Active Careers, in collaboration with OriGym, a leading UK fitness training provider, reports a substantial rise in the number of women qualifying as personal trainers over the past nine years. Data from OriGym, encompassing over 40,000 students, indicates a 25% increase in female enrolment in personal training courses since 2016.
This trend aligns with Active Careers’ job board statistics, where 46% of personal training job applicants are now women. This shift reflects a growing female presence in a profession traditionally dominated by men.
To understand this change, Active Careers surveyed 824 female personal trainers about their primary motivation for entering the field. The top responses were:
- Helping other women: 19%
- Improved job satisfaction: 16%
- Flexibility: 15%
- Notably, income and entrepreneurship ranked lower, suggesting that personal fulfilment and the desire to support others are key drivers for women entering the profession.
The average age of women qualifying as personal trainers is 32.2 years. Interviews with female trainers over 30 reveal motivations such as personal health concerns and a desire for career change. For instance, Alison Eade, an OriGym graduate, cited menopause as a significant factor in her decision to join the fitness industry, aiming to assist other women navigating similar life stages.
This upward trend in female personal trainers not only promotes diversity within the fitness industry but also enhances support for women’s health and fitness needs across the UK.
Featured Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash.