Personal trainers can often stretch themselves thin, especially in the beginning. Hustling hard to find another client, working to broaden your network, and training the clients you have can be exhausting — and stressful.
We, as a society, already do a poor job of taking care of ourselves.
Taking a vacation is an important part of self-care and can have many benefits for both your physical and mental health. Studies have shown that taking time off from work can reduce stress, improve heart health, increase mindfulness, and boost brainpower. Vacations are also beneficial for productivity, as they help to refresh the mind and body so that you can be more productive when you return to work. Personal trainers often struggle to achieve a good work-life balance. This can lead to burnout and decreased job satisfaction.
It is important for personal trainers to prioritize their own health and wellness in order to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This includes taking regular breaks throughout the day, scheduling time for self-care activities such as yoga or meditation, and setting boundaries with clients so that they don't feel overworked or taken advantage of. It’s also important for personal trainers to make sure they are getting adequate sleep and nutrition in order to stay energized throughout the day.
Recharge once a year? But who has the time?! Or the money?
By taking steps to prioritize their own health and wellness, personal trainers can ensure that they are able to maintain a healthy work-life balance while still providing excellent service to their clients.
Prioritizing your own health and wellness means taking time for yourself — both on a daily basis as well as for longer periods every year. This isn’t just some lazy person wanting time off work, this is very real.
Two of the most difficult aspects of taking time off when you don’t have stable income are the expense of a vacation and the expense of not working. We’ve all been there at some point, you’re not alone! There are, instead, ways to mimic this as best as you can.
Trying to do a “stay-cation” at home over a long weekend might not sound like the ideal “trip” (although for others, that can be a blessing), but what it does is gives you time to rest, take stock of things, and recuperate from the grind.
This will enable you to come back to your professional life recharged and ready to summit the mountain.
But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t put away money for a variety of reasons. So what do you do when there just isn’t money to even start saving?
One strategy is to start small — $1. Try and see if you can save $1 per month. Then, after a few months of proving you can, try to save $1 per week. One single dollar here and there doesn’t really add up fast. However, what it does do is teaches you and allows you to practice the habit of saving.
Every so often, you might find yourself getting a little more than you expected from a client or other job. And then, when these moments happen, you have a plan for saving it.
You’ve got a great habit started, and you have a start on your vacation savings. Trust us, you will be glad you did!
Will my clients be okay with me taking a vacation?
Yes — at least the clients you want to take on. Reasonable adults understand the importance of vacation time. If they do not value this, you might want to ask yourself if they’re really the right client for you.
It can be scary to say you would turn down money simply because they wouldn’t be willing to let you take a vacation, especially when you need the money. But you also have to ask yourself if they’re this unwilling to understand a basic accommodation, what other problems might come with that?
Ultimately, it comes with setting expectations from the beginning. Tell your clients you will be taking a set amount of time off per year, as any other human does, and that it’s part of your principles — that self-care ensures that you’re at your best to serve clients when you’re working.
If they push back on this, you should probably rethink working with that client.
What should my clients do for sessions when I’m out of town?
One option is to hire a substitute trainer for the duration of your vacation. This ensures that your clients will still have access to quality training while you're away. But this doesn’t really help you if there’s a financial reason you need the money from the sessions.
Try providing clients with pre-recorded workouts or online classes from you that they can do on their own. This way, they won't miss out on any progress while you're away. We recommend you not do online training with them, as this can take away from your vacation recharge. Having worked on vacations before, trust us, it can ruin a trip altogether!
Another option is to plan ahead and book extra sessions with your clients before and after your vacation. This allows them to get back into the swing of things quickly when you return and helps them stay motivated during your absence.
No matter what approach you take, communication is key when it comes to taking time off as a personal trainer. Letting your clients know in advance about any changes in their routine will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and minimize any disruption caused by your absence.
