Clients look to fitness professionals for boundless motivation, which makes it particularly tough when you are feeling a bit flat or ‘over it’ yourself.

As a sole trader you can take on too many responsibilities – one-to-one sessions, group sessions, administration, advertising, and marketing – which can lead to burn out and spreading yourself thin; you may not have anyone to cover you.

Below are four tips for how to avoid exhaustion and reignite your enthusiasm for your business.

1. Reach out to your Peers

Online industry forums and social media groups for personal trainers can provide an invaluable support network to bolster you when you are feeling down, overwhelmed or need some guidance.

They let you talk about your challenges and pose questions to like-minded people, who act like a sounding board. It can help you feel less alone and isolated, and that other trainers are going through the same thing.”

2. Take a Sustainable Approach to your Workload

It is tempting to take on as many classes and clients as you can cram in to your working hours, with the aim of making as much money as you can. However, you also need to factor in the ‘back end’ of running a business, such as administration, bookkeeping, writing programmes, marketing and advertising, and so on.

Take on too much, and you can find yourself working non-stop. If you have taken on too many clients, instead of trying to look after them all, employ people to help you.

Industry forums are really good for this, because there are plenty of trainers on there that may know somebody or be able to do it themselves.

3. Sign up to a Course

Taking part in some training adds to your skills and knowledge base, as well as exposing you to fellow fitness enthusiasts, and can help remind you why you fell in love with the industry in the first place.

It is also useful to attend the various fitness conventions, where you will be surrounded by like-minded people.

As well as industry-specific courses and workshops, even general business or self-development courses can help reboot your motivation and give you ideas about how to work smarter, not harder.

4. Get outside of your Business

Running a fitness business can be all-consuming, taking as many hours of the day as you are prepared to give.

Ensure you schedule time away from work regularly to recharge.

It is important to get outside of your business, so that when you come back to it, you’ve got a fresh set of eyes and renewed motivation.

A weekly self-care ritual – be it a massage, lunch out or a swim at the pool – can give you something to look forward to, and a well-earned mental break.