Snapshot:

• The outdoors are your oyster! If you don’t have access to a gym, train your clients in a local community park. Before you start, you’ll need approval from your local council to train clients in a community space.
• Whether you’re training in your home or in your clients’ home, make sure that both parties have liability insurance. Once you have that covered, focus on outfitting your home for training. You’ll need ample amount of space for training, an accessible restroom and plenty of parking space.
• You have the option of buying or renting training equipment. If you’re not in a financial position to do either, think outside the box and use everyday items like jump rope, car tires or sandbags to train your clients.

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Although it’s common for personal trainers to work out of a gym or studio, this isn’t the only way to start a personal training business. Some trainers choose to not work for a gym because they want the opportunity to own their own business. This option offers trainers to have freedom to make their own schedules and take part in every aspect of their business. For other trainers, limited or no access to a gym is the driving force behind their reason to work outside of a gym. If you decide to go this route, it’s certainly possible and just requires a little bit of creativity and thinking outside the box.

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Training Outdoors

If you don’t have access to a gym, your home isn’t conducive to training clients and your financials aren’t in line to rent a private studio space, the outdoors are your oyster! This setting is most beneficial for those who are living in a location with nice weather year-round, but if you’re living somewhere that has all four seasons, this could serve as your gym alternative during the summer and spring months.

If you’re training at a park in your community, it’s important for you to have your local council’s approval to do so–– some local governments are thorough in policing local park spaces for trainers using the location for their business. Additionally, you’ll also need some form of personal training insurance. This protects you in the case of an accident or adverse event during and after your training sessions.

You always have the option to purchase training equipment, but training outdoors offers you the option to get a little more creative and use everyday items to train your clients. Using car tires, jump rope, foam rollers or buckets with added salt are just a few options that won’t break the bank.

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In-Home Training

If you don’t have access to a park or your location’s weather isn’t conducive to outdoor training all year round, there’s no place like home. Similar to training outdoors, before you get too far into planning your in-home training business, make sure to check your community zoning laws–– this will determine if you’re permitted to run an in-home business. Another major step in starting your in-home training business is liability insurance. These aren’t the most glamorous parts of owning your own personal training business, but they’re important in ensuring that you and your business are protected from legal action. You also have the option to train clients in their own homes. Not only will you need to be insured, but your clients’ insurance will also need to cover incidents that occur in the home.

Next up: equipment! You can choose to buy or rent training equipment. There are pros and cons to both, but it mostly comes down to what you’re able to afford and what kind of equipment you need. Just like any business establishment, your home will need to have an accessible bathroom, parking and enough space for your clients to perform exercises.

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Conclusion

If you don’t have access to a gym, your personal training dreams aren’t over. Outdoor and in-home training have their own sets of challenges but with hard work and a willingness to invest in your business, your community or home can become the site of your growing business. Before you get too far into planning, look into your community zoning laws and personal training insurance– these are necessary parts of protecting yourself and your business. Without the traditional setting of training out of a gym, you have a lot of freedom to get creative and tailor your business to your life and schedule. If you train at home or in an outdoor community space, what are your tips for getting started? Let us know in the comments!

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