The Working Hours of Walking Leaders
Being a walking leader is not an average 9-to-5 job. Walking leaders have to be available when their clients are not working, which often means early morning and evening hours. When you’re not training, you may have other responsibilities such as marketing and administrative tasks. A walking trainer’s schedule offers freedom while also requiring agility. Read below for tips on how to make the most of your new schedule.
Early Morning
As a walking trainer, you may have clients that want to work out before they go to work. This means you have to be awake and motivate clients in the early morning, say between 5:00 a.m. and 9:– a.m. The benefit of training clients early in the morning is that you can be finish working by 10:00 a.m., offering free time before midday clients.
Mid-Morning
Mid-morning hours between 9:30am and 11:30am tend to be off-peak for walking trainers. You may have clients who work from home or new parents wanting to work out after they drop off their kids at school. Otherwise, this time of the day is a good opportunity to fulfill any marketing or administrative tasks. If you are employed by a gym, you may have specific duties to fulfill during hours when you are not actively training. If you are training clients in the early morning and evening, this may be a break time for you to have something to eat, get in your own workout or take care of personal obligations.
Midday
Depending on where you work, midday may or may not be a busy time for you. If you work in or near an office building, there may be demand for lunchtime training sessions between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. If your midday sessions are not filling up, you can use this time to teach group exercise classes (eg. strength training or boot camp) to those who exercise during their lunch hours. You may also be asked to visit an office to provide lunch time walking training.
Afternoon
Afternoons between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. tend to be the slowest times for walking trainers. You may use this time to have lunch, work out, or take care of personal and administrative tasks. If you work early morning and evening hours, you may go home in the afternoon to rest before your busy evening shift.
Evening
Walking training hours from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. are usually the busiest. The after-work clientele wants to complete exercise on their way home from work so they can spend the rest of their evening with family or friends. Your evening schedule will likely fill quickly. Ask for commitments from your clients so they do not cancel their sessions during high-peak times. Most clients will be finished with their training sessions before 10:00 p.m. so that exercise does not interfere with their sleep schedule.
Work-Life Balance
It’s easy to find yourself in the gym early in the morning and and still be there late into the evening without a break. Achieving work-life balance is important to avoid burnout. Consider adjusting your schedule to allow for ample time for yourself. For example, work both morning and evening hours to reduce your schedule to less than five days a week or avoid working mornings and evenings on the same day. Alternatively, you can work six days a week to expand your morning and evening availability. Typically, trainers have the flexibility to manage their own schedules — that means working hard but also taking care of yourself and setting limits.
What Is The Best Time For Training?
As walking trainers, you have to consider what is best for your clientele. When choosing working hours, take into account the healthiest hours for your client you walk. Research emphasize that morning workouts are advantageous. Physiologically, exercising on an empty stomach is different than exercising after a big meal. After an overnight fast, bodies use fat as the primary source for fuel. Accordingly, exercising in the morning helps to burn more fat. Addressing health benefits and timebound obligations with each client will help you find a suitable time for both of you.