Lift The Bar

As a personal trainer, you’re passionate about helping people achieve their goals but that doesn’t mean you have to be available 24/7 or bend over backwards for every request. Without clear boundaries, your work-life balance can quickly disappear, and your business can become stressful instead of rewarding. Setting boundaries isn’t about being inflexible; it’s about creating a professional framework that protects your time, energy, and expertise while delivering the best service to your clients.

Take a look at the following areas to see where you can make changes.

 

Time: Protect Your Schedule

One of the most common challenges for trainers is managing time effectively. If you don’t know when you’re working and when you’re not, you can’t expect your clients to know either. Define your working hours and stick to them.

Example:
 If your working hours are 8am–6pm, include this in your welcome email and add it to your WhatsApp status or email signature. If a client messages you at 10pm, don’t reply until the next day. By consistently responding only during your set hours, you train clients to respect your schedule.

Also remember that a client gets to contact you when it’s convenient to them but that doesn’t mean you need to respond at that time.  You get to respond when it’s convenient to you!

 

Set Appropriate Expectations

Boundaries aren’t just about time, they’re about communication and clarity. From the outset, explain how and when clients can contact you, and what they can expect in terms of response times.

Example:
 During your initial consultation, say:
“I’m available for messages Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm. I’ll always aim to respond within 24 hours within those hours.”
 If you use social media for client communication, make it clear that comments or DMs aren’t monitored for urgent queries.   Let them know your preferred contact method for different types of communication.  E.G. If someone is letting you know they are running late to a session that is imminently starting you may want a phone call / text whereas a less time sensitive enquiry may be best emailed.

 

Stay Within Your Scope

Your expertise lies in fitness and health within the limits of your qualifications. Conversations can easily drift into areas like nutrition, mental health, or medical advice, topics that may fall outside your scope of practice.  Because we want to be helpful trainers often fall into the trap of trying to help with everything and that can end up leading us to some sticky situations.  Plan some responses for common issues.  Prepare a short list of trusted professionals (dietitians, physiotherapists, counsellors) you can refer clients to when needed and avoid encouraging clients down conversational routes that you don’t want to go.

 

Example:
 If a client asks about a medical condition, respond with:
“That’s outside my area of expertise, so I can’t give advice on that. I’d recommend speaking to your GP for guidance.”

 

Stick to Your Service Model

Your business should reflect your values and the way you want to work. Don’t feel pressured to change your service model to suit individual clients.

Example:
 If you offer online coaching only and a client asks for in-person sessions, politely decline:
“I focus on online coaching because it allows me to give the best service. If you need in-person sessions, I can recommend a trainer who offers that.”
 This ensures you stay true to your business model and avoid creating an unsustainable mix of services.

 

Final Thoughts

Setting boundaries isn’t about being rigid or unhelpful, it’s about creating a structure that allows you to deliver your best work without sacrificing your wellbeing. Clear boundaries build trust, professionalism, and longevity in your career. Start by defining what works for you, communicate it clearly, and stick to it.

Check out the courses on the member site for more on communication, time management and more. 

New to LTB? access a free trial (new members only) here.