Lift The Bar

One of the biggest perks of being a personal trainer is flexibility. You’re not tied to a 9-to-5 desk job, and you have the freedom to shape your working hours around your life. But with that freedom comes the challenge of managing your diary in a way that supports both your business and your wellbeing. If you’ve ever found yourself working early mornings, late evenings, or feeling burnt out from an overloaded schedule, this blog is for you.

 

You Don’t Have to Work Early or Late (Unless You Want To)

Let’s start with a reassuring truth: you do not have to work unsociable hours just because it’s common in the fitness industry. Many trainers feel pressure to be available at 6am or 8pm to accommodate clients, but if those hours don’t suit you, it’s perfectly okay to say no.

Your energy, focus, and enthusiasm are key to delivering great sessions and if you’re constantly tired or resentful of your schedule, it will show. Instead, consider when you feel at your best. Are you more energised mid-morning? Do you prefer working afternoons and having evenings free? Build your diary around your natural rhythm and communicate your availability clearly to potential clients.

Unless your preference is for completely random times (there’s not going to be loads of people wanting to train at 3am) or you have a specific niche who aren’t available at the times you want to work (e.g. if you want to work with kids or teens then you need to work around school hours), there will always be enough people around to fill your diary!

 

Practical Solutions for Structuring Your Diary

Creating a diary that works for you starts with intention and planning. Here are some practical steps to help:

• Set clear working hours: Define your start and finish times and stick to them. Use scheduling software like Calendly, Acuity, or Google Calendar to block out your availability.
• Identify your non-working time: Consider your preferences, commitments, the schedules of the people closest to you (that you want to be able to spend time with).
• Remember your working time that isn’t client facing: There are plenty of tasks we need to fit in around clients.        Make sure you don’t just focus on when you are seeing clients and assume the rest will fit in. Factor these into your diary so you know when you won’t be working and can switch off at those times.
• Group sessions together but know your limits: Avoid long gaps between clients by batching sessions. However, we all have a different limit for how many back-to-back sessions we can deliver whilst maintaining quality so it’s important to know what works for you and not get caught up in a theoretical ideal.  
• Build in buffer time: Allow time between sessions for travel, notes, food, drinks, bathroom breaks or a quick breather. This helps prevent burnout and keeps you feeling in control.
• Use cancellation policies: Protect your time with clear policies around late cancellations or rescheduling. This sets boundaries and encourages commitment.
• Plan regular reviews: Every few months, assess how your diary is working. Are you feeling energised? Are you making time for yourself? Adjust as needed.

 

Making Changes When Your Diary Isn’t Working

It’s completely normal to realise that your current schedule isn’t serving you. Maybe you’ve taken on too many clients, or your early starts are affecting your sleep. The good news is you can change it.

Start by identifying what’s not working. Is it the timing, the number of sessions, or the type of clients? Once you’re clear, communicate with your clients. Most will understand if you need to adjust your hours, especially if you give notice and offer alternatives.

You might also consider:

• Shifting clients to different time slots that better suit your new schedule.
• Introducing semi-private or group sessions to reduce hours while maintaining income.
• Creating online or hybrid options to offer flexibility for both you and your clients.

It is possible that you will lose some clients if you are making significant changes.  If this is likely to be the case then you might want to do a phased approach to making changes.

• Identify when you want to work and when you don’t.
• Make sure you don’t book any new clients into time slots you don’t want to be tied to.
• Practice offering times that work for you rather than asking when works for the potential client during consultations.
• Choose one morning / evening / day that you want to clear and move clients from that time slot into the times you want.  If anyone leaves focus on replacing them with new clients in the times you want before freeing up a different day.

Remember, your diary should support your lifestyle, not dictate it. You became a personal trainer to help others live more active lives, but that starts with looking after your own.

 

Final Thoughts

Your time is valuable, and your schedule should reflect that. Whether you’re just starting out or re-evaluating your current routine, setting up your diary to suit you is one of the most empowering things you can do as a personal trainer. It allows you to show up fully for your clients, protect your energy, and enjoy the freedom that comes with running your own business.

So, take a moment to reflect: is your diary working for you or against you? If it’s the latter, identify the changes you want to make and take action!

Check out the Managing Your Time course or drop us a message if you want more help with this.

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