As we head into warmer afternoons and lighter evenings, and with outdoor fitness soon set to resume, there has never been a better time to start thinking about maximising your training potential by offering outdoor classes.
Outdoor personal training allows you to make the most of open spaces to run boot camps, 1-2-1 sessions, and train clients while still observing social distancing guidelines.
Other great benefits include:
- Maximise profitability with large group exercises
- Identify your niche
- Ignite competitiveness in clients
- Fresh air & Vitamin D
Want to know more about how you can maximise your potential and offer safe classes for one or multiple clients outdoors? Read on to discover what you need to do to make sure you’re ready to bring your training outside.
The blog will include
- Benefits of Outdoor Training for Personal Trainers
- Benefits of Outdoor Training for Clients
- Guidelines and Costs
Benefits of Outdoor Training for Personal Trainers
One benefit of running an outdoor boot camp or group training session is that the class sizes can be much bigger than in traditional gym settings. When outdoor fitness is allowed to reopen, current government guidelines allow for groups of 6 to train. Having a wide-open space like a park will give plenty of opportunity for social distancing (giving your clients reassurance their working out in a safe environment), which can be expanded once class sizes are allowed to return to normal.
Training without a gym doesn’t mean you can’t bring the gym outside. Insurance depending, you can bring smaller equipment outside to use, such as bands and balls, or even use the local environment, such as benches. Some outdoor spaces have gym equipment already, though using them will have to adhere to government restrictions.
Adapting your usual training to outdoor exercising is a great way to expand your repertoire. Relying on body-weight exercises, terrain-based challenges, and HIIT rather than equipment-based training will develop your skills. Get creative with your use of space and your workouts and make the most of the increased class sizes.
Offering outdoor workouts is a great way to demonstrate to your clients your skills and adaptability. Working out outside can be challenging when getting used to new terrain/’equipment’, but if you get the CPD training in now, you will be able to assuredly train clients of all abilities and confidence levels. If you’re looking to improve your skills to prepare for outdoor training, then the ProZone offers everything you could need. With its constantly updating lists of courses and seminars, you will be able to find a range of information sources to help you get into training outside.
Benefits of Outdoor Training for Clients
Having variety in your exercise routine can help keep your clients motivated and engaged in your sessions. There are no limits to the kind of equipment-free exercises you can devise for your clients (safely, of course) that challenge the body differently. It helps keep the mind of time limits and focus instead on the surroundings, the workout, and the terrain.
Working out in a group environment outside is an opportunity for like-minded individuals to get together to exercise and socialise in a socially distanced space. Group exercises boost clients’ competitive skills and give them a space to train together if they’re not confident either returning to or working out in a gym at all.
Not only this, but exercise outdoors provides you with the health benefits of fresh air and vitamin D. According to David Lloyd Clubs, being outdoors gives the brain an increase of serotonin and feel-good endorphins, driving your clients forward positively towards their fitness goals and boosting their wellbeing. David Lloyd also says that working out outside and spending time in nature can lower your blood pressure and stress levels while boosting your immune system.
The health benefits for clients when working outside are vast!
Guidelines and Costs
While the benefits to you and your clients are excellent, you still need to consider whether you are legally safe and covered by insurance before you can set up a class.
- Getting permission – Even if a park or green area is for public use, it is often owned or maintained by a council. Wherever you choose to do your classes, you need to ask permission from the owner to use the space. For example, the Royal Parks ask anyone wishing to run a fitness class to gain a license. This license ensures the classes act according to the law and that the instructors giving the classes are properly qualified.
- Paying fees – While not always the case, it is common for councils and other governing bodies to ask trainers to pay a license fee to offer classes outside. Each council will be different depending on the area and the space available. For example, Poole Council details that if a trainer wants to run one fitness session a week for a year, they have to pay a fee of £100. It may sound like a lot, but in comparison to the roughly £300-£500 per month renting cost from a gym, it is a considerable saving.
- Providing evidence and insurance – Most parks require you to have undertaken certain checks before running outdoor fitness classes. For example, Poole asks that trainers provide them with proof of Public Liability Insurance, training certificate to prove professional standards, and risk assessment a first aid knowledge. They want to make sure the training is safe and legal for both you and your clients. Knowing the type of insurance you need is essential, which can be viewed here on our insurance guide.
To Conclude
As the days get longer the need to get out into nature is growing. Running an outdoor fitness class or training session offers not just benefits to your clients but your business. Demonstrating your skills as a trainer in a public place acts as a free advert for your classes. It allows you to develop adaptable training methods.
As long as you stick to government guidelines for Covid-19 precautions and licensing, you can be on your way to building a successful outdoor class style for the summer
To help prepare you to get back to training clients and running classes in person, make sure you are keeping up with your CPD courses and knowledge skills. There is a huge range of courses to check out over on our dedicated CPD platform, ProZone, as well as on our website. You can also access our full list of our School of Health modules, geared around getting you, and the fitness sector as a whole, back on track to work with clients who need extra help hitting their fitness goals.