is why I partially left personal training full-time (35+ clients/weekly) to pursue management. I figured if I was a manager, I could step away from the constant responsibility of motivating clients that would not give me 100% effort; or design exercise programs constantly to combat boredom; or stop listening to the whining and excuses. So, I managed trainers for 3+ years and taught them all I knew. While I did do some personal training on the side, I liked management. I am a 'numbers' guy...so I like handling budgets, trainer's monthly quotas, and negotiating salaries.

But I missed the human aspect of personal training. I missed the chance to really change people's lives. Al the things I knew contributed to my burn-out, were the things I missed. So I returned to full-time personal training. I still do some management, but it is minuscule compared to the facilities I did manage. So how do I prepare myself for burn-out this time?

Here are a couple of tips if you are a personal trainer:

1.) Dictate your schedule - set aside the times you want to work. I know far too many trainers that work from 5am -8pm and try to live life in between appointments. Big mistake. Figure out when you want to work: mornings/day/or evenings and cement your schedule. Plan you life around the day, not when-ever you have "free spots" in the day.

2.) Tell the client WHEN to come in - I always tell my clients, "pick a spot in the times I have available and that is the time slot you purchase." This way, this makes THEM adjust their day to yours. If they feel they are buying a hour in your day, it makes them feel they own it and will do their best to adhere to appointments.

3.) Make time to workout - Don't stop working out. I've been there...you get fat, lazy, and you feel like crap. If your outlook doesn't look pretty, it will translate to your sessions.

4.) Take days off - Sounds simple? Well, many trainers feel obligated to their clients and fear letting them down if they skip a session or take a week off. Take some personal days to energize and re-fuel.

5.) Talk to other trainers -Sounds corny, but it helps. Talk about common challenges. Usually, good trainers understand the woes of daily "client-transforming" and it helps sharing it with others.