Personal Trainers provide expertise, knowledge, and structured support to improve and maintain physical fitness, health, and wellbeing of individuals through physical activity.

Assesses clients' fitness, health, and wellbeing and designs fitness/exercise programmes for them based on assessment of their age, level of fitness, goals, and abilities; may consult with various health professionals to develop and design fitness programmes; delivers personal exercise tuition in a variety of fitness activities in a safe and creative manner; demonstrates and teaches body movements and skills used in fitness routines; explains and demonstrates safe exercises, use of fitness equipment, weight training, and other routines; give advice on nutrition as well as injury recovery and prevention; sets up and monitors fitness equipment and ensures that equipment is safe, clean, and in working condition; ensures clients are aware of and adhering to safety and injury prevention procedures; reports incidents/accidents and may prepare associated reports; maintains a working knowledge of current relevant health and safety standards and legislation and ensures work practices and procedures conform; maintains a current First Aid Certificate or CPR Certificate. Personal Trainers may also: market and promote their services; make bookings; keep accounts; and generally assist at exercise facilities, which may involve some cleaning and/or reception duties.

• Employees predominantly work inside in gyms or similar facilities. May work outside, when taking clients on walks, runs, or having clients participate in other outdoor pursuits.
• Adequately heated, ventilated, clean, and well-maintained indoor workspaces.

• Light to heavy physical demand.
• Employees frequently stand or move and may sit for consultations with clients.
• Stretching or reaching and squatting or crouching are likely to be required.
• Contact with skin irritants or water is not required (unless water-based training is involved).
• Twisting of the body or neck is likely to be required occasionally to demonstrate some exercises. Lifting, pulling, or carrying is likely to be required occasionally to demonstrate to clients how to use exercise equipment.
• Bending is likely to be required occasionally to demonstrate to clients how to use exercise equipment and perform non-equipment based exercises.
• Repetitive movements are likely to be required occasionally when demonstrating exercises.
• Use of hand-held objects will be intermittent and will involve weights and other exercise equipment, and office equipment.
• May need to drive to meet clients across multiple sites or for offsite sessions.
• Mental skills necessary include knowledge of biomechanics and biology, nutrition, communication, interpersonal, organisation, analysis, planning, and decision-making.

There are no specific requirements to become a Personal Trainer. However, many employers prefer to hire Personal Trainers who have, or are working towards, a relevant qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 3). A Personal Trainer apprenticeship can be undertaken and a New Zealand Certificate in Exercise (Level 3 or Level 4) is available. Additionally, most employers require registration with the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs). Registration requires a qualification approved by REPs and either a First Aid Certificate or CPR Certificate. In some instances particular experience and/or on-the-job training may be required. A Class 1 Driver Licence is necessary for roles across multiple sites or with offsite sessions.

There are opportunities for flexibility of movement but they are limited.