Life As A Self-Employed Personal Trainer And Fitness Coach In Singapore

As one of the very few over-55 private personal trainers and independent fitness coaches here in Singapore, people are often surprised by my longevity in a profession—25 years and still counting—known for its competitiveness and high attrition rate.

On top of that, being a relatively unconventional profession here in Singapore, many are also curious about what goes on behind the day-to-day scenes of the life of a private self-employed fitness professional.

A Day in the Life of a Fitness Coach

In this blog post, I will spill the beans on the different facets of my professional life. This should be pretty representative (to a certain extent) of other self-employed personal trainers and fitness coaches here in Singapore.

However, before I proceed any further, I must add a word of caution: owing to its distinctive nature, the self-employed fitness track is definitely NOT everyone's cup of tea. Lest some may be tempted to jump onto the bandwagon after reading my post—(just joking!)

Who Thrives in This Line of Work?

As a general guide, I believe those among us with the following personality traits would generally take well to this line of work: a burning passion for all things fitness, a genuine interest in helping others improve their health and well-being, and a willingness to navigate fluctuating work conditions.

You also need to be ready for frequent domestic movement, irregular income, and the resilience to balance work, family, and personal life simultaneously.

Indeed, I believe I speak on behalf of most of my fellow fitness peers when I say that surviving and thriving as a private trainer or self-employed coach here in the Singapore Fitness Industry is certainly no walk in the park.

Nevertheless, most of us take pride in doing our part to keep Singapore healthy and strong. Whether working with clients to enhance their functional fitness, assisting seniors and older adults in enhancing their mobility and movement patterns, or helping individuals with chronic medical conditions improve their health via medically-centric fitness programs, we are committed to making a difference.

Along the way, we often find ourselves juggling various demands to keep things running smoothly while maintaining some semblance of sanity and a healthy work-life balance in our own lives.

Key Factors in My Daily Routine

Without further ado, here are some key factors that my fellow fitness professionals and I navigate in our day-to-day lives.

Administrative, Planning & Preparation Work

Unlike what most people think, a personal training business is NOT just about training clients and nothing else! There’s so much more to it than meets the eye!

From planning schedules to preparing workout programs, from replying to inquiries to issuing invoices and receipts, the behind-the-scenes work is extensive. We also prepare, assemble, and maintain our suite of mobile fitness gear and equipment while tracking and analyzing clients’ fitness progress.

All these tasks often fall under the mountainous stacks of planning, administrative, and preparation work that most of us do daily in the background.

Training & Coaching Sessions

For most trainers and coaches like myself, this is where the ‘heart’ of our business lies. This is where our personal touch is often most visible and crucial.

Unlike what most people think, a personal trainer or fitness coach is NOT someone who merely counts reps for you or who is there just to push you to your limits.

As certified fitness/wellness professionals here in Singapore, our roles include:

• Prescribing the right exercises according to our clients’ personal needs, individual goals, and fitness levels.

• Ensuring each exercise or movement is performed safely and correctly.

• Offering suitable exercise modifications and adaptations where necessary.

• Providing real-time feedback, motivation, and encouragement to our clients.

  
  

On a personal note, it is through many of these coaching sessions that I have built meaningful relationships with my clients over the years. I get to celebrate their successes and cheer them on whenever they encounter setbacks or challenges in their fitness journeys.

My clients' heartfelt feedback and testimonials regarding my services and training approach have also been a tremendous source of encouragement, affirmation, and inspiration to me throughout these years.

Off-Site Client Check-Ins

As professional fitness trainers and coaches, a big portion of our time is also used to check in on how our clients are doing outside our usual face-to-face personal training/coaching sessions.

Using communication tools such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, or even 'old-school' tech like SMSs and emails, we keep in touch with our clients. We track their adherence to our recommendations on exercise, lifestyle, and diet while monitoring their progress throughout each week and beyond.

Personally, I find these check-ins really effective for keeping my clients accountable and motivated between our in-person sessions. They also give me the opportunity to remind them that I’m right there with them, supporting every step of their fitness journey.

Marketing And Business Development

For independent fitness professionals like myself, building our personal brand and reaching out to potential clients can take up quite a lot of work and time.

From utilizing online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok, to offline strategies like networking, partnerships, and word-of-mouth advertising, our marketing and business outreach efforts often take up a sizable chunk of our day too.

On a personal note, being more of an 'old-school' type of person when it comes to technology and innovation, I still do my best to maintain my two senior/older adult-related fitness websites – Body-By-Rick.com and RickWongFitness.com – along with their related fitness blogs and social media platforms.

Continuous Learning & Life-Long Education

Though I can’t speak on behalf of every trainer out there, a good portion of my time is also dedicated to continuing fitness education and professional development.

Being a firm believer in life-long learning, especially in the context of my profession, I strive to stay on top of the latest trends in fitness, training, and nutrition.

From attending webinars to taking online courses to pursuing new certifications in specialty areas like fitness nutrition, functional training, and self-myofascial release techniques, I will continue to make continuous learning and lifelong education a core part of my personal and professional growth.

Family & Social Time

Both of my children were born in the early 2000s, during a time when I was still establishing myself in the fitness industry. Even then, I prioritized family life as much as possible.

Today, with both of them now young adults—each with their own schedules, priorities, and daily routines—we still make a conscious effort to participate in family activities whenever possible.

Outside the immediate family, I also try to meet up with my relatives, old schoolmates, and friends periodically. It’s important to catch up and keep one another in the loop with the latest happenings in our lives.

All these moments will always remain a crucial part of my life, even amidst the busyness of running a personal training and fitness coaching business within the fitness industry.

Personal Self-Care

Another crucial part of my routine as a self-employed fitness professional, which I consider non-negotiable, is setting aside personal time for self-care and well-being.

This self-nurturing routine could take the form of a quick personal workout—anything from a short bodyweight exercise session to a proper free weights routine at a neighbourhood gym, an interval-style swim at a community pool, or a series of stair-based exercise drills on the bleachers of a public stadium.

At other times, this self-care segment may also take the form of something less vigorous: a light stretching-and-flexibility routine at any outdoor fitness corner, a quiet meditation or prayer at a secluded spot in a park, or simply closing my eyes for a short afternoon nap at home.

Whatever it is, I have learned through these years that making time to relax, rest, and recharge my body and mind reaps BIG dividends in both my personal and professional lives down the road.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, I must admit that negotiating life as a self-employed personal trainer can indeed be very demanding yet extremely rewarding at the same time.

From early-morning sessions to late-night business planning and strategizing, being an independent fitness professional practically means living a lifestyle that involves juggling and balancing work, social, family, and personal life at the same time.

Despite all these challenges, the opportunity to pursue my chosen path and to live out my passion while inspiring and transforming the lives of others is what truly keeps me going day in, day out, month after month, year after year!