When the world shut down in mid-March, many of us thought it would only be for a few weeks or a month at most. Here we are almost 10 months later with much of the world changed forever. As many believed, I did not think the pandemic and shut down would last nearly as long as it did. I contacted my personal training clients, offered to send a few at-home workouts for the next few weeks, and told them I would contact them when the gyms were back open. Weeks turned into months, and many of us realized this was not going to be short term. Though virtual and on-demand workouts and fitness programs have grown in recent years, almost all personal training was still conducted in-person. As I realized things were not going back to normal anytime soon, questions raced through my head. How was I supposed to train my clients when I could not see them in person? How could I cue them effectively and correct form without being in the same room? How would personal training be as effective? Would my client get as good of a workout? What if they only had very limited equipment? Just like with so many things in 2020, we have had to learn to pivot, re-structure, and even completely change how we deliver the service. 

Even as there is some hope on the horizon of the pandemic eventually ending, the fitness industry and how services are delivered has truly changed. Now that I have had some time to grieve the loss of leading my in-person classes and seeing my clients weekly in-person, I think the fitness industry can emerge from this pandemic to be stronger, better, and reach even more people. Below are a few ways that I think the pandemic has strengthened the fitness industry for the better. 

First, generally speaking, more people now have fitness accessible to them via the virtual world. For many, belonging to a gym is not financially feasible or convenient. Paying expensive monthly dues might not be viable but paying a much lower monthly rate for a workout app might be doable. Most of the on-demand and virtual fitness programs are geared towards exercising at home and can be done with limited equipment. Many people who did not think they had enough equipment or were wary of working out in public with others can now exercise in the privacy and convenience of their own homes. 

Though many trainers do train outside of a gym, most trainers are associated with a gym or studio. Since a gym membership is no longer required to work with a personal trainer virtually, I think personal trainers will be able to obtain more clients and conduct more sessions. Removing the commute as a time constraint for personal trainers would also allow more sessions to be conducted in a day. More sessions equate to financial gains for the trainer as well as reaching more people and helping them with exercise and make lifestyle changes. 

From personal experience, many of my clients have decided not to go back to their gym for the time being.  Yet, they want to continue exercising and like having a workout designed for them and the accountability of having a trainer. I know what equipment each client has at their house and I create their workouts based on that equipment. With clients with limited equipment, it has forced me to be a better trainer and get even more creative with exercises and using areas in the house (stairs, chairs, etc.) not traditionally used for workouts. 

Once comfortable with virtual training, clients will ideally miss fewer sessions. Currently, my clients most often cancel sessions due to traveling, having a sick kid at home, or bad weather. However, with virtual training and having the convenience of training from home or anywhere, clients can still log on and get their session done. No longer do they need to skip sessions just because they are on vacation or traveling for work. 

Research shows that we are most likely to reach our goals if we have a good support system. Having a virtual trainer is a great way to get others in the household involved. Maybe a child wants to join the workout. Maybe a partner or spouse who was never willing to try personal training before but likes the convenience and idea of doing it together will hop in on the session. Trainers can now have a greater impact on the entire family. 

A specific change to the industry that I think will become more mainstream even after we emerge from this pandemic is the hybrid model of training. This would include training a client in-person one day, and maybe virtually another day during the week. Another option is training virtually when the client is traveling or cannot make it to the gym but still seeing that client in-person for certain sessions as well. This is a win-win for both client and trainer as the client can train more often and ideally get better results while the trainer can conduct more sessions and have a lower cancellation rate. 

I was so hesitant to try virtual personal training for numerous reasons and I think many of the clients were as well. But when we realized the pandemic was not going to be over anytime soon, it was time to make a change and try new things. Why waste energy and time on thinking about the way things used to be vs. spending that same energy on how we could make things work with the current state of the world? After figuring out my camera placement, lighting, etc., it became easier and even more enjoyable. Just as in-person, my client and I spend the first few minutes chatting and catching up while going through our dynamic warm-up. I then explain the first circuit, demonstrate the moves, and then we get started. If your clients have been hesitant to try virtual training, encourage them to just try one session! Or even offer an intro session to just see if they like it. I encouraged each one of my clients to just try it and if they did not like it, we would find another solution. And the result? All of them loved it! One mentioned they liked rolling out of bed just before the session, another one was so thankful not to drive in a snowstorm. Another client has even been more consistent training throughout the pandemic because she no longer has a 90-minute commute. They work just as hard, save tons of time not driving to the gym, and have realized that workouts can be just as effective. Many are thankful to just have the option to train virtually for numerous reasons. 

Whatever 2021 has in store, a form of virtual personal training is here to stay.